Following is the text of a response I gave to an e-mail asking about new requirements for renewal of STCW requirements.
Under the new rules, there are requirements that take effect on January 1, 2017:
There is a new STCW requirement for Masters, Chief Mates, Chief Engineers, and “Second Engineer Officers” (STCW equivalent of 1st AE) to take a “Leadership and Managerial Skills” course. You have to have this by January 1, 2017, if you renew before then your STCW endorsement will have a limitation that it is not valid after December 31, 2016. You can remove this limitation atany time by taking the course. After December 31, 2016, if you don’t have this you cannot renew the endorsement. This is a one-time requirement.
For Officer in Charge of a Navigation Watch (Mate, 2nd Mate, 3rd Mate) and Officer in Charge of an Engineering Watch (Asst. Engineer, 3rd AE, 2nd AE) the requirement is for “Leadership and Teamworking Skills.” For this, the requirement is only to demonstrate the standard of competence, this means it does not have to be a course, it can be met by completing the applicable assessments in the new NVICs for these endorsements. The “management level” requirement for Leadership and Managerial Skills training discussed above will also meet the requirement for Leadership and Teamworking Skills.
There is a new, one-time requirement to have ECDIS training by January 1, 2017. If you renew before this date and don’t have ECDIS, you will get a limitation “Not valid for vessels equipped with ECDIS after December 31, 2016.” If you renew after this date and don’t have ECDIS training, the limitation will be “Not valid for vessels equipped with ECDIS.”
For all engineers, there is a requirement for to take a course in Engineroom Resource Management by January 1, 2017. If you renew before then your STCW endorsement will have a limitation that it is notvalid after December 31, 2016. You can remove this limitation at any time by taking the course. After December 31, 2016, if you don’t have this you cannot renew the endorsement. This is a one-time requirement.
For Chief Engineers, and “Second Engineer Officers” (STCW equivalent of 1st AE) there is a requirement for to take a course in “Management of Electrical and Electronic Control Equipment” by January 1, 2017. If you renew before then your STCW endorsement will have a limitation that it is not valid after December 31,2016. You can remove this limitation at any time by taking the course. After December 31, 2016, if you don’t have this you cannot renew the endorsement. This is a one-time requirement.
There is a new renewal requirement for Basic Training (new name for BST). This takes effect on your first renewal that happens after December 31, 2016. If you have one year of sea time in the last five years, you must take a “revalidation” course that includes refresher training and assessment for those parts of BT that can’t be done on ship, primarily the in-water parts of personal survival and the live-fire parts of basic firefighting. This takes effect on all renewals starting on January 1, 2017, if you renew before then you will NOT get any limitations, so this requirement can be delayed by renewing before December 31, 2016. You can renew at any time, it is no longer limited to no more than one year before expiration. If you don’t have the one year of service in the last five, you need to take a comprehensive “refresher” course that is longer and more inclusive than the “revalidation” course, it covers all of BT. This will apply to all renewals, it is NOT a one-time requirement.
There is also a new renewal requirement for Advanced Firefighting. It is similar to the one for BT, described above. If you have one year in the last five, you can take a shorter “revalidation” course. If not, you need the complete “refresher” course. This also applies to all renewals of STCW endorsements starting on January 1, 2017, and is NOT one-time only.
There is also a renewal requirement for Proficiency in Survival Craft (STCW equivalent of Lifeboatman), but it duplicates what is done in the BT renewal, so if you have the one year of sea service in the last five years and meet the Basic Training renewal requirements will also meet those for BT. If you do not have the one year of service in the last five, you will need a complete “Proficiency in Survival Craft Refresher” course, just meeting the BT requirements will not be sufficient.
To renew a national or domestic Tankerman-PIC endorsement there is now a sea time requirement. You will now need either the two cargo transfers AND 90 days on a tank vessel in the last five, or you need to re-take the cargo course. This takes effect on the first renewal of the Tankerman-PIC endorsement that occurs after March 24,2019.
With the exception of the last one on Tankerman-PIC, all of the above only applies to STCW endorsements, not to national or domestic licensees and rating endorsements.
Thanks for all that. I’m wondering though if ECDIS only applies to STCW then for example my domestic pilotage would still be valid on vessels equipped with ECDIS, as I’m not sailing on an STCW “capacity” and said domestic endorsement lists no restrictions?
[QUOTE=z-drive;140329]Thanks for all that. I’m wondering though if ECDIS only applies to STCW then for example my domestic pilotage would still be valid on vessels equipped with ECDIS, as I’m not sailing on an STCW “capacity” and said domestic endorsement lists no restrictions?[/QUOTE]
Only the STCW endorsement will have the no ECDIS limitation.
I see the Star Center will offer these courses. Any one know if other training centers or academies will offer them? Many of us will need to take multiple courses before 2017 so I’m hoping they will be offered at more than one location.
I am taking my class next week. Leadership, Communications and Management at Quality Maritime Training. I have already taken ECDIS, so I am told this 5 day course is all I need to extend my international endorsement out past 2016. Right now my license says not valid after December 31, 2016 for my International license. I am looking forward to getting it behind me. I wonder if I have to pay again to have this restriction removed. Actually I would like to have a new issue where the date restriction is not listed.
I am curious about this as well. I am signed up to take the class at QMT in late July. I just submitted an app to the NMC for a license upgrade, I am thinking they will not have issued my license by the time I have the course completion certificate in hand.
