Are Hawsepipers a Dying Breed?

Excerpt from U.S. Coast Guard “Proceedings of the Marine Safety & Security Council” magazine.

Full article by Mr. John Sitka III, Vice President of Academic Affairs, Mid-Atlantic Maritime Academy, and Captain Cathleen Burns Mauro, Director of Deck Education and Training, Mid-Atlantic Maritime Academy, available at www.uscg.mil/proceedings/fall2008.


In the not-so-distant past, the route of the hawsepiper was fairly simple: accumulate the sea time, submit your documentation to the Coast Guard, pass the license exam, and you have your new third mate or third assistant engineer license.

The New Route to Your License
The progression path to a maritime license now includes taking training courses and completing onboard assessments to demonstrate competency in particular tasks. While it is a laudable effort, has the significant time requirement and cost of completing this formal education exacerbated a shortage of qualified mariners? Are hawsepipers a dying breed?

While the traditional hawsepipe may appear to be dying a slow death, a new opportunity is evolving. For mariners who aspire to break into the industry, there are basically three options:

· You can attend a state maritime school such as New York Maritime, Massachusetts Maritime, Maine Maritime, California Maritime, Great Lakes Maritime Academy, Texas Maritime Academy, or the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy. These schools all offer stellar programs for obtaining an entry-level license, either third mate or third assistant engineer, and you simultaneously earn a four-year college degree.

· Entry-level officers may also obtain their license via union schools, which serve great numbers. However, their priority is to support their members and companies who support them.

· They can also attend a private school, such as Mid-Atlantic Maritime Academy. Mid-Atlantic offers the AB to mate classroom training program over an 18-week period.

A Look at a Private Maritime Academy
Under the old licensing system, the cornerstone of most successful private schools was test preparation. The complexity of USCG examinations (with some modules requiring a passing grade of 90%) drove mariners to seek out a place where reference materials, space, and guidance were readily available. Another advantage to having a smaller training facility is the personal attention and encouragement instructors can provide to their students.

Traditionally, smaller private schools may have been viewed as a quick and easy way to obtain a U.S. Coast Guard license. In contrast, today’s newer, more stringent regulations on mariners in the industry have brought about more rigorous regulations for the schools who train them.

All courses must be submitted to the U.S. Coast Guard for approval, and the schools are subject to random Coast Guard auditing. Large, established maritime colleges are subject to the same accountability as small private institutions, so the “playing field” is level. The ultimate goal is a quality education.

Private training facilities have a place in the career advancement and certification of mariners at all levels, and no matter the size of the organization, each type of training facility has a place in the training of the merchant marine. Any school—whether a state university, union affiliate, or private organization—ultimately has the same goal: to provide the best possible training to mariners in order to strengthen the maritime industry as a whole.

About the authors:
Mr. John Sitka III retired from the Navy as a chief quartermaster and while on active duty accomplished able seaman through unlimited 2nd mate. After retirement he operated various ships in the Gulf of Mexico and in 1995 was hired by Maersk Line Limited for work on government vessels. In 1999 he earned his unlimited master’s license, and in 2005 he took over the Tidewater School of Navigation as chief instructor. He currently serves as vice president of academic affairs at Mid-Atlantic Maritime Academy.

Captain Cathleen Burns Mauro is a graduate of the State University of N.Y. Maritime College and holds a B.S. in meteorology. After graduation, Captain Mauro sailed with American Maritime Officers over a 10-year period, serving primarily on Military Sealift Command contract vessels. Before coming ashore she spent two years as master of the USNS Capable. In 2006 she joined the instructional staff at the Tidewater School of Navigation, and now serves as director of deck education and training at Mid-Atlantic Maritime Academy.

For more information:
Mid-Atlantic Maritime Academy
5705 Thurston Ave.
Virginia Beach, VA 23455
(757) 464-6008
http://www.mamatrains.com/

Full article and 124-page “Focus on the Mariner” edition of USCG Proceedings is available at www.uscg.mil/proceedings/fall2008. Subscribe online at www.uscg.mil/proceedings.

Direct requests for print copies of this edition to: HQS-DG-NMCProceedings@uscg.mil.

Improving Service to the Mariner

Excerpt from U.S. Coast Guard “Proceedings of the Marine Safety & Security Council” magazine.

Full article by CAPT David C. Stalfort, Commanding Officer, U.S. Coast Guard National Maritime Center, available at www.uscg.mil/proceedings/fall2008.


For the past several years, the U.S. Coast Guard’s National Maritime Center (NMC) has focused on restructuring and centralizing the Mariner Licensing and Documentation (MLD) program to reduce credential processing time, improve customer service, and ensure the consistency and quality of U.S. credentials.

Why Centralize?
Simply put, our customers demanded better service. Workload within the MLD program has risen steadily over the past 10 years and has become increasingly complex, due mainly to changes in international and domestic requirements. The implementation of the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers substantially increased the program’s work. Additionally, the regulations implementing the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 required mariners to renew their merchant mariner documents, which increased activities throughout the program.

Under centralized operations, many of the functions that were historically accomplished at regional exam centers have been shifted to the NMC in West Virginia, allowing REC staffs to focus their efforts on customer service efforts, such as helping mariners through the application process.

Mariners will continue to submit their credential applications to their local REC, where the staff will review the applications to ensure they contain sufficient information to begin the evaluation. This role is especially important, as incomplete applications are a leading cause of processing delays. Further, many mariners need assistance, as the application process is often confusing and complex.

