Gloucester,
Va. December 01, 2012 - The U.S. Coast Guard now requires mariners with STCW
(standards of training, certification and watch keeping) Deck Officer
endorsements to complete Electronic Chart Display Information Systems (ECDIS)
training.
"Certain
officer endorsements will now indicate ECDIS limitations when evidence of ECDIS
training has not been provided," according to the U.S. Coast Guard, which
published the policy change on its Mariner Credentialing page here.
"In
order for an STCW endorsement for officer in charge of a navigational watch
(OICNW), chief mate, or master to remain valid for service on vessels equipped
with electronic chart display information systems (ECDIS) after December 31,
2016, you must complete a Coast Guard approved or accepted ECDIS course."
Chesapeake
Marine Training Institute offers Coast Guard-approved ECDIS courses throughout
the year.
Mariners
who have completed Coast Guard approved or accepted ECDIS courses in the past
will not need to take additional training.
According
to the Coast Guard, all applicants for an STCW deck officer endorsement who
have not provided proof of approved ECDIS training will receive the following
limitation - not valid for service on ECDIS equipped vessels after December 31,
2016.
Mariners
who have already submitted the course completion certificate to the Coast Guard
with a previous application package should include that information in their
application package.
Mariners
issued an STCW deck officer endorsement with this limitation may continue to
serve on ECDIS equipped vessels until December 31, 2016 and can have the
limitation removed at any time, free of charge, by requesting a modification
and including a course completion certificate, according to the Coast Guard.
At
Chesapeake Marine Training Institute, the ECDIS course provides training in the
basic theory and use of ECDIS for mariners in charge of a navigational watch.
The training includes all safety-relevant aspects and - for this reason - aims
beyond the use of operational controls.
The
course exam includes 25 questions and requires a passing score of 70 percent.
It includes, among other testing, creating a navigation route using both
waypoints and charted locations. The final route will be checked for
navigational safety by the instructor.
Chesapeake
Marine Training Institute's credentialing experts are available to guide
professional mariners through the process of ensuring readiness for this new
license requirement.
ABOUT
CHESAPEAKE MARINE TRAINING INSTITUTE: Established in 1992, Chesapeake Marine
Training Institute (CMTI) provides professional marine educational services to
military and civilian mariners. While its modern classrooms and outdoor training
area is located on George Washington Memorial Highway near Gloucester Point in
Hayes, CMTI proudly also offers on-site training and online study programs.
In
2002, Marine Log magazine called CMTI one of the top maritime educational,
recruitment and training resources in the nation.
Its
instructors are seasoned mariners, holding a current U.S. Coast Guard License
as Master with a minimum of five years at sea experience. CMTI’s staff also
includes Licensed Consultants trained by the Coast Guard’s National Maritime
Center as Mariner Credentialing Agents. These agents serve as experts to help
each mariner sail smoothly through their licensing application process.