USCG-MASTER200-L1.1

Where 200 GRT sits in the deck ladder

USCG-MASTER200-M1 · The credential and what it authorises · USCG-MASTER200-M1-A The 200 GRT family, routes, manning under Part 15, the STCW carve-out and yacht tonnage. 4 lessons.

The 200 GRT ticket is the last of the **reduced-service** officer endorsements and the first that puts you on the bridge of a proper small ship. Know the family before you apply for any member of it.

Entry & progression

Governing: 46 CFR 11.410, 11.401, 11.422–11.427; 46 CFR 10.107. Builds on: USCG Master of Vessels Less Than 100 GRT.

The family

46 CFR 11.410(a) splits the Master and Mate endorsements below 1,600 GRT into three tonnage categories:

  1. Less than 1,600 GRT.
  2. Less than 500 GRT.
  3. "Between 25 and 200 GRT in 50-ton increments and with appropriate mode of propulsion such as self-propelled, sail, or auxiliary sail."

This course is about the third category at its top end. 11.901(b)(1) calls these reduced service officer endorsements — the Coast Guard may trim the examination to suit, which is why the exam looks different from the 500/1,600 GRT one.

Endorsement Section Headline service
Master Oceans <200 GRT 11.424 3 years, 2 as Master/Mate/equivalent while holding an endorsement
Mate Oceans <200 GRT 11.425 12 months deck service
Master Near-Coastal <200 GRT 11.426 2 years, 1 as Master/Mate/equivalent while holding an endorsement
Mate Near-Coastal <200 GRT 11.427 12 months deck service
Master GL/Inland <200 GRT 11.452 1 year, 6 months as officer
Mate GL/Inland <200 GRT 11.454 6 months

Routes

  • Near-coastal — 46 CFR 10.107: "ocean waters not more than 200 miles offshore from the United States and its possessions". The 100-mile limit you may remember belongs only to OUPV.
  • Oceans — waters seaward of the Boundary Lines in 46 CFR Part 7.
  • 11.401(a): any ocean Master or Mate endorsement "qualifies the mariner to serve in the same grade on any waters".
  • 11.401(b): a near-coastal endorsement also covers Great Lakes and inland waters.

Both routes carry an exception for towing vessels on Western Rivers, which is irrelevant to yachts and outside this course.

Tonnage is issued, not chosen

You do not apply for "Master 200". You apply for Master NC less than 200 GRT, and the Coast Guard issues the tonnage your service supports — 25, 50, 100 or 200 GRT — under the formula in 11.422(a). Many mariners who expect 200 come away with 100. Module 2 shows how to avoid that.

TIP — Read your MMC literally The endorsement will say something like "Master of Self-Propelled Vessels of Less Than 100 GRT upon Near Coastal Waters". The words "less than" matter: a 100-ton ticket does not cover a vessel of exactly 100 GRT.

Where it leads

  • Up: Master <500 GRT (11.418) and Master <1,600 GRT (11.412) — covered in USCG Master and Mate 500/1600 GRT.
  • Sideways: STCW endorsements under 11.315–11.321 (Module 4).
  • 11.402(d) closes one door: holders of 25–200, <500 or <1,600 GRT tickets cannot use the 6-month tonnage-removal shortcuts in 11.402(c) that apply to limited unlimited-tonnage mates.

AI-drafted catalogue content pending SME review. Tonnage is issued from your own service under 46 CFR 11.422 and exam modules change without rule-making; verify with the National Maritime Center and the current checklist before applying.