What is seagoing or sea time?

 

The best place to get an explanation of sea time or sea going time is from your Maritime Authority. SSNT provides basic explanations, for exact details in your country, contact your Maritime Authority.

Why is sea time important?

Getting sea time is important because seafaring is a profession where you must prove both experience and qualifications to progress to captain. It is the seafarers responsibility to ensure that her sea time is recorded. Seafarers record sea time with Sea Service Forms or a Discharge book.

In the US, it is possible for an ordinary seaman to become eligible to do the mate's exam with 36 months sea time. The sea time path to mate on an offshore supply boat is similar to this: junior seaman (6 months), ordinary seaman (12 months), able bodied seafarer deck (18 months).

What information should be on your sea service?

The basic information that should be in all sea time records is as follows: the name and official number of the ship or boat, the date you signed on or joined the boat, the date you signed off or left the boat, the total number of days worked on the boat, your job title, the gross tonnage of the boat and the engine type including horsepower.

Types of sea time

Ships and boats do different types of voyages, usually depending on the size of the boat or ship. Larger ships can do long, international voyages. Medium sized ships and large boats will leave sight of land and operate probably up to 200 miles from land. Small ships and boats of all sizes operate in coastal waters, often in sight of land. The type of the trading voyages of the ship or boat matters.

Tonnage Licences

SSNT are the Caribbean Boatmaster Specialist, but we cannot answer why there is a length restriction (under 24 metres) in the Small Commercial Vessel Code. In STCW, boats are described in gross tonnage.

Although the term 'gross tonnage' sounds like it is the weight of the boat, gross tonnage is actually the volume of the boat. Let's not get technical here. 

Example of how tonnage licences works

An 'Unlimited 2nd mate' licence will allow you to be employed as an officer in charge of a navigational watch or a mate, on ships of any size. With this unlimited 2nd mate licence you can work as chief mate on ships under 5000 gross tonnage on any type of voyages. And you can work as chief mate on ships less than 10000 gross tonnage 

Types of voyages and sea time

Unlimited sea time

These are international voyages without any restrictions on distance from land. If you are trying to get an unlimited licence, there is a minimum size of vessel that counts toward unlimited licence sea time. In the US, the minimum size is 200 gross tonnage. And then, only about half of your sea time can be on coastal or sheltered water boats. The other half must be on international ocean voyages.

Near Coastal sea time

In the US, up to 200 miles from land is considered as near coastal. The sea time needed to be to be a master on near coastal vessels is 24 months, with 12 months being in ocean waters.

Sheltered waters

Sheltered waters will include areas up to about 20 miles off the coast. Although these are small boats, they are operating in very shallow water and navigation skills like interpreting nautical charts, position fixing and using an echo sounder, are essential.

How to measure your sea time

In the US, one day of sea time is equal to working eight hours on board a boat. This measurement does not include overtime. If you work 4 hours overtime, to total 12 hours in a day, it is counted as a day and a half of sea time.

Also in the US, you must have 90 days of your sea time in the last 3 years if you are trying to get a licence. 

Make it easy on yourself, one month of sea time is 30 days.