Once again US Coastguard regulators have chosen to keep qualifications needed by US Masters on a different footing to those issued by the MCA and recognised by Red Ensign flags.
Yet again this puts holders of US qualifications at an advantage over holders of the MCA qualifications, already considered by most as being superior.
The MCA fully recognises the US qualification and allows holders to easily obtain a certificate of equivalency so that US Masters may command Superyachts that fly the Red Ensign.
The US Coastgaurd however does not recognise the MCA qualifications in the same way nor does it allow non US citizens to command vessels flying the stars and stripes.
US crews have recently learned that proposals they feared would affect them in the 2011 amendments to the U.S. Standard of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping document appear relatively modest.
The most important of these recent changes mean that the requirement for license holders to be recertified every ten years instead of the five required by the MCA.
Another change is that the timeworn classification able-bodied seaman has been changed to able seaman, either deck or engineering.
Other amendments allow the preservation of the ‘hawsepipe’ program, that permits the use of on-the-job training or practical experience to obtain endorsements and this the Register says, “Would foster career paths that were not previously available”
Following the Federal Register announcement some captains have asked whether a requirement to recertify the medical person in charge every five years will include the need to undergo the original weeklong course costing upto £2000 or whether a less expensive refresher course would be accepted