[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 46, Volume 1]
[Revised as of January 1, 2007]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 46CFR12.05-7]

[Page 215-216]
 
                           TITLE 46--SHIPPING
 
         CHAPTER I--COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
 
PART 12_CERTIFICATION OF SEAMEN--Table of Contents
 
                        Subpart 12.05_Able Seamen
 
Sec. 12.05-7  Service or training requirements.

    (a) The minimum service required to qualify an applicant for the 
various

[[Page 216]]

categories of able seaman is as listed in this paragraph.
    (1) Able Seaman--Any Waters, Unlimited. Three years service on deck 
on vessels operating on the oceans or the Great Lakes.
    (2) Able Seaman--Limited. Eighteen months service on deck in vessels 
of 100 gross tons or over which operate in a service not exclusively 
confined to the rivers and smaller inland lakes of the United States.
    (3) Able Seaman--Special. Twelve months service on deck on vessels 
operating on the oceans, or the navigable waters of the United States 
including the Great Lakes.
    (4) Able Seaman--Special (OSV). Six months service on deck on 
vessels operating on the oceans, or the navigable waters of the United 
States including the Great Lakes.
    (5) After July 31, 1998, to receive an STCW endorsement for service 
as a ``rating forming part of a navigational watch'' on a seagoing ship 
of 500 GT or more, the applicant's seagoing service must include 
training and experience associated with navigational watchkeeping and 
involve the performance of duties carried out under the direct 
supervision of the master, the officer in charge of the navigational 
watch, or a qualified rating forming part of a navigational watch. The 
training and experience must be sufficient to establish that the 
candidate has achieved the standard of competence prescribed in table A-
II/4 of the STCW Code (incorporated by reference in Sec. 12.01-3), in 
accordance with the methods of demonstrating competence and the criteria 
for evaluating competence specified in that table.

    Note: Employment considerations for the various categories of able 
seaman are contained in Sec. 157.20-15 of this chapter.

    (b) Training programs approved by the Commanding Officer, National 
Maritime Center, may be substituted for the required periods of service 
on deck as follows:
    (1) A graduate of a school ship may be rated as able seaman upon 
satisfactory completion of the course of instruction. For this purpose, 
school ship is interpreted to mean an institution which offers a 
complete course of instruction, including a period of at sea training, 
in the skills appropriate to the rating of able seaman.
    (2) Training programs, other than those classified as a school ship, 
may be substituted for up to one third of the required service on deck. 
The service/training ratio for each program is determined by the 
Commanding Officer, National Maritime Center, who may allow a maximum of 
three days on deck service credit for each day of instruction.
    (c) A certificate of service as Able Seaman, Great Lakes--18 months' 
service, is considered equivalent to a certificate of service as Able 
Seaman--Limited.
    (d) A certificate of service as Able Seaman with the following 
route, vessel, or time restrictions is considered equivalent to a 
certificate of service as Able Seaman--Special:
    (1) Any waters--12 months.
    (2) Tugs and towboats--any waters.
    (3) Bays and sounds--12 months, vessels 500 gross tons or under not 
carrying passengers.
    (4) Seagoing barges--12 months.
    (e) An individual holding a certificate of service endorsed as noted 
in paragraphs (c) or (d) of this section may have his or her merchant 
mariner's document endorsed with the equivalent category, upon request.

[CGD 80-131, 45 FR 69240, Oct. 20, 1980, as amended by CGD 95-072, 60 FR 
50460, Sept. 29, 1995; CGD 95-062, 62 FR 34537, June 26, 1997; CGD 95-
062, 62 FR 40140, July 25, 1997; USCG-1998-4442, 63 FR 52189, Sept. 30, 
1998; USCG-1999-5610, 67 FR 66068, Oct. 30, 2002]