I currently work as a deck foreman, for a drilling company, before that I was a tender,diver,crane operator and deck foreman for a diving company. I have never held an AB cert. I am wondering what the best way to get into the bridge is? I am wanting to become a DPO, eventually. How do I get my Third Mate’s unlimited endorsement. I have a lot of seatime, but not officially as an AB is this a problem? Any help or guidance would be great. Thanks!
[QUOTE=es021584;120658]I currently work as a deck foreman, for a drilling company, before that I was a tender,diver,crane operator and deck foreman for a diving company. I have never held an AB cert. I am wondering what the best way to get into the bridge is? I am wanting to become a DPO, eventually. How do I get my Third Mate’s unlimited endorsement. I have a lot of seatime, but not officially as an AB is this a problem? Any help or guidance would be great. Thanks![/QUOTE]
go to uscg/nmc website and do research fiirst. you will need merchant mariner documents and TWIC card. you will have to take classes before you can get the merchant mariner docs.
your prior sea time will likely not count as it wasn’t sea time. but then again anything is possible in the IADC’s realm of sway/influence over USCG credentialling in the GOM.
it will probably take you 5-7 yrs to get your 3/M License (it’s not an endorsement). and that will be by way of non-stop work and classes when you are on vacation. if you are paying for those classes i’d say you will be looking at as much as $20k for classes. that is tuition only. hotels, food, flights all get very expensive, obviously.
my advice is stay on drill side and move up faster and make more money once you start working as toolpusher, driller, etc.
generally asking such questions as this on GCaptain will end up with you having your ass handed to you.
use search function and SCOUR the threads heavily.
lots of grumpy SOBs on here.
ask pointed questions that show you are willing to and have already done most of the hard work.
for what it’s worth… with your background, maybe you get a job with Oceaneering or Otto Candies as AB on DSV or IMR and work your way up.
good luck.
Actually since the MMC all licenses are “officer endorsements”
[QUOTE=es021584;120658]I currently work as a deck foreman, for a drilling company, before that I was a tender,diver,crane operator and deck foreman for a diving company. I have never held an AB cert. I am wondering what the best way to get into the bridge is? I am wanting to become a DPO, eventually. How do I get my Third Mate’s unlimited endorsement. I have a lot of seatime, but not officially as an AB is this a problem? Any help or guidance would be great. Thanks![/QUOTE]
Never too late to go back to an academy, they still take all shapes and sizes no matter what people say about them being elitist trust fund baby nurseries. Villainous lies, the lot of them 
[QUOTE=“dredgeboater;120675”]Actually since the MMC all licenses are “officer endorsements”[/QUOTE]
You beat me to it…
[QUOTE=dredgeboater;120675]Actually since the MMC all licenses are “officer endorsements”[/QUOTE]
then that is just a sad fact.
it’s already been turned into a Chairman Mao book, what’s next?
will it literally come in a Crackerjack box as a prize?
Thanks for the replies… I have been through the NMC and USCG website, maybe its just me but I found it pretty confusing all the hoops you have to jump through, what a mess… I am working on completing the training required for my AB. I thought I read something on the USCG website that seatime credited from a previous company on a stamped/signed letterhead is good.I’ve worked offshore on every type of vessel for the past 7 years, pretty sad if all that time and experience cant get me ahead a little. Thanks again for the advice, Ill keep trying. I’m not trying to spend 5 more years on deck in a position that im well ahead of experience wise.
[QUOTE=es021584;120681]Thanks for the replies… I have been through the NMC and USCG website, maybe its just me but I found it pretty confusing all the hoops you have to jump through, what a mess… I am working on completing the training required for my AB. I thought I read something on the USCG website that seatime credited from a previous company on a stamped/signed letterhead is good.I’ve worked offshore on every type of vessel for the past 7 years, pretty sad if all that time and experience cant get me ahead a little. Thanks again for the advice, Ill keep trying. I’m not trying to spend 5 more years on deck in a position that im well ahead of experience wise.[/QUOTE]
anything w/sea time is possible these days, but the scrutiny is a lot tougher.
friend of mine had his master’s license suspended by USCG recently for something along the lines of failure to control ship’s property and official documents. it all came down to person falsifying sea time on stolen company letterhead and stolen ship’s official stamp and then forging signatures. guilty person was busted when he tried to apply for original 3/m license. that may not be exactly how it went down. but a license was most certainly suspended and sea time was most certainly not legitimate. i’m not sure what happened to applicant for license but i would imagine he broke some kind of law as well and was punished/fined. and he will likely never get his MMC stuff back, if he ever had any…
I’m guessing your sea time is as able seaman. If so go to a school or REC and take your AB. Find a job as AB, you will only need 6 months before requesting to take 3RD MATE. You will need a lot of schools though and assesments done.