[QUOTE=Capt. Lee;140395]…I wonder if I have to pay again to have this restriction removed. Actually I would like to have a new issue where the date restriction is not listed.[/QUOTE]
Until you get the restriction removed, it is valid even if you have a course completion certificate. You do have to apply to get the restriction removed, but there are no fees for STCW endorsements.
If memory serves me, in the past mariners with only inland time had to renew their BST every 5 years, and those who could show outside recency (180 days in 5 years?) could skip the re-taking BST. I haven’t seen anything to that effect in the new checklists. Is it still the case? Was it ever the case or did I imagine it?
Getting a sea-time letter in a timely fashion is like pulling teeth, and having it reflect near coastal/oceans time even harder.
[QUOTE=TMcG;140496]If memory serves me, in the past mariners with only inland time had to renew their BST every 5 years, and those who could show outside recency (180 days in 5 years?) could skip the re-taking BST. I haven’t seen anything to that effect in the new checklists…[/QUOTE]
See above. Under the new rules, everyone takes some level of renewal course for BST. If you have one year of sea service in the past 5 years, no matter what waters, you take a shorter “revalidation” course. If you don’'t have one year in the last five, you take a longer “refresher” course.
This starts on your first renewal after December 31, 2016. Until then, the old policies remain in effect. Until then, you do not need any renewal/refresher training for BST if you have one year in the past five on near coastal or oceans. If you do not have one year in the past five, or have it on inland routes, you need to re-take all of BST, or a complete refresher course.
Thanks for the reply Mr. Cavo. Sorry to beat this to death, but I just want to understand in order to avoid a delay.
“…one year in the past five on near coastal or oceans”, so 365 8 hour days?
From the STCW checklist:
Every 5 years to maintain the required standard of competence in BT (VI/1), an applicant must provide:
360 days of sea service on any waters that includes onboard training and experience relative to the four elements of BT within the past 5 years, Note: Service on vessels to which STCW applies such as Inspected vessels
subject by regulation to conduct regular training. Recreational vessels must provide proof of training and experience relative to the four elements of BT: OR Completion of CG approved course for ALL four BT elements or CG
approved course for BT Refresher Training.
If I’m reading that right, a year on an inspected, STCW vessel in the last 5 would exempt you from the BST refresher requirement, as well as service on a non-STCW vessel if you provide proof of onboard training. How would one provide that proof?
Have the links to the STCW checklists under the old rules been removed?
[QUOTE=TMcG;140555]Thanks for the reply Mr. Cavo. Sorry to beat this to death, but I just want to understand in order to avoid a delay.
“…one year in the past five on near coastal or oceans”, so 365 8 hour days?
From the STCW checklist:
Every 5 years to maintain the required standard of competence in BT (VI/1), an applicant must provide:
360 days of sea service on any waters that includes onboard training and experience relative to the four elements of BT within the past 5 years, Note: Service on vessels to which STCW applies such as Inspected vessels
subject by regulation to conduct regular training. Recreational vessels must provide proof of training and experience relative to the four elements of BT: OR Completion of CG approved course for ALL four BT elements or CG
approved course for BT Refresher Training.
If I’m reading that right, a year on an inspected, STCW vessel in the last 5 would exempt you from the BST refresher requirement, as well as service on a non-STCW vessel if you provide proof of onboard training. How would one provide that proof?
Have the links to the STCW checklists under the old rules been removed?[/QUOTE]
It says the same thing I did. Vessels subject to STCW are near coastal and oceans. If your time was inland, the vessel wasn’t subject to STCW. I’m also not sure about the “inspected” part. Towing vessels are not currently inspected, and service on a near coastal or oceans towing vessel counts for the one year in five requirement.
[QUOTE=Flyer69;140396]I am curious about this as well. I am signed up to take the class at QMT in late July. I just submitted an app to the NMC for a license upgrade, I am thinking they will not have issued my license by the time I have the course completion certificate in hand.[/QUOTE]
Hey Flyer69,
I can tell you that I was not sure what to expect when I enrolled in this course. I can tell you that I was pleasantly surprised at how useful the course was. George Trowbridge was my instructor and he did a top notch job. There was a lot of material, but it was all very interesting. I was really impressed. Whether you are required to take this course or not, I would recommend the course to anyone wanting to take a leadership course to improve their skills and increase their success. In my career there have been a few courses that were this helpful. I rank this up there with Major Emergency Management. I was very impressed with Quality Maritime Training and I will recommend them to anyone needing this course in the future. Plus it is close to the beach. I made a mini vacation out of it. I took my wife and son. They were able to enjoy the beach, while I was in class.
I can tell you that I was not sure what to expect when I enrolled in this course. I can tell you that I was pleasantly surprised at how useful the course was. George Trowbridge was my instructor and he did a top notch job. There was a lot of material, but it was all very interesting. I was really impressed. Whether you are required to take this course or not, I would recommend the course to anyone wanting to take a leadership course to improve their skills and increase their success. In my career there have been a few courses that were this helpful. I rank this up there with Major Emergency Management. I was very impressed with Quality Maritime Training and I will recommend them to anyone needing this course in the future. Plus it is close to the beach. I made a mini vacation out of it. I took my wife and son. They were able to enjoy the beach, while I was in class.
Lee[/QUOTE]
That’s good to hear.
I’m curious of anyone has any feedback on the MITAGS equivalent of this course yet?