Does anyone know the credential/endorsement it takes to sign someone else off for tankerman PIC? In other words, normally on a tanker the chief mate will sign someone off to obtain their tankerman PIC if they have their loads/discharge requirements and if they have the 90 day requirement.
What is it that allows them to sign the trainee off? Is it their endorsement as CM/having a PIC themself or something different?
To compare, a DE (designated examiner) must sign someone off to obtain a completed TOAR. Who is the qualified “DE” for tankerman endorsements?
Firefighting and Cargo Courses (completed within the last five years), and;
90 days service on tankships, and;
Proof of participation, under the supervision of a Tankerman-PIC, in at least ten (total) transfers of cargo, including at least five loadings and five discharges, two commencements and two completions of loading and two commencements and two completions of discharge.
The PIC for my document was the 2nd Mate (Cargo Mate) and was also signed by the Captain. It doesn’t need to be the ChEng.
“Under the supervision of a PIC” I assume that could be an A/B or some other unlicensed crew member as long as they are acting as the PIC for the transfers that they are signing off. However, I haven’t looked up the CFR’s for that.
Letter must be signed by owner, operator, master, or chief engineer on the vessel that the transfers took place on…
46 CFR § 13.127 Service: General.
(a) A service letter must be signed by the owner, operator, [master], or [chief engineer] of the [vessel]
So the PIC could be an unlicensed crew member that is supervising your transfers, but only one of the approved individuals (owner, operator, ChEng, or Captain) can sign off your PIC paperwork.
For STCW, it has to be the Chief Mate, Master, or for Tankerman-Engineer only, the Chief Engineer. See NVIC 22-14. The reason is that the STCW requires a demonstration of competence and the supervision of the transfers, and the certification required by 46 CFR 13.127(a) counts as the assessment of competence for STCW. So that certification needs to be made by one of the persons named in the regulation for the national endorsement who was in a position to supervise and witness the applicant.
I think the actual practice is that someone at company offices usually signs these “Tankermen seatime” letters. As the Master, I have occasionally been asked to sign them, but not often. I don’t tow oil barges very much. Guys that tow or push oil all the time would know much better than I do.