Once ready for evaluation, the regional exam centers will forward applications to the National Maritime Center to begin the evaluation process. RECs will continue to administer examinations to mariners.

Functions at the National Maritime Center
NMC teams will evaluate mariner applications to ensure they meet the requirements for each credential sought. All mariners undergo:
· a professional qualification evaluation,
· a safety and security evaluation,
· a medical evaluation.

NMC maritime experts who are unlimited licensed masters and engineers also review and approve maritime training courses and qualify instructors to teach these courses. These experts also develop and update the professional exams administered to the mariners by the regional exam centers.

Results
Several improvements aimed at reducing processing time have already been completed and are producing notable results. Applications that are complete when submitted to NMC via the centralized RECs are being processed faster.

Medical evaluation system—Beginning in December 2006, as part of the centralization efforts, the evaluation of all merchant mariner physicals were conducted at the NMC.

Process improvements—In July 2007, the evaluation processes at NMC were adjusted to eliminate bottlenecks in the professional qualification evaluation branch.

Electronic application forms—In October 2007, NMC deployed electronic versions of the credential application forms. Built-in business rules alert mariners to missing information to assure that the forms are complete before they submit the forms to the REC.

Making it easy to contact us—We’ve established multiple ways to contact us or obtain information about the MLD program, including a “live person” call center, online application tracking, online user fees, and subscription e-mail updates to MLD news and information.

Credential aging inventory initiative—NMC moved to reduce the inventory of aging credentials and reduce processing time.

Online sea service calculator—NMC has launched a sea service calculator that enables mariners to identify the type of credential they are qualified for based on the amount of sea service and training they have accumulated.

Trusted agents—NMC is expanding best practices from REC Houston’s “streamlined evaluation program” into a nationwide program of trusted agents.

Electronic records—NMC will establish the electronic information in MMLD as the official record, thereby eliminating the requirement to save paper files containing mariner information.

Eliminating license creep—We are taking steps to have a renewed credential become “valid” upon the expiration of the existing credential.

Electronic application system—We are developing the Merchant Mariner Secure Electronic Application System, or MM-SEAS. This system will be the “TurboTax” for mariners to use to submit their credential applications and for NMC personnel to use to process them.

About the author:
CAPT David C. Stalfort is the commanding officer of the Coast Guard’s National Maritime Center, and has worked in the Coast Guard’s marine safety program for 23 years. He also holds a Coast Guard license as a master of steam, motor, or auxiliary sail vessels.

For more information:
Call center: (888) IASKNMC
Main phone: (304) 433-3400
E-mail: iasknmc@uscg.mil
Website: www.uscg.mil/nmc
List server subscriptions: http://cgls.uscg.mil/groups.php?ID=10

Full article and 124-page “Focus on the Mariner” edition of USCG Proceedings is available at www.uscg.mil/proceedings/fall2008. Subscribe online at www.uscg.mil/proceedings.

Direct requests for print copies of this edition to: HQS-DG-NMCProceedings@uscg.mil.

Honoring the Coast Guard's Prevention Program

Rear Admiral Cook was a guest blogger today (July 24, 2009) on USCG Commandant Admiral Thad Allen's blog today, celebrating 171 years of the Coast Guard's Prevention Progam. The link is http://www.uscg.mil/comdt/blog .

What Are Your Options When You Don’t Get the Basketball Scholarship?—free training for a maritime career, if you qualify

Excerpt from U.S. Coast Guard “Proceedings of the Marine Safety & Security Council” magazine.

Full article by Fr. Sinclair Oubre, J.C.L., President, Apostleship of the Sea of the United States of America, available at www.uscg.mil/proceedings/fall2008.


I have been a member of the U.S. merchant marine since 1978, when I sailed out of Cameron and Berwick, La., as an ordinary seaman. After ordination to the priesthood, I returned to the sea, joining the Seafarers International Union and shipping out in the deck department during my vacations.

Today, I am a pastor of a Catholic parish in Port Arthur, Texas, and a mission church in Sabine Pass, Texas. Since the early 1980s, my community has been crushed by high unemployment and a lack of opportunity for non-college-bound high school graduates.

If Not Basketball, Then What?
Once someone discovers that their athletic skills will not get them a college scholarship, and that their parents are not going to continue to finance their lifestyle, the tough question arises: “What am I going to do?”

Tuition-free Training
Well, if you are at least 18 years old (17 with parental consent), have a high school diploma or GED, and are eligible to work in the U.S., you may be able to join the Seafarers International Union (SIU) and attend its apprenticeship program.

Because the apprentice training, as well as all subsequent training, is paid for through SIU employment contracts, there is no tuition, per se.

FREE?? What’s the Catch?
There are some expenses that the applicant must bear, including:

· an application fee for a merchant mariner document (approximately $155),
· an SIU physical and drug test ($350),
· clothing and supplies (around $450),
· a round-trip ticket.

Additionally, apprentices live under rather stringent rules and regulations. If an apprentice violates one of these general rules, he or she receives a demerit. If one receives seven demerits, that apprentice is dismissed from the school, and gets to use the “return” portion of that round-trip ticket.

Paul Hall Center for Maritime Training and Education
When applicants are accepted as apprentices, they travel to the Washington, D.C. area, where they are transported to the Paul Hall Center for Maritime Training and Education in Piney Point, Md. Here, a World War II Navy torpedo testing facility has been transformed into one of the leading maritime training centers in the United States.

Offering courses from entry level to third mate license, the center includes housing, classrooms, recreational areas, bridge and engine simulators, and a culinary lab.

