How does the USCG calculate tonnage limitations in I.T.C. GT for STCW endorsements?
This is does not seem to be addressed in the checklists — the way US Regulatory GRT is discussed in the National license checklists.
I’m not sure how they calculate it but the minimum ITC tonnage limit is 4,000 GT.
[QUOTE=Capt. Phoenix;188339]I’m not sure how they calculate it but the minimum ITC tonnage limit is 4,000 GT.[/QUOTE]
That implies that the USCG merely doubles the US Regulatory GRT to arrive at the I.T.C. GT. If that is what they do, it’s simple enough, and it might be fairly reasonable too. I don’t understand why the USCG is so reluctant to explain how they calculate the STCW GT limitation.
It seems odd when someone holds an STCW endorsement as:
Master II/2 limited to 3000 GT, and also holds an STCW endorsement as :
OICNW (Mate) II/1 limited to 3000 GT.
Logically, if someone is qualified as Master 3000 GT, they should be qualified for more tonnage as Mate, say 6000 GT. Especially, since it’s the same Mate exam for both 3000 GT and unlimited GT.
It’s not like a 6000 GT vessel in all that much bigger than a 3000 GT vessels either.
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[QUOTE=Capt. Phoenix;188339]I’m not sure how they calculate it but the minimum ITC tonnage limit is 4,000 GT.[/QUOTE]
That implies that the USCG merely doubles the US Regulatory GRT to arrive at the I.T.C. GT. If that is what they do, it’s simple enough, and it might be fairly reasonable too. I don’t understand why the USCG is so reluctant to explain how they calculate the STCW GT limitation.
It seems odd when someone holds an STCW endorsement as:
Master II/2 limited to 3000 GT, and also holds an STCW endorsement as :
OICNW (Mate) II/1 limited to 3000 GT.
Logically, if some is qualified as Master 3000 GT, they should be qualified for more tonnage as Mate, say 6000 GT. Especially, since it’s the same Mate exam for both 3000 GT and unlimited GT.
To convert from one tonnage systems to another seems like some kind of empirical method would have to used rather than a mathematical formula. If you had enought data, that is you knew both kinds of tonnage of enough ships, you could get an estimate. From that you could make a table.
Guessing here, don’t know.
There are other tonnages as well, Suex Canal GT/Nt, Panama Canal GT/NT. The only way to get the tonnage is have a tonnage admeasurement by a surveryor.
[QUOTE=tugsailor;188275]How does the USCG calculate tonnage limitations in I.T.C. GT for STCW endorsements?
This is does not seem to be addressed in the checklists — the way US Regulatory GRT is discussed in the National license checklists.[/QUOTE]
From NMC POLICY LTR NO. 07-00
a. Master and mate licenses
(1) A mariner licensed as master or mate 1,600 GRT on ocean or near coastal routes may
have the license endorsed as valid for service on vessels of not more than 3,000 GT. This
endorsement is not limited to service on OSVs. It is included here as a convenient reference
about endorsements that will allow such mariners to serve on OSVs measuring between 1,600
and 3,000 gross tons.
(2) A mariner licensed as master 500 GRT on ocean or near coastal routes may have the
license endorsed as valid for service on OSVs of not more than 3,000 GT on near coastal,
domestic voyages.
(3) A mariner licensed as mate 500 GRT on ocean or near coastal routes may have the
license endorsed as valid for service on OSVs of not more than 3,000 GT on near coastal,
domestic voyages.
[QUOTE=water;188355]From NMC POLICY LTR NO. 07-00
a. Master and mate licenses
(1) A mariner licensed as master or mate 1,600 GRT on ocean or near coastal routes may
have the license endorsed as valid for service on vessels of not more than 3,000 GT. This
endorsement is not limited to service on OSVs. It is included here as a convenient reference
about endorsements that will allow such mariners to serve on OSVs measuring between 1,600
and 3,000 gross tons.
(2) A mariner licensed as master 500 GRT on ocean or near coastal routes may have the
license endorsed as valid for service on OSVs of not more than 3,000 GT on near coastal,
domestic voyages.
(3) A mariner licensed as mate 500 GRT on ocean or near coastal routes may have the
license endorsed as valid for service on OSVs of not more than 3,000 GT on near coastal,
domestic voyages.[/QUOTE]
Yes. I think that is well established and understood with regard to lower level licenses.
My question is with regard to upper level licenses, “unlimited licenses” , but that have a tonnage restriction on them because the mariner does not have half of the required seatime on vessels over 1600 GRT.
In in this case, the question becomes if a mariner gets a GRT tonnage restriction on his national license, what will the tonnage restriction be on his STCW endorsement?
For example, if the national “unlimited” license is restricted to 4000 GRT, what will be the limitation on the STCW endorsement in GT? 8000 GT?
The USCG drops the restriction once their calculation exceeds a GRT limitation of 10,000 GRT. So do they drop the tonnage limitation on the STCW endorsement at 10,000 GT? 20,000 GT? Etc.
If you apply for a license and have half of the required seatime on a 1601 GRT vessel, you get an unlimited license.
But if have less than half of the require seatime on a vessel over 1600, you get a limitation. 2000 GRT is the minimum limitation. Once you have a limitation,it appears tha you are stuck with some limitation until you have at least one quarter of the required seatime on a vessel over 10,000 GRT. At that point you reach actual unlimited GRT.
Last renewal, the wording on my license changed, it now states, Chief Engineer of vessels less than 1600 GRT, not 1600 GRT or less, before it was vessels not over 1600 GRT, to me, less than 1600 GRT means 1599 GRT, I know, it’s only one ton but, if I’m utilizing my chief limited license on a vessel of 1600 GRT, would I still be legal?
Technically, no. The same thing happened to deck licenses, BTW.
I expect there are basically 0 vessels of exactly 1,600 tons though.
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1599 GRT is one of the classical “paragraph ship” sizes, but before STCW came into being. At that time it was to avoid having to hire a Radio Officer.
Most popular was 499 GRT (None-SOLAS) but other tonnages was also “popular” due to crewing requirements. (1199 GRT. 299 GRT, 199 GRT) Even 50 GRT, which required only two crew in great coastal trade)
The Coast Guard is not reluctant to explain how the tonnage limit is calculated, it is in 46 CFR 11.402(b).
The reason the minimum is 4,000 GT is not because the GRT is doubled. We consider 1,600 GRT to be equivalent to 3,000 GT (See 46 CFR 10.232(i)). As specified in the reg above, the tonnage limit is in increments of 1,000, so the first increment above 1,600 GRT is 2,000 GRT, and above 3,000 GT is 4,000 GT.