According to the checklist for RFPNW on the NMC website there is no mention of a tonnage requirement for RFPNW only 180 days of watch standing under the supervision of a officer in charge of navigational watch, however under policy letter 14-02 there is a requirement that all time be over 100 grt and 50% over 200 grt. My assumption is that the policy letter is correct and that the checklist is incorrect. I have also read that an AB without a RFPNW is useless. I do however qualify for a 500/ 3000 mate and am close too enough time to get a master. So is my only option to get work in the OSV world to upgrade my 100 ton to a 500/3000? Seems kind of dumb that on paper I have the sea time to run an OSV under 3000 ITC tons but I can’t be an AB and steer the thing, unless I am misunderstanding something. All of my time is under 100 ton and 1/4 of it is under 50 tons. Have done plenty of searches on this and have a lot of gray area.
[QUOTE=Jason Z;150838]According to the checklist for RFPNW on the NMC website there is no mention of a tonnage requirement for RFPNW only 180 days of watch standing under the supervision of a officer in charge of navigational watch, however under policy letter 14-02 there is a requirement that all time be over 100 grt and 50% over 200 grt. My assumption is that the policy letter is correct and that the checklist is incorrect. I have also read that an AB without a RFPNW is useless. I do however qualify for a 500/ 3000 mate and am close too enough time to get a master. So is my only option to get work in the OSV world to upgrade my 100 ton to a 500/3000? Seems kind of dumb that on paper I have the sea time to run an OSV under 3000 ITC tons but I can’t be an AB and steer the thing, unless I am misunderstanding something. All of my time is under 100 ton and 1/4 of it is under 50 tons. Have done plenty of searches on this and have a lot of gray area.[/QUOTE]
The policy letter was cancelled. It was replaced by NVIC 06-14.
What is the difference between RFPNW and OICNW? If you an AB ticket as well as OICNW does this eliminate the need to pursue RFPNW?
Yeah I was just wondering if I could go down and start looking for work without shelling out the 20k for the OICNW classes. My hope was to go down there and get a job as an AB and take the classes though the company or get reimbursed for the classes .I guess having my license before I get down there might be my best option.
A couple questions for anyone in the know;
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The new policy letter doesn’t state a tonnage requirement, however it does state 180 days of navigation under supervision of master, mate or other stcw officer. When I am on a navigational watch, I am master or mate aciting under the authority of my 100 ton master license. Does the NMC count this as a meeting this requirement? While we are fishing I am up in the bridge in the binoculars, with the master (100 ton, not STCW endorsed), while we our primary duty is hunting for fish, we are certainly navigating the boat while we do this and I assist in the navigation when needed. Could this be considered navigational watch duties under the supervision of an officer? Also one boat I worked on as a mate the master slept in the wheelhouse, could this be under the supervision of the master? I am just trying to obtai the most qualifications possible and have hundreds of days of navigational watch keeping experience, just not under the strict definition of the checklist or on a vessel over 100 tons.
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On both mate and Master OSV checklists it mentions two routes; if service started before 3/24/14. Does that mean if you have sea time before that date or sea time on an OSV? Any insight into what this phrase means?
Thanks for any input
Any input?
It means one day of qualifying sea service or any training prior to March 24, 2014. I don’t believe the mate/master OSV endorsements require service on OSVs, but there are tonnage and route requirements. I think most guys get this as an “add-on” to Master or Mate 500 GRT; I’m not sure, but it may be that the reduced tonnage option only applies to an approved training program such as PMI-MITAGS…
[QUOTE=Jason Z;151150]Any input?[/QUOTE]
From my personal experience, prior to Mar 24 anyone with a 500t could have OSV 3000 ITC added to their license with no other requirements/testing. Since then it has changed.
Would I be ok as long as I get a sea time letter that shows I had enough time to qualify as a 500 ton mate prior to March 24, 2014? Thanks for your responses.
[QUOTE=Jason Z;151250]Would I be ok as long as I get a sea time letter that shows I had enough time to qualify as a 500 ton mate prior to March 24, 2014? Thanks for your responses.[/QUOTE]
What difference will that make? It’s not whether you qualified before March 24, 2014, it’s whether you started service or trainng befoe that date. Also, getting a sea time letter is not the same as getting sea service. I can write a letter that says anything I want, that doesn’t mean what I write is true. (keep that in mind as you read my assorted ramblings here…)
Let me rephrase this; I had the required sea time for 500 ton mate before 3/24/14. What I meant is that I should specifically document my sea time before 3/24/14 in my sea time letter, however I thought if I had the sea time requirement met I would meet option 2. However I think I needed to have completed my OICNW classes before 3/2;4/14. The wording is very vague so people might confused with the phrase if the service before 3/24/14.
Thank you for clearing it up Mr. Cavo, I started service before 3/24/14 so I qualify.
I’m pretty sure a 100 ton master cannot sign off on OICNW assessments. Maybe if they have STCW II/3, but it doesn’t sound like he has this.
To answer the OICNW question, an officer of equal or higher rank of the endorsement you are seeking may signoff on you assessments for which they are qualified. There may be one stipulation to this however, new regulations require an “Approved Assessor” sign you off. Now how true is the CG going to stick to this I’m not sure but its out there. I recived my letter about 8 months ago and its quite specific on what you can and can not do. So, if the master holds a 500grt he can sign off for an applicant up to 500grt and so on. The one crossover is a 1600grt master can sign for a 3rd Unlimmited. Hope this helps.
[QUOTE=Thirds;152986]To answer the OICNW question, an officer of equal or higher rank of the endorsement you are seeking may signoff on you assessments for which they are qualified…[/QUOTE]
That’s an overly simple question, and not entirely clear. As is specified in NVIC 12-14for OICNW for 500 GT or More, the assessments can be conducted by anyone with “an appropriate national endorsement and have at least 1 year of experience as OICNW on vessels of at least 500 GRT and/or 200 GT.” In this case, an “appropriate” national endorsememnt would be Mate or Master 500 or greater.
[QUOTE=Thirds;152986]There may be one stipulation to this however, new regulations require an “Approved Assessor” sign you off. [/QUOTE]
This does not take effect until January 1, 2017.