Entry & progression
Governing: 46 CFR 11.301(e); 11.305–11.321; 11.1101–11.1105; 15.1103(f). Builds on: L1.2. Content: MCA ECDIS and MCA HELM in the xplor library.
These are training lines, not endorsements
BRM, ECDIS and leadership do not appear on the MMC as separate STCW endorsements. They are approved training items that the officer endorsement requires. They are proved by course certificates or assessments and checked by the evaluator when you apply or renew.
Bridge resource management
Every OICNW endorsement lists BRM in its training requirements: 11.309(a)(4)(vii) for 500 GT or more; 11.319(a)(4)(vii) and 11.321 for less than 500 GT. The requirement is met once, at issue.
Leadership
| Level | Requirement | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Operational (OICNW) | Evidence of meeting the standard of competence in leadership and teamworking skills for a renewal valid on or after 1 January 2017 | 11.309(c)(1), 11.319(b)(1) |
| Management (Master, Chief Mate) | Approved training in leadership and managerial skills, at issue and for renewal after 1 January 2017 | 11.305(a)(3)(iv), (b)(1); 11.311 onward |
The OICEW equivalent, ERM with leadership and teamworking, is covered in USCG STCW: Officer in Charge of an Engineering Watch, and ETO.
WARNING – The 2017 renewal trap An officer who first qualified before 2017 and has renewed on sea service alone may never have added leadership evidence. The evaluator will ask for it.
ECDIS
- Each STCW deck officer endorsement lists “ECDIS, if serving on a vessel with this equipment” at issue, and again for renewals valid after 1 January 2017.
- 11.301(e): training in ARPA, ECDIS or GMDSS “is not required for those who serve exclusively on ships not fitted with” them. “For ARPA and ECDIS, this limitation must be reflected in the endorsement issued to the seafarer concerned.”
CAUTION – The limitation follows you Most yachts over 500 GT navigate on ECDIS. An endorsement limited to vessels without ECDIS will stop you standing a watch on them. The generic course is the Coast Guard requirement; type-specific familiarisation is a company matter under STCW I/14.
Radar and ARPA
OICNW 500 GT or more requires Radar Observer; less than 500 GT requires it “if serving on a vessel with this equipment”. ARPA is listed “if serving on a vessel with this equipment”. Radar Observer itself is a national endorsement (11.480), covered in the officer courses.
Passenger-ship training (STCW V/2)
11.1103: a passenger ship “means a ship carrying more than 12 passengers when on an international voyage.” On such ships (11.1105(a)):
- Crowd management – masters, officers and others on the muster list assigned to assist passengers;
- Safety training – personnel providing direct service to passengers in passenger spaces;
- Crisis management and human behaviour – master, chief engineer, chief mate, second engineer and anyone responsible for passenger safety in emergencies;
- Passenger safety, cargo safety and hull integrity – on ro-ro passenger ships.
Revalidation is at intervals not exceeding 5 years; 1 year of sea service in 5 is accepted (11.1105(b)–(c)). Small passenger vessels on domestic near-coastal voyages are excluded (11.1105(d)).
The yacht angle
A charter yacht carrying 12 guests or fewer is not a passenger ship under 11.1103, so V/2 does not apply. An expedition yacht or a vessel carrying more than 12 passengers on an international voyage is, and her interior crew need safety training too.
TIP – Keep a renewal file Keep the leadership, ECDIS and BRM certificates in the same folder as your MMC. They are needed at every renewal, and schools close.