[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 168 (Thursday, September 2, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 49340-49341]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-18956]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

Coast Guard

[Docket No. USCG-2021-0407]


Guidance: Change 2 to NVIC 02-18 Guidelines on Qualification for 
STCW Endorsements as Officer in Charge of a Navigational Watch of 
Vessels of Less Than 500 GT

AGENCY: Coast Guard, Homeland Security (DHS).

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: The Coast Guard announces the availability of change 2 to 
Navigation and Vessel Inspection Circular (NVIC) 02-18, Guidelines on 
Qualification for STCW Endorsements as Officer in Charge of a 
Navigational Watch of Vessels of Less Than 500 GT. This NVIC provides 
guidance to mariners concerning regulations governing endorsements to 
Merchant Mariner Credentials for service on vessels of less than 500 
Gross Tons (GT) (i.e., not limited to near-coastal waters). This change 
notice revises NVIC 02-18 to indicate that the Coast Guard will not 
enforce the 3 month maximum allowable substitution for credible sea 
service in a rating capacity.

DATES: The policies announced in Change-2 to NVIC 02-18 are effective 
as of August 26, 2021.

ADDRESSES: To view documents and CH-2 NVIC 02-18 mentioned in this 
notice, search the docket number USCG-2021-0407 using the Federal 
eRulemaking Portal at https://www.regulations.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For information about this document, 
contact the James Cavo, Mariner Credentialing Program Policy Division 
(CG-MMC-2), Coast Guard; telephone 202-372-1205; email 
MMCPolicy@uscg.mil.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NVIC 02-18 describes the Coast Guard's 
policy for merchant mariners to qualify for and renew Standards of 
Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW) 
endorsements to Merchant Mariner Credentials under 46 CFR 11.319 for 
service as officer in charge of a navigational watch (OICNW) on vessels 
of less than 500 GT upon all waters (i.e., not limited to near-coastal 
waters). The Coast Guard has become aware that mariners seeking an 
endorsement as OICNW of vessels of less than 500 GT are experiencing 
difficulties meeting the bridge watchkeeping requirements for the 
endorsement in a rating capacity.
    As specified in Sec.  11.319(a)(2), mariners must obtain at least 
six months of service performing bridge watchkeeping duties. This 
section also limits the amount of service in a rating capacity that can 
be used to meet this requirement to not more than 6 months of 
experience, which is accepted as a maximum of three months of 
creditable service. The mariner would have to obtain three additional 
months of service performing bridge watchkeeping duties in a non-rating 
capacity, such as an officer capacity. The OICNW of vessels less than 
500 GT is considered a first certificate of competence, in that it may 
be the first STCW officer endorsement a mariner obtains, mariners 
typically qualify by serving as a rating such as able seaman. It is 
often impossible for these mariners to meet the 6 month bridge 
watchkeeping requirement with the 3 month limit on credible rating 
service because they cannot serve as an officer to accrue the remaining 
3 months of bridge watchkeeping without this OICNW first certificate of 
competence.
    This CH-2 will remedy that barrier to qualifying for the OICNW of 
vessels less than 500 GT endorsement by not enforcing the 3 month 
maximum allowable substitution for service as a rating to meet the 
required service performing bridge watchkeeping duties. This change 
notice revises NVIC 02-18 to indicate that the Coast Guard will accept, 
on a day for day basis and without limitation, service in any capacity 
performing bridge watchkeeping duties under the supervision of an 
officer holding the STCW endorsement as Master, Chief Mate, or OICNW. 
Allowing mariners to accrue bridge watchkeeping service in a

[[Page 49341]]

rating capacity on a day for day basis provides additional avenues for 
qualification as an OICNW of vessels less than 500 GT and reduces the 
regulatory burden on these mariners.
    We compared the requirements for OICNW of vessels less than 500 GT 
in 46 CFR 11.319 with those for OICNW of vessels of 500 GT or more in 
46 CFR 11.309. For the endorsement for OICNW on vessels 500 GT or more, 
a mariner can satisfy the bridge watchkeeping requirements with six 
months of rating service. The OICNW on vessels of 500 GT or more 
endorsement has no cap on rating sea service and rating service is 
credited on a day for day basis.
    The rating limitation on the OICNW of vessels less than 500 GT was 
included because of an oversight during development of the final rule 
``Implementation of the Amendments to the International Convention on 
Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers, 
1978, and Changes to National Endorsements'' that published on December 
24, 2013. (78 FR 77796). The Coast Guard had the three month rating 
limitation in both Sec. Sec.  11.309(a)(2) and 11.319(a)(2) in the 
notice of proposed rulemaking (74 FR 59354, Nov. 17, 2009) and 
supplemental notice of proposed rulemaking (76 FR 45908, Aug. 11, 
2011). In the final rule, the Coast Guard removed the limitation in 
Sec.  11.309(a)(2) for endorsements as OICNW for 500 GT or more stating 
we ``revise[d] section to reduce redundant language from other sections 
of this subpart.'' (79 FR at 77799). However, the Coast Guard neglected 
to make the same change to 46 CFR 11.319(a)(2) for the lower tonnage 
regulation for OICNW of vessels less than 500 GT.
    The rating limitation was carried over from previous editions of 
the regulatory text, but was not intended to be a limit on either of 
the STCW OICNW endorsements. It is unnecessarily burdensome to limit 
the rating capacity bridge watchkeeping to three months in the 
endorsement that is that is for a lesser tonnage.
    For these reasons, the Coast Guard will not enforce the limitation 
on the rating capacity service in 11.319(a)(2), as reflected in CH-2 to 
NVIC 02-18 Guidelines on Qualification for STCW Endorsements as Officer 
in Charge of a Navigational Watch of Vessels of Less Than 500 GT.
    This notice is issued under authority of 5 U.S.C. 552(a).

    Dated: August 26, 2021.
J.W. Mauger,
Rear Admiral, U.S. Coast Guard, Assistant Commandant for Prevention 
Policy.
[FR Doc. 2021-18956 Filed 9-1-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 9110-04-P


