STCW Training
Basic Safety Training required for every mariner when you start but also everyone else every five years. STCW Training for the entry-level mariner includes;

1. Personal Safety Training- How to save yourself in the water, lifejackets, liferafts, etc.
2. Personal Social Responsibility – This is Pollution Prevention.
3. Basic Fire-fighting – How to put out fires and save the ship
4. Elementary First-Aid and CPR

This training is a lot of fun. It gives you the opportunity to participate in the same training that the Chief, the Mate and Captain get to do. In the pool, at the fire-farm or in an Medical Lab this training is the first hands-on training you will be required to do.

Remember: Everyone has to repeat this training every five years.
Why? Because if you can’t save yourself, how can you save your shipmates?

What Training is Required by the Coast Guard?

The Coast Guard only requires the Basic Safety Training. Companies though may require more training to not only get hired, but to also advance your career and fill the many skilled and required positions aboard their ship.

Most ships are NOT required to have “entry-level persons”, they are required to have experienced “Able Seaman” on board. This is the
Catch-22, They need experienced and skilled persons, but they don’t need to give you the experience.

It is up to you to get both the Sea-Service experience and the mandatory advanced training needed to advance.

Deckhand Training

Training for deck hands may include; a Deckhand Safety-Orientation, Able Seaman, Lifeboat-man and a course called Ratings Forming Part of a Navigational Watch (RFPNW). This is a big name for Look-out and Helmsman formal training.

Engineering Department Training

If you prefer to work in the engineroom rather than on-deck then there are many training opportunities available to you too.

As you get some sea-service under your belt Qualified Member of the Engineering Watch (QMED)is what you need. The QMED hold many Specialties or “Ratings” that include: oiler, electrician, refridgeration and fireman/watertender. With more OJT Designated Duty Engineer (DDE) is your next step.

With your on-the-job training, sea-service experience and formal training certifications the next career move for you is to qualify as a Third-Assistant Engineer.

Food Handler/Steward

The Ship’s cook has one of the best jobs on the ship. If you want to be a cook or a chef, this is the path for you. Besides being required to have the STCW Basic Safety Training,  the ships cook is responsible for the preparation of all ships meals. Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner and Night Lunch (mid-rations) every ship has there own favorite recipes and eating habits. Mariners are a diverse group. What meals you prepare for the captain, crew and passengers will need to be tasty, nutritious and plentiful.

The Stewards Department personnel are also resonsible for the ordering of all food-stuffs, supplies, delivery, storage and preparation of the meals and the cleanliness of the galley, messdeck, dining rooms.

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To help correct this problem the Coast Guard NMC now has trained maritime academies and other maritime schools to act on their behalf. In November 2009, the NMC is offering their Maritime Credential Agent (MCA) Training to the member schools of the Marine Education Standards Council (MESC).

The concept of this  “Trusted Agent” type  training will assist the MESC schools to help any local mariner through the credentialing process by assisting with the preparation of all required forms, quality control of the application package to the NMC and ensuring the application and all other required documents are fully and correctly completed.

MCA status will allow these Coast Guard Authorized schools to help you prepare your credential and license applications faster.

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How does one get a merchant marine document or MMD?  To get your MMD find the nearest USCG Regional Exam Center and show up.  Make sure you check the hours for some offices take Fridays off.  Don’t be surprised if you wait awhile before seeing anyone.  Last time I waited two hours. So what do you need to take with you?  You will need a physical and a DOT drug test.  Both need to be given by an approved Coast Guard facility.  Make sure you they use the Coast Guard physical form (see medical forms) and before leaving check everything is filled out and signed.  The Coast Guard has made a list of ten items that have typically delayed mariners in receiving their paperwork.  You can take a look at the list here.  The physical is not all that difficult, the typical blood pressure, weight, eye exam, etc.   Two areas of concern are the hearing and colorblind test.  If you have normal hearing you’ll be all set but failing the colorblind test will restrict you in the position you can apply for.  If you planned to work on deck you’re out of luck, but you probably could work in the stewards department.  I had to do this a couple of years ago and the drug test was $50 and the physical around $75.

Keep your wallet out because the MMD will cost you $140.   The turn around time can be between three to six weeks.   They’ve tried to consolidate things so everything has to be sent to the NMC in West Virginia where they do a driving and criminal record check.   Some areas of concern for you would be if you’ve had your license suspended, drug charges or a DUI.   These may be major roadblocks.  When filling out the Coast Guard forms be honest and disclose everything no matter how old because they do a through check.