Graduates are guaranteed up to 120 days of work on an SIU-contracted vessel. Once apprentices have completed the requisite sea time, they can return for upgrading to AB or qualified member of the engine department. Upon completion of upgrading, apprentices become full members of the Seafarers International Union.

Other Opportunities in the Marine Industry
As director of the Port Arthur International Seafarer’s Center, I often get calls from folks unfamiliar with Christian seafarers’ ministry. Most of the time, they just want to get a job “on the boats,” and don’t have a clue how to get in or where to go to get information.

I always find it ironic that the priest is the local expert on how to start a career in the maritime industry.

I always send them to the U.S. Coast Guard’s website for licensing and documentation for information and the forms necessary for the initial application, physical, and drug test for a merchant mariner document.

I will also direct them to the Seafarers International Union Paul Hall Center website if they are interested in an unlicensed deep sea career. Here, they can find information on the tuition-free apprentice program and get an application.

If they are interested in an inland career, I direct them to our local training facility, Two Rivers Marine, for information and training for entry-level positions in the inland industry.

Finally, if the inquirer is looking for officer training, I suggest they investigate the Texas Maritime Academy in Galveston, Texas, or the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy.

About the author:
Fr. Sinclair Oubre has been a member of the United States merchant marine since 1978. He continues to sail part-time each year as an AB-Limited on Seafarers International Union-contracted vessels. Since 1996, he has been the unlicensed deck member of the USCG Merchant Marine Personnel Advisory Committee. In addition, he is a member of the Nautical Institute and the Council of American Master Mariners. He is the pastor of the St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church in Port Arthur, Texas, and the St. Paul Catholic Mission in Sabine Pass, Texas. In addition, he is the director for maritime ministry (the Apostleship of the Sea) in the Diocese of Beaumont, and the national president for the Apostleship of the Sea of the United States of America.

For more information:
Full article and 124-page “Focus on the Mariner” edition of USCG Proceedings is available at www.uscg.mil/proceedings/fall2008. Subscribe online at www.uscg.mil/proceedings.

Direct requests for print copies of this edition to: HQS-DG-NMCProceedings@uscg.mil.

MITAGS/PMI

Excerpt from U.S. Coast Guard “Proceedings of the Marine Safety & Security Council” magazine.

Full article by Mr. Glen M. Paine, Executive Director, Maritime Institute of Technology and Graduate Studies, is available at www.uscg.mil/proceedings/fall2008.


Collaborating with industry and labor to “prepare for the future” probably best describes the organizational philosophy of Maritime Institute of Technology and Graduate Studies (MITAGS) and its West Coast counterpart, the Pacific Maritime Institute (PMI).

Both institutions are part of the non-profit trust, the Maritime Advancement, Training, Education, and Safety (MATES) program. Together, they provide more than 150 training courses. Major offerings include:

· STCW-953 AB to mate program (22 weeks, for third mate unlimited license);
· STCW-95 workboat mate program (two-year apprenticeship earns 500/1,600-ton near coastal/oceans with the mate of towing endorsement);
· STCW-95 chief mate/master program (12 weeks, for an unlimited tonnage chief mate/master license);
· marine safety (firefighting, medical, and endurance);
· port and vessel operational research using full mission ship simulation.

Re-establishing the Chief Mate/Master Pathway
A major impetus for this approach was the implementation of the Standards of Training, Certification, and Watchstanding (STCW) code, since it dramatically affects the maritime licensing, recruitment, and retention processes. This calls for more training, and at a higher level, with more resources needed than any one school could provide.

AB to Mate Under STCW
The code also dramatically changed the training requirements for “hawsepipers” upgrading from able-bodied (AB) seafarer to third mate. PMI took on the challenge of developing and implementing the 22 weeks of training now required.

As with the chief mate/master upgrades, many “hawsepipe” sailors have been able to continue their career paths without interruption due to this commitment. In fact, the AB to mate program has been so successful at PMI on the West Coast that it is now being offered at MITAGS.

Opportunities for U.S. Mariners in the LNG Industry
Today, there are more than 40 liquefied natural gas (LNG) import facilities in the planning or construction stage throughout North America. The growth of this industry is bringing new opportunities to mariners ashore and at sea.

On the shore side, MITAGS has been actively involved with pilot organizations and terminal operators in the modeling of terminals, waterways, and the liquefied natural gas carriers that are expected to serve the terminals. The new advances in simulation technologies now allow for accurate simulation and the ability for bridge teams, pilots, and tug masters to train together using integrated exercises.

At sea, MITAGS and the other union training trusts have collaborated with the maritime academies (see below) and the Maritime Administration to establish U.S. training standards for Americans working on these carriers.

About the author:
During his tenure, Mr. Paine has been responsible for the implementation of more than 150 training courses at MITAGS. He possesses a master’s degree in general administration from the University of Maryland and a U.S. Coast Guard chief mate’s license. He is also a 1978 graduate of the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy.

For more information:
Maritime Institute of Technology and Graduate Studies
692 Maritime Boulevard
Linthicum, MD 21090
(410) 859-5700
http://www.mitags.org/

Maritime Academies:

U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, Kings Point, N.Y.
http://www.usmma.edu/

California Maritime Academy, Vallejo, Calif.
http://www.csum.edu/

Great Lakes Maritime Academy, Traverse City, Mich.
www.nmc.edu/maritime

Maine Maritime Academy, Castine, Maine
http://www.mainemaritime.edu/

Massachusetts Maritime Academy, Buzzards Bay, Mass.
http://www.maritime.edu/

State University of New York Maritime College, Bronx, N.Y.
http://www.sunymaritime.edu/

Texas Maritime Academy, Galveston, Texas
http://www.tamug.edu/corps/


Full article and 124-page “Focus on the Mariner” edition of USCG Proceedings is available at www.uscg.mil/proceedings/fall2008. Subscribe online at www.uscg.mil/proceedings.

