Licensing & Training Hub

Coast Guard updates qualified assessor requirements for STCW

A limited number of approved QAs leads to a deadline extension

New survey of seafarers' happiness 'very encouraging'

An area of concern involves potential prosecutions for IMO 2020 sulfur cap violations

Participants sought for merchant mariner exam working group

The National Maritime Center offers an opportunity to make changes to the system

Coast Guard proposes reduction in Great Lakes pilotage costs

The 1 percent decrease for 2020 follows a five-year stretch of double-digit increases

In the simulator ‘hot seat’ Part II: Expand your horizons

At the maritime school where I teach, the simulator is truly something special.

BY CAPT. DENNIS MURPHY

Community colleges expand maritime training as regulations stiffen

Community colleges have a well-earned reputation for filling the gaps, providing a path for high school graduates wary of a four-year academic commitment and for adults looking to transition to a new career.

Industry prepares for new global ECDIS standards, training requirement

The industry is bracing for updated standards for electronic chart display and information systems (ECDIS) that go into effect in August 2016, as deck officers face a training certification deadline by the end of the year.

FuelGuru’s Russo: With more fuel training, mariners and fleet operators can influence diesel suppliers, save money

The modern diesel engines that power the professional marine trades are highly calibrated marvels of engineering, while at the same time the diesel fuel that feeds them varies considerably from fuel to fuel. A diet of the best possible diesel fuel is critical to the performance and efficiency of these modern, high performance engines.

STCW mariners to receive mandatory leadership training

In a conference room surrounded by a half-dozen captains and mates, Capt. Scott Conway leads a discussion of leadership needs aboard their vessels — and what can go wrong when communication is poor.

STCW mariners will need to renew some fire training ashore

A blaze is raging inside a tanker’s engine space. Two teams of mariners prepare to enter. A pair of fire hoses are at the ready.

Russo: Subchapter M will require higher level of training, more written lesson plans

With the pending implementation of Subchapter M for towing vessels, many companies and masters are examining how these changes might affect their operations.

Clawson: Coast Guard’s STCW policy letters provide window into future of rest hours, endorsements, ECDIS

You received an “A.I.” letter from the National Maritime Center, but you can’t fulfill the request within the 90-day limit. What do you do?

Q&A

When your license is at stake, hiring a consultant can make a difference

Randy Cole, a captain on articulated tug barges, renewed his 200 ton master near coastal and 200 ton master of towing licenses in 2011. He did not do it alone.

New law reduces TWIC visits, calls for NMC medical-program review

Soon mariners will be able to get their Transportation Worker Identification Credential with only one visit to a TWIC center.