Hi Everybody, I have a question that I hope you will be able to help me with.
I am working with a current USCG Chief Eng. Ltd. license
We are in refit in Holland.
I must take a couple of STCW one day refresher courses, specifically Personal survival and Lifeboats.
My question is, must I take these refreshers back in the states or can I take them at an IMO accredited school here in Holland without compromising my US license validity?
Any advice greatly appreciated
SteveH
Only courses approved by the U.S. Coast Guard are acceptable, and the Coast Guard will only approve training that is given in the US or its territories, on a US military or government facility outrside the US, or on a US flag vessel.
The USCG will approve STCW courses given in foreign locations as long as they are given onboard a US flag vessel?
I’m starting to have visions of owning a US flag vessel, maybe an old ferry, permanently secured to a dock next door to a maritime school in Thailand or the Philippines.
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My response was incomplete. It was confined to the question asked, and reasonable follow-ups.
To be approved a school would need a permanent location within the United States where management and control of the training is located, and where all required records are maintained.
I assumed that would be the case, but don’t see it as an impediment.
More likely, it should not be too difficult for a multinational school, like Falck or Bluewater, with existing campuses in the US and foreign locales to offer USCG approved courses outside the US on a US flag vessel.
While it’s always a nice idea to go to some warm and attractive location for a tax deductible STCW course, and it’s always nice to pay less for a course, the primary benefit would be higher quality courses that also have MCA and other approvals.
There are far too many substantially similar courses required by various organizations that a working Mariner might need to take, that could better be combined into one super course. I’m thinking of STCW courses with USCG, TC, and MCA approvals combined with OPITO and GWO approvals.
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That would make far too much sense for the guberment.