Direct requests for print copies of this edition to: HQS-DG-NMCProceedings@uscg.mil.

The Vocational Mariner—focused, committed, and on board

Excerpt from U.S. Coast Guard “Proceedings of the Marine Safety & Security Council” magazine.

Full article by Mr. Gregg Trunnell, Director, Pacific Maritime Institute, is available at www.uscg.mil/proceedings/fall2008.


An aging workforce and the exploding global demand for mariners have combined to create the perfect storm, which has already robbed the maritime industry of its core of officers, and leaves in its wake few viable candidates to take up the slack.

The American mariner, long thought to be overpaid, is now being actively sought for a wide range of foreign-registered marine platforms. A markedly weaker U.S. dollar has opened the door for foreign tonnage operators.

Additionally, STCW requirements significantly changed how an able-bodied seaman could aspire to become a mate. In the past, sea time, radar training, and passing the Coast Guard examination was all it took. Today’s changed standards require a total of about 20 weeks of specific course work, which can cost nearly $20,000.

What’s the bottom line? A markedly decreased window of opportunity for lower-tonnage credential candidates has merged with the reality that today’s maritime academy graduates only go to sea at half of the numbers seen only 20 years ago. Worse, those who do go to sea are typically not staying.

Crewing Your Marine Platform 1968-style
Even as the number of STCW-qualified mariners increases at a faster rate than the general mariner population, today’s astute maritime executive recognizes that the traditional, time-honored methods of recruiting, training, advancing, and—most importantly—retaining mariners are all but obsolete.

Until only recently, a crewing manager had few options when trying to grow a fleet and/or augment the stable mariners available for assignment. With the “hawsepipe” option for the upwardly mobile mariner virtually gone because of regulatory issues, many firms predictably began recruiting from their competitors.

In 1968, and with considerably more mariners vying for a decreasing number of seagoing slots, this was a satisfactory solution. Today, it serves only to drive up the cost of putting a qualified hand aboard. Beyond this, the vast majority of marine operators do not have a formally structured in-house training system. Hence, the mariner stolen from the competition is an unknown quantity.

So, other than “borrowing” from your competitors, what are your other options? You can hire recent graduates from a traditional maritime academy or attempt promoting through the traditional hawsepipe.

Another viable option is the vocational approach to mariner training. For those operators not inclined to spend millions of dollars setting up an internal training mechanism, it is now time to incorporate this method of recruiting into standard operating procedures.

Vocational Training Starts with Identifying the Ideal Apprentice
Who is a good candidate for vocational training? As it turns out, recent classes at the Pacific Maritime Institute (PMI) include a history teacher, a movie cameraman/editor, a tugboat shipyard worker, the son of a port captain, the son of a tugboat company owner, and the son of a marine pilot.

None have any formal or significant seaborne training, so the apprentice model has taken all of them from ground zero, just like the maritime academies, but with a key difference. This model focuses on a vocational approach, with a more mature candidate who is determined to achieve a career on the water.

Often these include displaced workers, those seeking a second career, and retired military. The program is also designed to identify those who are looking for an entry point into the maritime industry. The candidate is then educated about the industry and the specific companies engaging apprentices.

The Training
The first academic phase consists of two weeks of training, encompassing survival skills, personal safety and social responsibility, first aid, firefighting, leadership, rules of the road, line handling, and related simulation.

Following this initial orientation, the apprentices start the first sea phase, where they are given 12 weeks to receive eight weeks of actual sea time. This first sea phase period is probationary, and the majority of the apprentices are paid a flat rate of $845.

After two months, the apprentice is evaluated by the vessel’s officers, a port captain, and the workboat academy. If the company is comfortable with the apprentice’s performance and he/she has completed onboard training, the apprentice is elevated to full-time status as either a deckhand or deckhand/cook and is paid the going day rate for all further sea time.

The balance of the workboat academy training includes another 20 weeks of classroom and lab training, as well as three weeks of simulation training that is coordinated with 10 additional months of actual sea time. Successful graduates of the program receive a mate 1,600 GRT near coastal or a mate 500 GRT ocean license (depending on sea service), with a mate of towing endorsement (if the corresponding sea time and towing officer assessment record was accomplished on a towing vessel) and applicable STCW certification.

The Investment
Millions of dollars have been spent to ensure that PMI’s two-year workboat mate program has the best possible equipment and course curriculum. A multi-million-dollar, interactive, 330-degree, full-mission tugboat simulator is an important part of the new curriculum.

Riding the bow wave of the early success enjoyed by PMI and its partner companies, PMI’s parent and partner training facility, the Maritime Institute of Technology and Graduate Studies (MITAGS), has built its own simulator. MITAGS has also implemented this training program based on the vocational apprentice model that is already delivering dividends for PMI’s partner companies.

The early returns are in, and the news is good. United Ocean System’s John P. King, director of safety and support services, says emphatically, “The workboat mate program has become an important part of our recruiting and retention efforts. The work PMI does to pre-screen the candidates has proven superior to our previous efforts. The instruction is first-rate. We are anxiously awaiting a comparable program on the engineering side.”

