Anyone know if sea time sailing as a master/captain on a towing vessel less tnan 26 feet can be credited towards the required 540 days sea time sailing as Mate Pilot of Towing Vessels in order to upgrade to Master Of Towing Vessels?
No. It cannot be used because the USCG does not consider it to legally be a “towing vessel.”
There is a lot of good experience and skill building to be had running the little truckable rulebeater tugs.
The sea time will count toward AB or Master 100 tons, but not toward upgrading from apprentice mate to mate of towing, or to Master of towing.
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What do you mean not considered to legally be a towing vessel? The COD says tug. It has an ABS Towing Vessel annual survey saying its classed as a tug. On the Master of towing checklist is says time sailing as mate on towing vessels. Not being smart, just confused.
A tug less than 26 feet is inspected as a towing vessel under Subchapter M?
I’ve never heard of that before. I cannot imagine why anyone would do that.
There are two of those things tied up next to me right now. I thought the whole reason they were 25.99 feet long was they avoided inspections, classifications, and so on.
I may be saying the wrong thing. There was an annual survery done on it by abs. Its registered on the COD for coastwise towing. All the master of towing checklist says is time sailing as mate on towing vessels. No tonnage, etc. Its not inspected, it doesnt have a COI.
If no COI, then it’s a rule beater tug, not an USCG inspected towing vessel.
My understanding is: if not an inspected towing vessel with a COI, then the sea time is NOT creditable toward a USCG master or mate of towing license.
The USCG is famous for creating money saving loopholes for owners (e.g. the insane tonnage exemptions), and then penalizing mariners because the owners took advantage of those loopholes. Nothing new here.
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you can probably get an ordinary seamen’s card and work your way up on a larger vessel as a deck hand. that’s about it, your time counts for nothing. you need to work a larger vessel
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I have my mate of towing, & 200 ton, roughly 45 days away from the sea time required to upgrade to Master of Towing. Just filled in on the truckable tug from time to time & was wondering if that time counted was all.
You got good experience and a paycheck out of a few weeks running the rulebeater tug.
It’s inconvenient, but not really a big problem that the USCG won’t accept the seatime.
Noted on this web site the MITAGS apprentice program May get you in the wheelhouse in a couple of years
Related question - I am off to look at a 45 foot tug for a buddy. I assumed as long as we were not actually towing anyone it was just an old powerboat as far as regs go. Maybe not??
If it’s documented as a yacht, no problem.
If it’s documented as a tug, then you’ve got a problem.
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My 65 foot wooden tug was registered as a yacht. No issues with the CG, class or anyone else. I could tow anything I owned just like a large yacht can tow a tender without being called a tug.