SEAFARER FAQ’S
1. How will the Administration handle the new STCW ECDIS requirement?
A. The ship owner/operator shall ensure that documentary evidence of the training which has been completed is issued for every person found qualified under the provisions of this regulation and is available for review by proper authorities and ISM Code auditors.
Deck Officers without ECDIS training may receive a limitation on their Certificate of Compliance (CoC) that limits them to vessels not equipped with ECDIS.
2. Will the Administration be issuing a certificate for ECDIS?
A. No Special Qualification Certificates (SQCs) will be issued by the Administrator to certify ECDIS training. However, vessels are required to have on board documentation attesting to the completion of this training by the appropriate personnel.
3. What are the training requirements for ECDIS?
A. To operate Type Approved ECDIS, navigation officers are required to complete two (2) levels of training:
1. Generic (simulator) Training, to include:
· knowledge of the capability and limitations of ECDIS operations including a thorough understanding of electronic navigational chart data, data accuracy, presentation rules, display options and other chart data formats as well as the dangers of over-reliance; and
· proficiency in operation, interpretation and analysis of information obtained from ECDIS including the use of functions that are integrated with other navigation systems, safe monitoring and adjustment of information, confirmation of vessel position by alternative means, efficient use of settings too ensure conformance to operational procedures, adjustment of settings and values to suit the present conditions and situational awareness while using ECDIS.
2. Type Specific Training
This training is to be completed prior to an officer assuming a navigational watch and is intended to familiarize the watch officer with the basic operation of the ECDIS equipment aboard the vessel to which they are assigned, including route planning and execution.
Upon receipt of appropriate documentation, an optional Certificate evidencing the completion of General (simulator) ECDIS training will be issued by the Administrator.
4. Is ECDIS training required if a vessel is equipped with ECDIS but the system is not the primary chart navigation system on the vessel?
A. If a vessel is equipped with ECDIS, the user must be trained in its use. So far, IMO has not provided any leeway on the implementation of this requirement as of Jan 01, 2012.
5. Will deck officers who currently hold documentation need to obtain ECDIS training immediately and submit applications for renewal documents before their current endorsements expire?
A. Deck officers who currently hold valid Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) endorsements will be grandfathered until it is time to renew their documentation. They should, however, have their training record available on the vessel that shows they have been trained in the use of the ECDIS unit currently installed on the vessel.
6. How will the Administration implement the new Able Seafarer Deck (ASD) and Able Seafarer Engine (ASE) capacities?
A. Applicants for these capacities will need to provide copies of a National Certificate for the respective grade with the STCW II/5 or III/5 reference, as applicable. Upon receiving these in an application, an SQC will be issued for placement in the seafarer’s SIRB.
7. Is there a transitional period and how long is it?
A. STCW has defined a transitional period, which the Administration will follow. Additionally, IMO Circular STCW.7/Circ.17 provides additional information on the transitional period. The transitional period is defined in Chapter 5, paragraph 5.1 of MI-118 (available on our website). The full transition to the Manila Amendments will take 5 years.
8. If I have a certificate that was issued before Jan 1, 2012, will it be honored?
A. The Administration will continue to endorse any Certificate that was issued before Jan 1, 2012 and is still valid. Endorsements to certificates issued under STCW ’95 cannot be valid past December 31, 2016. After this date, all certificates submitted for endorsement or equivalent documentation must have been issued under the regulations of the Manila Amendments.
9. Will ETO’s be required to obtain RMI certificates of endorsement?
A. ETO’s will not be required on the vessel’s MSMC and therefore RMI certification of the ETO will be optional. However, if there is an ETO employed on the vessel, he/she must be properly certificated with a CoC from their National Administration that bears the III/6 STCW reference.