About the author:
Mr. Gregg Trunnell is the director of the Pacific Maritime Institute, Seattle, Wash. He holds a master 1,600 GRT license, a chief mate unlimited license, and a bachelor’s degree in marine transportation and business administration. He is currently studying at Seattle Pacific University for a master’s degree in non-profit leadership management. Mr. Trunnell’s most recent project focused on assisting companies and other organizations with recruitment and retention issues.

For More Information:
Pacific Maritime Institute
1729 Alaskan Way South
Seattle, WA 98134-1146
(888) 893 7829
http://www.mates.org/

The Maritime Institute of Technology and Graduate Studies
692 Maritime Boulevard
Linthicum Heights, MD 21090
(866) 656-5568
Fax: (410) 859-5181
http://www.mitags.org/

Full article and 124-page “Focus on the Mariner” edition of USCG Proceedings is available at www.uscg.mil/proceedings/fall2008. Subscribe online at www.uscg.mil/proceedings.

Direct requests for print copies of this edition to: HQS-DG-NMCProceedings@uscg.mil.

Maine Maritime Academy—adapting to meet a changing maritime industry

Excerpt from U.S. Coast Guard “Proceedings of the Marine Safety & Security Council” magazine.

Full article by Mr. John Barlow, Ph.D., Vice President of Academic Affairs and Provost, Maine Maritime Academy, is available at www.uscg.mil/proceedings/fall2008.


The last two decades have presented significant challenges and changes in maritime education at U.S. maritime academies. Maine Maritime Academy (MMA) is an example of an institution rising to meet the changes and challenges of an evolving world economy, increased environmental awareness, and internationalization of the maritime industries.

MMA initiated various degree programs that did not lead to a USCG unlimited license, including:
· yacht design,
· marina management,
· small vessel operations,
· international business and logistics,
· ocean studies,
· marine biology,
· marine sciences,
· power engineering technology,
· power engineering operations,
· marine systems engineering.

The degree programs that do not lead to the unlimited USCG licenses do not require student participation in the uniformed Regiment of Midshipmen, though the program welcomes all undergraduate students.

As a result, a special feature of student life is the mix of two student lifestyles on one campus. The uniformed “regiment” students follow a student-run leadership and management structure based on military traditions, courtesies, and terminology. Regimented students also have additional training requirements that include shipboard maintenance, watchstanding, and professional development classes, but incur no military obligation following graduation. Non-regimental students, “independents,” follow a traditional college lifestyle. Students co-mingle in all areas of campus, from classes and campus residency to student government and athletics.

Engineering
The engineering curriculum provides for six bachelor of science engineering degree majors:

Marine engineering operations: a traditional third assistant engineer’s license program.

Power engineering technology: leads to a stationary plant operator’s license for power plant management. While no Coast Guard license is associated with this program, it allows students to sit for a professional engineer’s license.

Power engineering operations: designed for power plant operators.

Marine engineering technology: includes more management, mathematics, and technology than marine engineering operations. Designed for students to sit for a professional engineer’s license in addition to the Coast Guard license. Students graduating with this major have greater opportunities for shoreside engineering careers while maintaining all of the engineering options for at-sea positions.

Marine systems engineering—license track: a two-year license program that follows a design engineer curriculum. Students in this program generally do not plan for a career at sea, and sit for a professional engineer’s license. Graduates sit for a USCG third assistant engineer’s license as a value-added component.

Marine Systems Engineering—non-license track: a four-year program similar in every way to the license track, but without the USCG license option.

Deck
The Marine Transportation Department (deck department) has also embraced diversity by offering marine transportation operations (the traditional deck license program) and associate and bachelor of science degree programs in small vessel operations.

The small vessel operations two-year associate degree allows a student to sit for a 200-ton mate’s license. The four-year bachelor’s degree allows one to sit for a 500-ton mate’s license.

This major has become very popular, with many marine science and business students opting to add it as a second major at the time and expense of only one additional year of study.

About the author:
Mr. John Barlow was first appointed to Maine Maritime Academy in 1970. He presently serves as the vice president of academic affairs, provost, and the academic dean. His field of expertise is marine science. He received his B.S. degree from the University of Rhode Island in 1965 and his Ph.D. from the University of Maine in 1969. He is the founding faculty member of the Corning School of Ocean Studies at Maine Maritime Academy, which offers B.S. degrees in marine science and marine biology.

For more information:
Maine Maritime Academy
Pleasant Street
Castine, ME 04420-5000
(800) 464-6565 (in state)
(800) 227-8465 (out of state)
http://www.mainemaritime.edu/

Full article and 124-page “Focus on the Mariner” edition of USCG Proceedings is available at www.uscg.mil/proceedings/fall2008. Subscribe online at www.uscg.mil/proceedings.

Direct requests for print copies of this edition to: HQS-DG-NMCProceedings@uscg.mil.

Tugboat U.—tailoring a crew advancement program to working mariners

Excerpt from U.S. Coast Guard “Proceedings of the Marine Safety & Security Council” magazine.

Full article by Mr. Kelly Curtin, Division Manager, Nautical Science Programs, Global Maritime and Transportation School, U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, available at www.uscg.mil/proceedings/fall2008.


In April 2007, USMMA’s Global Maritime and Transportation School (GMATS) introduced a groundbreaking crew advancement program designed to address the needs of deckhands who work in the near-coastal towing and offshore industries.

It’s a practical alternative to the traditional apprentice mate/steersman advancement route to the wheelhouse. It also eliminates many crewing headaches for tug operators and substantially reduces the lifestyle disruption for merchant mariners who need training to obtain or advance their licenses.