You could do it in less then a year, this would mean zero days at home though. I may be wrong also but thats the way I read it.
[QUOTE=AB Murph;120736]I’m guessing your sea time is as able seaman. If so go to a school or REC and take your AB. Find a job as AB, you will only need 6 months before requesting to take 3RD MATE. You will need a lot of schools though and assesments done.
You could do it in less then a year, this would mean zero days at home though. I may be wrong also but thats the way I read it.[/QUOTE]
You’re making a lot of assumptions about his experience.
[QUOTE=MariaW;120739]You’re making a lot of assumptions about his experience.[/QUOTE]
They are thoroughly reasonable assumptions. He said “I have a lot of seatime, but not [U][/U][I]officially[/I] as an AB…” [emphasis added] Why would he say “officially” if the time wasn’t as AB? He’d just say “not as AB.”
[QUOTE=es021584;120681]Thanks for the replies… I have been through the NMC and USCG website, maybe its just me but I found it pretty confusing all the hoops you have to jump through, what a mess… I am working on completing the training required for my AB. I thought I read something on the USCG website that seatime credited from a previous company on a stamped/signed letterhead is good.I’ve worked offshore on every type of vessel for the past 7 years, pretty sad if all that time and experience cant get me ahead a little. Thanks again for the advice, Ill keep trying. I’m not trying to spend 5 more years on deck in a position that im well ahead of experience wise.[/QUOTE]
5yrs on a boat/ship in some of the roles you stated is not the same thing as 5yrs on deck as AB/OS.
don’t make to many assumptions about your experience. i’ve sailed with more than a few guys in the gulf who are working as AB and Bosun who couldn’t tie a stopper on a mooring line let alone steer the ship/boat b/c they’ve never been required to(especially on DP vessel).
such assumptions on here will very often and quickly stir up some nasty responses.
if you have no MMC at all, i can’t see USCG giving you more time than what is required to move from OS to AB Limited based on letters from company and completion of required classes/training/assessments. but like i said before all kinds of B.S. goes down in the GOM.
[QUOTE=jdcavo;120769]They are thoroughly reasonable assumptions. He said “I have a lot of seatime, but not [I]officially[/I] as an AB…” [emphasis added] Why would he say “officially” if the time wasn’t as AB? He’d just say “not as AB.”[/QUOTE]
ever consider that for him “not officially” means he either doesn’t even have a basic MMC w/ OS/wiper/food handler and has taken BST? or that he does but hasn’t upgraded to AB limited or AB OSV (whatever the hell it’s called these days)? nothing would stop any company from possibly telling him he could get OS or possibly AB time doing it if they already had the COI ( or other flag state equivalent) billets filled with properly credentialed mariners. just b/c they may have told him ‘oh yeah, you can get OS or AB time for this,’ doesn’t make it so. especially if he didn’t have any papers to begin with. certainly not out of the realm of possibility for many of these operators.
unfortunately, the company can write whatever they want on their letterhead and vouch for ES021584… and gee, it would never be like some GOM/oil field operator to write some BS on a guy’s sea service letter. i had a wiper aboard the Q4000 (us flag MODU) who was aboard with a z card (early 2007) that was good for 5yrs and 5 days from date of issue. office didn’t catch it b/c they don’t care. and capt didn’t catch it b/c the industry in general didn’t care about checking docs every time people came to vessel. i got into a heated argument with a c/m who swore up and down that he wasn’t required to have his actual license abd with him.
i’ll bet there are still hundreds of guys (if not thousands) in the GOM who don’t even have their MMCs on board with them, just copies.
there are more than a few people in the GOM who think that sea time is sea time is sea time. as far being a dive tender, a diver, a crane operator, and deck foreman,that’s not all the same as being a deck hand. let alone AB unlimited. some of it’s applicable, but not all.
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[QUOTE=MariaW;120739]You’re making a lot of assumptions about his experience.[/QUOTE]
you’d make a much better point to AB Murph by pointing out the holes in the original poster’s thread starting question… than just jumping on his back.
The USCG has a table of Navy and CG enlisted ratings and beside each rating is a percentage of applicable seatime granted. You would think any Navy swab or Coastie could get credit for seatime, but few ratings translate.
The OP appears to be in a similar dilemma. Plenty of time aboard ship; some skills and experience may apply, and some will likely not.
My suggestion would be to have your employer document your duties and skills thoroughly on your discharge letters and allow the USCG to evaluate that and see what they say. Can’t hurt to apply. Maybe use a credentialing specialist? But there are no guarantees. In my outfit, we have scientists and survey techs with loads of sea time, and almost none counts toward a qualified rating or license. YMMV.