Hello everyone, this is my 1st post here , and im in a bit of a situation here.
Im a us citizen currently in Trinidad & Tobago & i have just completed a STCW course at a MCA approved academy(15 months).
My issue now though is that ive just learned that i will not be able to sail on us flag ships with a uk CoC, should have done my research.
In anycase all tertiary tuition in the country is free so it wasnt a complete waste of time.
I do want to keep my options open for moving back to the us in the future.
I have no sea time.
I want to sail deep sea.
I have no problem redoing uscg exams, I do however have an issue with going to an academy all over again to learn things i already know.
What options do I have?
I guess what im really asking is do i need to retake all courses or can i get away with just doing the exams?
I really dont have the time or money to go to an academy.
I guess what i really am asking is do I have to do the uscg courses or can i just do the exams?
I really dont have the time or money to attend an academy.
Also outside of an academy is it 3 years seatime required and can that time be cut down somehow?
[QUOTE=Skipr;127852] i have just completed a STCW course at a MCA approved academy(15 months).
My issue now though is that ive just learned that i will not be able to sail on us flag ships with a uk CoC,
I have no sea time.
I want to sail deep sea.
[/QUOTE]
If you have no sea time how can you possibly hold a CoC of any sort?
What did you do at that “academy” for 15 months and what documents did they deliver at the end?
It seems beyond belief that a bunch of budding young sailors in pursuit of international certification could spend 15 months and never once talk about or ask about how licensing works and what is valid for what? Particularly in the case of an American enrolled in a foreign school …
[QUOTE=Steamer;127875]If you have no sea time how can you possibly hold a CoC of any sort?
What did you do at that “academy” for 15 months and what documents did they deliver at the end?
It seems beyond belief that a bunch of budding young sailors in pursuit of international certification could spend 15 months and never once talk about or ask about how licensing works and what is valid for what? Particularly in the case of an American enrolled in a foreign school …
Something doesn’t quite fit in this story.[/QUOTE]
The thread title was changed let me clear things up a bit.
I dont have a CoC in hand.
Long story short this particular academy, because of limited space for cadet placement, works on an elimination system. The actual courses are done first. Students who get under 30% in an exam get kicked out, miss too many classes for a particular course kicked out, do not pass certain courses are then not offered re assessments then are forced to leave etc. At the end of it the remaining successful students are placed on ships to gain seatime then they sit MCA exams for the CoC.
Im currently at the part where i go on ships, but im just thinking to get my own seatime and do the uscg exams for the us license instead.
What i want to know is with the required seatime, do i have to do actual courses still or can i just do the uscg exams?
[QUOTE=Skipr;127852]Hello everyone, this is my 1st post here , and im in a bit of a situation here.
Im a us citizen currently in Trinidad & Tobago & i have just completed a STCW course at a MCA approved academy(15 months).
My issue now though is that ive just learned that i will not be able to sail on us flag ships with a uk CoC, should have done my research.
In anycase all tertiary tuition in the country is free so it wasnt a complete waste of time.
I do want to keep my options open for moving back to the us in the future.
I have no sea time.
I want to sail deep sea.
I have no problem redoing uscg exams, I do however have an issue with going to an academy all over again to learn things i already know.
What options do I have?[/QUOTE]
You have an excellent option available: Sail on your UK license.
Are you sure they were accredited courses? As someone stated above, license with no sea time? Something smells fishy and it’s not my girlfriend next to me…