While some argue that the shortage of licensed personnel is due to lack of “new blood” entering the industry, John Torgersen, McAllister Towing’s quality and safety director, had observed there was no shortage of entry-level deckhands. “People were interested in working in our industry, they just weren’t advancing towards licenses,” Torgersen said.

When deckhands were asked why they hadn’t upgraded, most said that they were working on it, but the process was confusing and that they often were unsure of the next step to take.

The Problem
The typical progression from deckhand to apprentice mate/steersman requires 18 months of sea time, which takes about three years. The candidate can then apply to take the requisite exam. With an additional six months of sea time and presentation of a completed towing officer assessment record, the apprentice mate then can seek to become a licensed mate (pilot) of towing vessels.

McAllister Towing also found that, in addition to sea time requirements, it had to send company deckhands through seven weeks of training classes. The cost to advance one deckhand to mate through the apprentice mate system was about $78,100.00. “Most of the costs associated with the process come from the year of sea time as an extra crew member,” said Torgersen. “This is a great deal of money, and more than ‘residential’ students pay for traditional two-year maritime college programs.”

A Solution
When McAllister contacted GMATS in the fall of 2005, it requested a program that would give full-time deckhands the opportunity to take required classes to advance to mate 500/1600 gross tons with a towing endorsement and provide academic credit toward an associate’s degree. GMATS recognized that the program’s impact on the deckhands’ personal lives and families had to be considered for the program to work.

While it was difficult for deckhands to be away from their families for extended periods of time, they appreciated having a program linked to an associate’s degree. GMATS worked with the U.S. Coast Guard’s National Maritime Center (NMC) to develop a program consisting of full-day modules, designed to be taught in sequence over several weeks. This approach accommodated the deckhands’ regular work schedule and only minimally impacted their time off.

Since the program also prepares students for a 500/1600 gross ton license, it had to meet the Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping requirements. By partnering with American Military University (AMU), USMMA’s Global Maritime and Transportation School ensured students could receive college credit for courses that may be applied towards an associate’s degree.

Tugboat U.
The first class started in the spring of 2007. McAllister Towing and Reinauer Transportation each sponsored 11 deckhands. New students begin classes every April in the crew advancement program, now affectionately called “Tugboat U.”

Charles Braun, a Reinauer deckhand, stated, “The program at GMATS has exceeded expectations in every way. I’ve been able to schedule classes around my work schedule, and find that I am in the classroom about twice a month, which is perfect, because we keep hectic schedules.”

Since it’s a Coast Guard-approved training program, this crew advancement program reduces the sea service requirement from three years to one in order to obtain the mate 500/1600 GT near-coastal license. To obtain the towing officer endorsement, deckhands must complete the towing officer assessment record book. In addition, the prospective mate must also complete four 13-week sea projects, each consisting of a navigational journal and watchstanding logs, and answer questions related to safety, navigation, and vessel operation.

When Tugboat U. students aren’t in the classroom or aboard a vessel, they can still complete coursework and prepare for the license exam. Using an Internet-based course program, students can contact instructors, other students, and also access reading and homework assignments. In addition, the students are provided with access to an online program that allows them to study and review sample Coast Guard multiple choice exam questions and solutions.

Drew Read, a McAllister deckhand currently in the program, stated, “My desire and expectation from the program is to achieve my 1600 GT mate near-coastal license. I feel GMATS has made a concerted effort to meet the needs of the current students.”

The Program
The approved crew advancement program consists of 17 classes, four 13-week sea projects, and submission of an endorsed training record book.

The program takes between 2 and 2.5 years to complete. If the student follows the conventional two-week work rotation, he/she would take two (8-hour) modules of class before each rotation.

Course Number---Title---Number of Hours
NS080---Basic Safety Training---40
NS090---Advanced Fire-Fighting---32
NS100---Nautical Science 1---40
NS110---Nautical Science 2---40
NS120---Shiphandling: Tugs and Towing 1---40
NS130---Terrestrial and Coastal Navigation 1---40
NS140---Terrestrial and Coastal Navigation 2---40
NS150---Navigational Law and Communications---40
NS160---RADAR/Collision Avoidance---40
NS170---Meteorology---40
NS180---Ship Construction, Stability, and Trim---40
NS190---ARPA (Automatic Radar Plotting Aid)---40
NS200---Cargo Handling and Stowage---40
NS210---Medical Care Provider---40
NS220---Electronic Navigation---40
NS230---Shiphandling: Tugs and Towing 2---40
NS240---Bridge Watch-Keeping and Ship Handling---56

Total hours---688
Total days---86
Average class days per month over a 24-month period---3.5

Anticipated Outcome
For participating companies the payoff can be significant. A mate with advanced working knowledge of shipboard equipment is a more professional, higher-skilled worker who ultimately reduces risk. Moreover, this will foster an employee/company relationship built on trust and loyalty.

GMATS and the NMC continue to make adjustments. Future plans call for similar engineering and chief mate to master mariner programs. Follow-on courses are in development for a 500/1600 GT mate to master license preparation course.

About the author:
Mr. Kelly Curtin serves as division manager for nautical science programs at GMATS, USMMA. Prior to this position he was an assistant professor of marine transportation at the State University of New York Maritime College and senior deck training officer aboard the training ship Empire State. Mr. Curtin holds a bachelor’s degree in business finance from the University of Southern California, a master’s in transportation management from the State University of New York Maritime College, and an unlimited master mariner license.

