captain's license ?

[BasicPatrick]

The TWIC Card info is very confusing regarding when you need it etc. I spend three hours getting to the truth of the matter. Bottom line is you MUST have it for renewall after January. Also, if you actually work in a "secure port" then there is a tighter date for which you must have the TWIC card. The best way to get this info is to check out the TWIC web site as the Coast Guard admittedly does not have all of the info.

[Van]

Originally Posted by BasicPatrick

The TWIC Card info is very confusing regarding when you need it etc. I spend three hours getting to the truth of the matter. Bottom line is you MUST have it for renewall after January. Also, if you actually work in a "secure port" then there is a tighter date for which you must have the TWIC card. The best way to get this info is to check out the TWIC web site as the Coast Guard admittedly does not have all of the info.

NACO is trying to get an exception for charter captains.
See below

Dear NACO Member,

The U.S. Senate is considering legislation to assist operators of small passenger vessels by not requiring (carrying less than 150 passengers) by scaling back the number of mariners required to possess the Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC).

If enacted, S. 3377 (the Small Marine Business and Fishing Guide Relief Act of 2008) will do away with the TWIC requirement for a person with a Coast Guard license or merchant mariner’s document serving on a vessel not required to have a Coast Guard-approved vessel security plan (in other words, on a domestic small passenger vessel authorized to carry not more than 150 passengers). Current law says that any person holding a Coast Guard license, merchant mariner’s document or certificate of registry must obtain a TWIC, regardless of the size of vessel on which that person is employed. The House of Representatives has already voted in favor of this relief.

Congress will recess for the national elections in a couple of weeks. Now is the time to urge Senators to approve S. 3377. NACO recommends that members fax (not mail) the two Senators from their state. Contact Yvonne Pffieffer or Rhonda Virts at toll free 866-981-5136 or email to admin@nacocharters.org to obtain the fax numbers of your Senators. We have attached a draft letter to assist you in contacting your Senators.
Please fax your letter this week!

Keeping You Informed
National Association of Charterboat Operators

[Van]

A reply to oone of my emails.


Comment:
Entered on 09/25/2008 at 12:07:00 by Rocio Campa:
Thank you for contacting the TWIC Helpdesk. Yes. All credentialed U.S. merchant mariners must obtain a TWIC. This includes all persons holding a Coast Guard-issued merchant mariner's license, merchant mariner's document (MMD), Operator of Uninspected Passenger Vessels (OUPV), Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping (STCW) Certificate, or certificate of registry (COR).

[beamie]

Van,

I doubt they are going to scale that back and throw all the charter guys out of the card race. Obviosly for my job I have had the twic for a while. Boston is already a port in which your suppose to have one.

The "merchant mariner" is only a fraction of the people to be twic\ed. All truck drivers going inside secure areas etc, that number will far pass the mariner.

Just remember the most rediculous fact.......98% of the goods coming into US ports come on foreign flag ships, now ask yourself do all those guys need a twic card......no......just another tax for us guys. Can you tell I am a bit bitter......and they are changing the name of Mass Maritime school ship to the Kennedy name because he is such a yachtsman......whatever.....why did the size of the US Merchant Marine drop under his nose in the late 70's early 80's, he is no friend to the Merchant Marine is those regards yet all the local pols decided that the renaming was a great idea..........oh boy, now I'm pissed...gotta go!

[surfkaster]

I know alot of guys who have taken the New England Maritime captains course and no one who has taken the Mass Maritime course, but I know they offer it and people do take it. I am also aware that at the end of the day it is up to the person taking the test, to pass it. Which school would you captains recommend?
thnx

[Van]

Originally Posted by beamie

Van,

I doubt they are going to scale that back and throw all the charter guys out of the card race. Obviosly for my job I have had the twic for a while. Boston is already a port in which your suppose to have one.

The "merchant mariner" is only a fraction of the people to be twic\ed. All truck drivers going inside secure areas etc, that number will far pass the mariner.

Just remember the most rediculous fact.......98% of the goods coming into US ports come on foreign flag ships, now ask yourself do all those guys need a twic card......no......just another tax for us guys. Can you tell I am a bit bitter......and they are changing the name of Mass Maritime school ship to the Kennedy name because he is such a yachtsman......whatever.....why did the size of the US Merchant Marine drop under his nose in the late 70's early 80's, he is no friend to the Merchant Marine is those regards yet all the local pols decided that the renaming was a great idea..........oh boy, now I'm pissed...gotta go!

Good point Jon and your probably right. Why should they give a small group a break. Especially when money is involved. Just another tax to collect.

As for the captains class (which is the original poster's question) You will get out of it what you put in. If you pay attention you will be fine, learn plenty and pass the test with no problem. Again no matter what you will forget lots of what they teach you. I doubt that some "captains" can sit down and do even one part of the 10 plot they learned. I thought that was the best part of the class, something that I actually can use in a pinch,,,even today. The rest of the stuff is mind numbing.....Good Luck in whatever you decide.

[beamie]

More to the point of this post if you have the time and money then go take the class you will learn allot if you are not the person that has been on the water your whole life.

I have been on the water and travel all over the world as a ships engineer and probably could have got what I call my "little" masters license on my own but I had the time and took the NE Maritme class. I did try to correct a couple incorrect items that they were teaching that were to navy standards and not the merchant marine.....I doubt they changed there teaching but I knew they were wrong.

Could I do 10 chart plots right now, no not really. Maybe half of them. Allot of the test qustions really don't apply to little boats but that is the way the CG tests people. i.e. no one will see and all purpose fire nozzle on a boat under 100 tons, but you may see this question.

It is also a good way to meet more people that you may see on the water.

So I'd go take a class. Most people don't put in enough time on the water to qualify for a license so they exagerate, 365 days in the last 5 years is allot for most people.

Another point is that eventually everyone will most likly need some sort of licence to operate a boat from the state and I would speculate that if you have a USCG license already it would superceed and you would not need to go to a class to get one of these future state operator permits.

[surfkaster]

"I know alot of guys who have taken the New England Maritime captains course and know no one who has taken the Mass Maritime course, but I know they offer it and people do take it. I am also aware that at the end of the day it is up to the person taking the test, to pass it. Which school would you captains recommend?
thnx"

has no one replied because they do not want to endorse one or the other or what?