So what training do you need before working on an ocean-going vessel no matter what position?  Everyone needs to comply with the STCW-95 (Standards of training and Certification for Watch-keepers).  This includes a Basic Safety Training Certificate.  Make sure the school is an approved course by the Coast Guard.  The course includes basic firefighting (real fire) and time in a swimming pool where you’ll learn how to don survival suite along with water safety skills.  Depending upon the region it’ll cost you between $800-$1500.   On top of this don’t forget to add the lodging.  When booking make sure to ask the school for recommendations for lodging for they usually have arranged a discount with local hotels.

Once you have all your papers you can start to apply for jobs. There are openings for entry-level mariners and so put your resume together and start sending them out.  Check out our company links and phone numbers found on this website.  We’ve also put together an example of a cover letter and resume in case you haven’t done one in a while.

Pay rates vary and depends type of ship, cargo, etc. Being Union or non-union makes makes no difference. Both have there advantages so you just have to see what is right for you.  I would say that entry-level jobs pay between $100-$150 a day. That’s for an eight or twelve-hour workday, seven days per week. Room and board is provided.  A good ballpark average for entry-level pay is around $3,000 to $3,500 a month.

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1. Applications – If the application is not completed, it will be returned for correction. Three signatures are mandatory: Section III (“Have you ever…?” questions), Section V (consent of National Driver Registry check), and Section VI (application certification). When the “Applying for:” block is left blank or is incomplete, the REC is left to guess what you want.
2. Drug Screen – A drug screen is often rejected because it does not contain the Medical Review Officer’s (MRO) signature, it is a photocopy, or a company compliance letter is not written to meet the requirements of the Code of Federal Regulations, Title 46, Part 16, Section 220.
3. No TWIC – Merchant Mariner’s are required to have their TWIC when applying for a Merchant Mariner Credential.
4. Physical Exam – If the Merchant Marine Personnel Physical Examination/Certification Report is not complete, it will be returned for correction. Particular attention is paid to the “competent”, “not competent”, and “needs further review” boxes, which are frequently blank. Often the type of color vision exam given in Section IV in not indicated or mariners who wear glasses and/or contacts submit exams without their uncorrected vision listed in Section III.
5. Original Certificates - Photocopies of essential documents, even if notarized, are not accepted. Only original signatures, those documents signed by the issuing authority (e.g., course completion certificates) or official custodian (e.g., birth certificates) are acceptable. Original certificates will be returned when the evaluation is completed and the REC mails the newly issued credentials to the applicant.
6. User Fees – No or incorrect fees are included with the application. Licensing user fees changed as of October 4, 1999. Current fees are published in the most recent Code of Federal Regulations, Title 46, Part 10, Section 109 and on the web here.
7. Current or Past License, Document, and/or STCW – A mariner who is holding, or has held, a license, MMC, and/or STCW certificate who does not indicate it in the history (Section II of the application) or does not include a copy of their credentials (front and back) with the application package. This especially applies for renewals and mariners with past transactions at other RECs.
8. Sea Service – Missing or conflicting information on the sea service letter (e.g., not including tonnage or horsepower, the position listed does not agree with other documents in the application package, or conflicting waters). Service should be documented with discharges, letters from marine employers, or small boat sea service forms. If a small boat service form is used, it must be certified and signed by the owner or proof of individual ownership is required.
9. Written Statement – If an applicant marks “Yes” in any block of Section III, a written statement is required. Note that all questions beginning with “Have you ever…” include all past convictions, even ones that may have already been disclosed. Simply stating “on file” will not suffice, statements should include the what, when, where, and penalties assessed for each incident, if it has already been disclosed to the REC, and whether there have been any new incidents. The applicant must sign and date the statement.
10. Medical Condition – Additional medical information is required whenever a medical condition is identified on the Merchant Marine Personnel Physical Examination Report.

The following article was take from NMC website.  For more information visit their site.

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Most mariners will need at least two credentials to work in the US, and a third if you will be working internationally.

First you will need a TWIC to get started because the TSA does the first background check on you.

Next  apply to the Coast Guard for your MerchantMarineCredential (MMC). There is no need to visit a Coast Guard Regional Examination Center (REC), you can now download the application and physical examination forms and the Drug Screening Form from the USCG NMC website then after completing the forms and physical you can mail them directly to a REC their addresses are listed at this link.

Because the Coast Guard and TSA share your personal information, this speeds up the processes and save you your time and money getting to a REC.

If you are going to be working overseas, go ahead and get a passport application from your local Post Office, they can tell you where you can take it to get it processed. I was able to take my passport application to my county clerk here in Virginia for processing.

All three credentials are fairly easy to get. Most of the bugs have been worked out by the mariners that needed these credentials earlier in 2009. Some mariners reallystruggled to get them just so they could continue working.

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