Testing for AB at USCG REC center instead of school

Professional Mariner Forum
1

Hi everybody,

I am a long time lurker here and until now ave been able to find everything using the search feature, but this question I can’t figure out via search. How many of you guys have tested for your AB at the USCG REC center in lieu of a school? I live in Puerto Rico so any schools i attend for AB would be off the Island. Has anybody tested at REC center using hawsepipe.net study materials? As far as my knowledge base goes, I have a 100 ton master and have recently returned to the sea after a 2 year hiatus. I have been working on OSV’s for the last few months. I am rusty on the subjects i tested for on my master’s license but still have a solid foundation. I don’t want to waste time and money going the self study route only to have it be impossibly difficult. Thanks in advance everybody!

2

AB is a watered down 100 ton test. No charts and only a 70 I believe vs a 90 on ROR. I’d imagine it wouldn’t be hard to self study for as there will be nothing you haven’t seen before.

3

I took my test at the Portland, OR REC.
I already had my Master 100T (NC) and just took a Lifeboatman course at a community college, since I already had a grip of sea time, I just had to practice a few knots and yes, I used seasources to make sure I hadn’t forgotten too much…
It wasn’t that hard at all…not like upgrading to Master 500T (Oceans).

4

Yea self study I wish I did. After doing the 100t i was already ready to do the AB, didn’t know that so I did the class. It was a waste of time and money.