Chief mate time on Dp Rig?

[GOMariner]

A friend of mine just finished his Chief Mate classes sent in his seatime and got a leetter back that he needs 6 months on a conventional vessel. He currently works on a DP2 Rig . The letter stated that it was a MODU and he needed 6 months more on a conventional ship . Anybody have any suggestions?

[Capt. Lee]

Go to a drillship. I may be in a similar situation once I get my Chief Mate....I have seen it go both ways though.

[john]

Hmm interesting. The same thing happened to me, except this was for my Master's license and the issue was time-and-a-half seatime. It was also well before the NMC .

Here is the little I do know:

I have written a few articles on "diversity of experience" in which I stated there was value in having served on different types of ships. I questioned whether a captain who had served on one type of ship his entire career was as qualified as a person who sailed aboard various types of vessels.

The problem is two fold:
1) How many times do you need to anchor a vessel before you truly "get it"? For example... some MODU captain's have more fingers on their right hand than anchoring experience.

2) An unlimited license is good on all types of vessels. For example, if you served on tankers, container ships and MODU's then you could probably handle a Ro-Ro. But if you only have MODU (or tanker, bulker, etc) experience then switching vessel types might not be a good idea.

I only mention this because the idea was not mine. "Diversity of Experience" came up while I was fighting for my seatime as something the NMC was discussing internally. It came up again in discussions with the USCG after a drillship lost it's engine room 2 years ago and they found out the captain, a licensed Master Unlimited, had not served on any ships other than the one he burned.

There is a possible flip side of the coin. In the discussions I've had with CG personnel, it was mentioned that people may be "rewarded" for having sailed on a variety of ships with extra sea-time.

Keep us posted GoMariner!

[GOMariner]

Would a Drillship be considered a conventional Ship ? I am working on a DP3 rig as Chief Mate and trying to get seatime for master .Will I have to go on a drill ship for 6 months ? Or can I stay on a DP rig ?

[spinny02]

Question!

I am sailing as a Chief Mate on a DP-3 semi working torwds my masters unlimited. I have sailed on tankers, cruise ships, and break bulk ships as 3 & 2 mate . All my C/m time in on the dp-3 semi. Will i have any problem trying to upgrade to my masters?

BR,
Jonathan