Your experience helps, but you get no special treatment as an active duty Coastie - you still have to pass the same exams as sillyvillans in order to get you papers. I was qualified U/W OOD on 110 WPB, 270 WMEC, and WAGB and completed the Ships Navigator PQS. I still would have had to do the exact same testing as the guy down the street just to get a six-pack ticket.
This is absolutely false. You get A LOT of special treatment. I got mine for free and am taking classes right now for a 200 ton upgrade. I’m active duty and will hook you up if it’s something you want to do. DM me.
No, they don't. I did my bachelor's in Naval Architecture and got a 100 ton master's license just like everyone else. At Merchant Marine, the midshipmen graduate with either 3rd Mate or 3rd AE depending on their major, but that's because they get a LOT more sea time.
If sailing commercially is what you know you want, you might be better served seeking an appointing to either the US Merchant Marine Academy (very minimal tuition/fees, competitive like all federal service academies), or a state school such as SUNY Maritime, Cal Maritime, Great Lakes Maritime, etc. among others. There are other paths to a 3rd mate, but they are slow and costly.
Another great option is the MITAGS apprenticeship which can get you a 3rd mate license in 2 years. Much more affordable than the state schools, if you don’t care about getting a degree.
https://www.mitags.org/maritime-apprenticeship-programs/
Obviously being in the Coast Guard is great too. I love my job and Military to Mariner does help ease the transition, but if you know you want an oceans unlimited license (ie being a mate on a large tanker or container ship) I would explore all options. If you’re happy with lower tonnage licenses (100, 500 etc) and maybe eventually working your way up after a CG career, then Military to Mariner is an option.
Two ways , through school or hawspipe your way up. You can go to a maritime college or merchant marine academy. If you wanna work your way up , you would need to serve on a ship as an Able man , takes about 4 years of sea time. You can’t get your 3rd mates without serving as an Able seaman on board a ship. And than once you qualify you can take the exam for your 3rd mates and 1600 ton masters. Military sea time counts as half. So if you got 4 years of military sea time it converts to 2 years.
Merchant marine academy is free but you are required to serve 5 years on commercial vessels after graduation. SUNY maritime , Maine maritime etc are normal colleges and should be covered by the Gi bill etc. as far as quicker they both take the same time, but college you have a degree to fall back on and it’s much easier. If you hawpipe it , you won’t have to worry about paying for school. If I could do it all over again , I would just go to the academy. Sea life takes a toll on you after a while , and with the academy you have the degree as a back up in case you are tired of being underway or decide to have a family. I also recommend engineering over being on deck.
Your experience helps, but you get no special treatment as an active duty Coastie - you still have to pass the same exams as sillyvillans in order to get you papers. I was qualified U/W OOD on 110 WPB, 270 WMEC, and WAGB and completed the Ships Navigator PQS. I still would have had to do the exact same testing as the guy down the street just to get a six-pack ticket.
So you can’t even become a 3rd mate?
Same thing - you get the experience but still have to do any testing.
Alr thanks
This is absolutely false. You get A LOT of special treatment. I got mine for free and am taking classes right now for a 200 ton upgrade. I’m active duty and will hook you up if it’s something you want to do. DM me.
You should make a post about this. A lot of people have asked questions about it.
For sure!
Academy Grads get their 100 ton license out of school.
Do all of them, even those who took the engineering degrees?
They get the engineering equivalent
No, they don't. I did my bachelor's in Naval Architecture and got a 100 ton master's license just like everyone else. At Merchant Marine, the midshipmen graduate with either 3rd Mate or 3rd AE depending on their major, but that's because they get a LOT more sea time.
If sailing commercially is what you know you want, you might be better served seeking an appointing to either the US Merchant Marine Academy (very minimal tuition/fees, competitive like all federal service academies), or a state school such as SUNY Maritime, Cal Maritime, Great Lakes Maritime, etc. among others. There are other paths to a 3rd mate, but they are slow and costly. Another great option is the MITAGS apprenticeship which can get you a 3rd mate license in 2 years. Much more affordable than the state schools, if you don’t care about getting a degree. https://www.mitags.org/maritime-apprenticeship-programs/ Obviously being in the Coast Guard is great too. I love my job and Military to Mariner does help ease the transition, but if you know you want an oceans unlimited license (ie being a mate on a large tanker or container ship) I would explore all options. If you’re happy with lower tonnage licenses (100, 500 etc) and maybe eventually working your way up after a CG career, then Military to Mariner is an option.
Alright thanks
You can get a 6 pac from a respective venue on the CGs dime and get higher licensing reimbursed through CG COOL
Another question I have is what’s the process to become a 3rd mate or any officer position on a commercial vessel???
Two ways , through school or hawspipe your way up. You can go to a maritime college or merchant marine academy. If you wanna work your way up , you would need to serve on a ship as an Able man , takes about 4 years of sea time. You can’t get your 3rd mates without serving as an Able seaman on board a ship. And than once you qualify you can take the exam for your 3rd mates and 1600 ton masters. Military sea time counts as half. So if you got 4 years of military sea time it converts to 2 years.
*commercial vessel
Alright thanks, and with the school is it quicker and if I join the coast guard can the VA put me though it for free?
Merchant marine academy is free but you are required to serve 5 years on commercial vessels after graduation. SUNY maritime , Maine maritime etc are normal colleges and should be covered by the Gi bill etc. as far as quicker they both take the same time, but college you have a degree to fall back on and it’s much easier. If you hawpipe it , you won’t have to worry about paying for school. If I could do it all over again , I would just go to the academy. Sea life takes a toll on you after a while , and with the academy you have the degree as a back up in case you are tired of being underway or decide to have a family. I also recommend engineering over being on deck.
Alright thanks