For more information:
Global Maritime and Transportation School
United States Merchant Marine Academy
Kings Point, NY
(516) 726-6130
http://gmats.usmma.edu/

Full article and 124-page “Focus on the Mariner” edition of USCG Proceedings is available at www.uscg.mil/proceedings/fall2008. Subscribe online at www.uscg.mil/proceedings.

Direct requests for print copies of this edition to: HQS-DG-NMCProceedings@uscg.mil.

Getting a Start Through the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy

Excerpt from U.S. Coast Guard “Proceedings of the Marine Safety & Security Council” magazine.

Full article by Midshipman James Johnston is available at www.uscg.mil/proceedings/fall2008.

“To graduate merchant marine officers and leaders of honor and integrity who
serve the maritime industry and armed forces and contribute to the economic,
defense, and homeland security interests of the United States.”

This is the mission of the United States Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA). As a plebe, I memorized and repeated this mission on command.

While at the USMMA, the majority of midshipmen will complete more than 170 credits and will participate in over 670 hours of laboratories and lectures covering various topics applicable to STCW certification. Upon graduation, each midshipman receives a bachelor of science degree, a commission in one of the six military/federal services (including the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration), and a U.S. Coast Guard merchant marine officer’s third mate (3/M) or third assistant engineer license.

Academics
There are two professional license academic departments at the USMMA—marine transportation and marine engineering—divided into three majors for each.

Within marine transportation, the majors are:

• “straight deck” marine transportation, a major primarily consisting of marine transportation courses such as ships’ operations;
• maritime operations and technology, also known as “ship’s officer,” where students pursue a 3/M license while also seeking qualifications as a qualified member of the engine department;
• the logistics and intermodal transportation major, which focuses on logistical aspects of tying together the four modes of transportation—shipping, air, rail, and highways.

The marine engineering majors are:

• marine engineering,
• marine engineering and shipyard management,
• marine engineering systems.

At the academy, we spend the equivalent of a year at sea as part of our curriculum. During this “sea year,” midshipmen receive hands-on training in their respective majors. At the end of plebe year, each class is split into two groups known as A-split and B-split.

Generally, the A-split group will go out to sea in the winter months, and be back at the academy during the summer. The B-split group does the opposite. After the plebe year split, midshipmen will not see their classmates in the opposite group until their senior year.

Plebe Year
The first trimester incorporates a class introducing both the engine and deck aspects of ship operations. This class is known as KP 100 and helps us decide our license major, which must be decided within the first ten weeks.

Plebe year is tough. I began my day at 0600 each morning to muster with my fellow plebes. From there we either went to breakfast or began to clean. We do not have janitors, so midshipmen must keep the bathrooms, showers, decks, and anything in between clean. After being inspected and going to colors, I headed off to class for the day.

After a long day of classes, I headed back to my barracks to study. At 2000 (8:00 p.m.) each night, I would muster with my fellow plebes for “tattoo,” a 20-minute training period with an upperclassman training officer.

By the second trimester, I began my professional classes. As a logistics major, I was taking courses such as terrestrial navigation, celestial navigation, safety of life at sea (which covers lifeboatman training in preparation for our first sea year experience), firefighting, and meteorology, all of which require a minimum of a 70 percent pass rate to meet U.S. Coast Guard standards.

At Sea
That summer, I found myself standing on the deck of a container ship with the rest of my B-split group. I joined her in Hawaii—the farthest I had ever been from home. We set sail for Guam, then to Hong Kong, then Kaohsiung, Taiwan. After these exotic locations, the ship sailed back to Washington and California before heading back to Hawaii to repeat the run.

As the deck cadet, my primary job was to assist the chief mate. The chief mate assigned me various administrative tasks, deck work with the other mates or crew, and standing watch on the bridge. On top of these duties, I had a sea project to complete, which would be under the greatest of scrutiny when I returned to the academy. Written examinations covering navigation, cargo, and navigation law would also be waiting upon my return.

Back in Class
Upon return to the academy, I submitted my sea project. A return to the academy also meant getting back into the regimental lifestyle, which was difficult after four months at sea aboard a non-regimental ship. This meant shorter-than-short hair, a clean shave, and musters throughout the day.

In addition to team leader duties, I started participating as a petty officer—an assistant to a first class midshipman officer. My academic schedule included courses such as tanker operations, electronic navigation, stability and trim, cargo operations, and seamanship. These courses ultimately prepared me for my return to sea that March.

Second Sea Leg
I was more prepared for my second sailing period of eight months. All midshipmen are required to obtain a minimum of 300 days aboard commercial vessels to apply toward our U.S. Coast Guard license. We obtain the bulk of this requirement during our second sea period.

This time, I knew what was expected of me as a cadet, where things were located on ships, shipboard terminology (for the most part), and I understood how things were done (at least on the deck side of things).

I received my orders to the USNS Laramie, a Military Sealift Command (MSC) oiler, in March. I joined the ship in Norfolk, Va. We were the “duty oiler,” refueling Navy ships up and down the Eastern seaboard. There is nothing like seeing two ships alongside and underway, both of which are no more than 250 feet away, conducting refueling operations.

A few months later, I was assigned to the USNS Comfort, one of MSC’s two hospital ships. She was on her way down to Latin America and the Caribbean on a humanitarian mission. After a short rest period in my hometown in September, I found myself on a MSC-contracted tanker, the USNS Samuel L. Cobb. We transported fuel to U.S. Navy and Coast Guard stations.

I found that this longer sailing period made me much more comfortable at standing a bridge watch. My confidence in my abilities as a deck cadet and as a future third mate officer increased immensely during this second sailing period and would serve me well upon my return to the academy.

