So, as I am in the final stages of putting my package together, for work in the GOM, and other, non-voyage type jobs, so is it worth the time and effort to get a lifeboatman STCW endorsement, so just stick with a PSC?
I’d advise that since you’re already in the mode, get it. You’ll not regret having it. Not having it may keep you from jobs you’d otherwise be qualified to take.
Looking at the course curriculum from a couple of local schools, i was left wondering, how many lifeboats are currently out there on US flagged ships that utilize oars? The SL-7’s have a unique hand-powered crank, similar to the civil war CSS Hunley, but oars??
Sure wish there were schools that offered evening/weekend classes. So far, I’m going to burn a year’s vacation time just to take these classes, plus the lost wages. I must wanna do this awful bad!!
Well Retired Rat. You will find that all CG approved courses for PSC will have the wonderful little oar section. It is a Coast Guard requirement. I have no idea why that still is but I admit that getting out there under oars can be great on a nice day (at least for me since I’m just supervising!).
Robert Thomas
Maritime Department Head
Alaska Maritime Training Center
Alaska Vocational Technical Center
You’ll find there is, at all levels of the Coast Guard testing and licensing process, a host of obsolete, outdated, unused, quaint, irrelevant, ridiculous, unnecessary, improbable, incomprehensible, inapplicable, unknown, crusty, dusty, and musty training requirements and test questions you just have to deal with in order to get out into the real world. Part of the game, Rat.
Survival craft do have oars. One on each side with a metal holder to lay the oar in. Of course the doors have to be open. Row boy!
Rat, Check with the school where you took PSC. I know that the PSC course at Chouest covers lifeboatman. Maybe yours dose too. It will be in the schools approval letter. The schools usually have those hanging on a wall or just ask the school Manager.
Handling a lifeboat under oars is required per 46 CFR 12.10-5(b)(2). Unless/until that regulation is chqanged, handling a boat under oars will be part of Lifeboatman/Proficiency in Survival Craft courses.
Unless a course has the words “Limited” or “Restricted” in the title, it is probably approved to icnlude lifeboats. You don’t need to get a copy of the letter from the school, you can check yourself at: http://www.uscg.mil/nmc/mmic_appcourses.asp
James D. Cavo
Chief, Mariner Training & Assessment Division
USCG National Maritime Center
[<font color="#3354aa]James.D.Cavo@uscg.mil</font>](mailto:James.D.Cavo@uscg.mil)
Speaking of obsolete, how about blinker light?
Flashing light will be harder. One of the STCW competencies for Officer in Charge of a Navigational Watch is “Transmit and Receive Information By Visual Signaling.” As long as this is in STCW, flashing light will be required. The best we can do is to make it a one-time requirement on the first STCW certification as OICNW, and do away with the reqquirement to repeat at every upgrade of an unlimited tonnage license. We are considering this as part of the rulemaking that will fully implement STCW.
James D. Cavo
Chief, Mariner Training & Assessment Division
USCG National Maritime Center
[<font color="#3354aa]James.D.Cavo@uscg.mil</font>](mailto:James.D.Cavo@uscg.mil)
I thought crusty, dusty and musty were applicable.
No way, Jim! Keep the requirement there for the U/L guys. If you take it away they won’t have anything left to lord over us limited pukes!
I just did standby work on a ship that has open lifeboats with oars, frapping lines, tricing pennants, etc… I suspect rowing an open boat will be required until the older ships with that equipment no longer exist.
[QUOTE=Retired Rat;5132]Looking at the course curriculum from a couple of local schools, i was left wondering, how many lifeboats are currently out there on US flagged ships that utilize oars? The SL-7’s have a unique hand-powered crank, similar to the civil war CSS Hunley, but oars??
Sure wish there were schools that offered evening/weekend classes. So far, I’m going to burn a year’s vacation time just to take these classes, plus the lost wages. I must wanna do this awful bad!![/QUOTE]