Renewing Without Sea Time?

Professional Mariner Forum
1

I was directed to this website by one of my classmates who said I could get my questions answered here:

I’m active duty Army and graduated from a maritime academy in 2011. Since graduating I haven’t used my license (3/M, Radar/ECDIS) but would obviously like to keep it in case I I sail one day. I just renewed my TWIC, but see there are some new requirements since graduating ie: OICNW, CG physical etc.

My questions are:
-What do I need to do in order to renew my license without sea time and keep it current?
-Which trainings should I attend?
-Can I renew the license within a year of it expiring?

Many thanks!

2

in your case it will be worth every dime I hire a license consultant. Google gcaptain.com license consultant and you should get some suggestions. I think you need 360 days in the last 5 years no matter what you do.

Unless there is a provision for active duty folks (thanks for service btw), you probably will have to just put the license into continuity???

You basically give up your license until you want to sail again; at that point the Cg will tell you what you need to “reactivate” it.

3

[QUOTE=sailingqs;157015]I was directed to this website by one of my classmates who said I could get my questions answered here:

I’m active duty Army and graduated from a maritime academy in 2011. Since graduating I haven’t used my license (3/M, Radar/ECDIS) but would obviously like to keep it in case I I sail one day. I just renewed my TWIC, but see there are some new requirements since graduating ie: OICNW, CG physical etc.

My questions are:
-What do I need to do in order to renew my license without sea time and keep it current?
-Which trainings should I attend?
-Can I renew the license within a year of it expiring?

Many thanks![/QUOTE]

You can renew up to a year after it expires. If you can’t make that, put it into continuity and preserve your ability to renew in the future.

If you do not have one year of se a time in the last five, you can renew your license and national ratings by completing an at home, open-book test. When your application is reviewed and everything else is OK, you will get instructions on arranging for the test.

You do not need to have your Radar Observer up to date to renew. But, if it isn’t the endorsement will lapse and you will need to take a course and re-apply to get it added back to your MMC. If you have no plans to use your license in the near future, you can renew wirthout this and add it when you think you might use it.

For STCW, until December 31, 2016, if you do not have one year in the last five you will need to take a Basic Sadfety Refresher course (there are very few) or re-take Basic Safety. If you do not have training or assessment for the new requirement for Leadership and Teamwork Sklills, your renewed STCW endorsement as OICNW will say that it is not valid after December 31,2016. You can remove this limitation at any time, before or after December 31, 2016, by meeting the requirement.

You will need a physical exam in the past year, and a drug test in the last 6 months. You can meet the drug test requirement with a letter from your Command saying you have been in the Army’s random testing program since {DATE} and have never tested positive. The physical can be from any licensed doctor, but has to be on the Coast Guard form.

By going to contiuirty, you preserve the ability to renew after one year. When you take it out of continuity you will need to meet all the reqwquirements to renew. If you let it expire for more than a year, you will need to re-take the full original license exam.

You might look into whether you can get the Basic Safety Training at no charge or reduced cost from the USAT at Ft. Eustis, or possibly from MSC in Earle, NJ.

4

[QUOTE=jdcavo;157039]You can renew up to a year after it expires. If you can’t make that, put it into continuity and preserve your ability to renew in the future.

If you do not have one year of sea time in the last five, you can renew your license and national ratings by completing an at home, open-book test. When your application is reviewed and everything else is OK, you will get instructions on arranging for the test.

You do not need to have your Radar Observer up to date to renew. But, if it isn’t the endorsement will lapse and you will need to take a course and re-apply to get it added back to your MMC. If you have no plans to use your license in the near future, you can renew wirthout this and add it when you think you might use it.

For STCW, until December 31, 2016, if you do not have one year in the last five you will need to take a Basic Sadfety Refresher course (there are very few) or re-take Basic Safety. If you do not have training or assessment for the new requirement for Leadership and Teamwork Sklills, your renewed STCW endorsement as OICNW will say that it is not valid after December 31,2016. You can remove this limitation at any time, before or after December 31, 2016, by meeting the requirement.

You will need a physical exam in the past year, and a drug test in the last 6 months. You can meet the drug test requirement with a letter from your Command saying you have been in the Army’s random testing program since {DATE} and have never tested positive. The physical can be from any licensed doctor, but has to be on the Coast Guard form.

By going to contiuirty, you preserve the ability to renew after one year. When you take it out of continuity you will need to meet all the reqwquirements to renew. If you let it expire for more than a year, you will need to re-take the full original license exam.

You might look into whether you can get the Basic Safety Training at no charge or reduced cost from the USAT at Ft. Eustis, or possibly from MSC in Earle, NJ.[/QUOTE]

Thank you for your detailed response, it is much appreciated and will help me greatly.

Can I begin renewing my license now? Or must I wait until June when it’s a year from expiring?

Who offers qualifying courses for “Leadership and Teamwork Skills”?