In November, I returned to the academy once more as a second classman with a whopping 303 days at sea. The other 57 days would come from port watches stood here at the academy as well as ship simulations on academy simulators. I had excellent experiences on all of my ships, and had learned a lot.

On the Horizon
As of this writing, I have only recently completed the second full trimester of my second class year. As a logistics major, I took a logistics, management, and marketing course. I also took ships’ medicine, a course required by Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping. Next trimester, I will be taking 17 credit hours, including courses in radio communications and radar operations and a bridge simulation course.

Between my second and first class years, I plan on completing a required 10-day internship with the U.S. Coast Guard in Jacksonville, Fla. After that, I will return to the academy for midshipman officer training, and help train the incoming plebe class of 2012.

For more information:
Full article and 124-page “Focus on the Mariner” edition of USCG Proceedings is available at www.uscg.mil/proceedings/fall2008. Subscribe online at www.uscg.mil/proceedings.

Direct requests for print copies of this edition to: HQS-DG-NMCProceedings@uscg.mil.

A School Within a School—preparing high school students for employment in the merchant marine

Excerpt from U.S. Coast Guard “Proceedings of the Marine Safety & Security Council” magazine.

Full article by Captain Ray Addicott (U.S. Navy, Ret.), Training Resources, Ltd. Inc., available at www.uscg.mil/proceedings/fall2008.

“Shaun Pomerleau stood on the deck of the USNS Henry J. Kaiser, a Military Sealift Command underway replenishment tanker, traveling at 13 knots in the ocean off Coronado, Calif.

He braced his steel-toe-booted feet, lifted an M-14 rifle, pointed it at a nearby ship, and fired.

A cord from the gun sailed through the air, hitting a Navy cruiser 200 feet away. Crewmembers used the line to guide a hose from the tanker to the cruiser for refueling. Pomerleau is a student at Mar Vista High School, Imperial Beach, Calif., enrolled in one of San Diego County’s most unusual high school vocational courses—a maritime academy for unlicensed mariners within a high school. When he graduates from high school he will have a diploma in his left hand and a merchant marine document in his right.”
—Chris Moran, “Seaworthy Schooling,” San Diego Union-Tribune, July 28, 2007.

Training Resources, Ltd. Inc. is affiliated with the Sailors’ Union of the Pacific and is a provider of Coast Guard-approved training courses. In 2000, TRL began looking into the possibility of bringing maritime training programs to high school districts in the area to give students access to U.S. Coast Guard-certified training—at no cost—to prepare them for employment in the merchant marine.

They held several meetings with different school districts within San Diego County and found that most were not interested, as they felt that their primary goal was to prepare students for a college education. Finally, one school, Mar Vista High School, just south of San Diego in the small town of Imperial Beach, indicated it might have an interest.

An MMD, a Passport, and a Bank Account
Once the infrastructure was in place, officials began recruiting students. This entailed educating school career counselors and scheduling briefings for interested students and parents. The goal was to achieve a commitment from each student and his or her parents.

The maritime program has been a great success since established in 2002. The successful student graduates with a merchant marine document in hand, a passport, and a bank account. Thanks to the Military Sealift Command (MSC), during the summer many students sail as paid interns aboard MSC ships operating in Southern California and Hawaii.

In addition to the paycheck, they obtain valuable experience and the opportunity to satisfy sea time requirements and complete competencies for a rating forming part of a navigational/engineering watch. Students who excel in the program learn exactly what going to sea is like and become confident employees.

What’s in It for Me?
Graduates typically earn salaries comparable to college graduates. There have been many success stories from graduates working in the industry. In one case, a young lady recently graduated from the program who is now sailing as a merchant marine was able to buy a home for her single-parent mother and family.

A young man, abandoned by his family several years ago, successfully completed the program, and is achieving great success in the merchant marine, working toward his third assistant engineer’s license.

Benefits for Students, the Community, the Industry
The Mar Vista maritime training program is an example of what can be achieved to provide young, well-trained, confident men and women to the maritime industry. More than this, maritime training programs embedded in a school bring the school and the community awareness of the value of the industry to our country’s economy and security.

This training program can also prepare students for shoreside career options such as firefighting, emergency medical response, ship repair, and facility maintenance.

A Look Ahead
Programs such as Mar Vista can be replicated, but it takes time, cooperation, and funding. Educational budgets for schools in California, for example, are subject to budget cutbacks that put vocational training programs at risk.

What is needed is congressional awareness and support of successful grassroots programs, such as Mar Vista, that have the potential to meet the future needs of the maritime industry.

About the author:
Captain Addicott served in the U.S. Navy for 30 years. During that time he served in command of several ships, including USS Fox. He also served as commander for the Military Sealift Command-Pacific during Operation Desert Storm. Following his retirement, he held the position of California Maritime Academy’s director of continuing education. He co-founded Training Resources, Ltd. Inc. in 1998 with Cdr. Ray Gillip.

For more information:
Mar Vista High School
505 Elm Avenue
Imperial Beach, Calif. 91932
(619) 628-5700
www.suhsd.k12.ca.us/mvh

Training Resources, Ltd. Inc.
1400 Grizzly Peak Blvd.
Berkeley, CA 94708
(510) 704-8978
http://www.maritimetraining.cc/

Full article and 124-page “Focus on the Mariner” edition of USCG Proceedings is available at www.uscg.mil/proceedings/fall2008. Subscribe online at www.uscg.mil/proceedings.

Direct requests for print copies of this edition to: HQS-DG-NMCProceedings@uscg.mil.