Mate Uninspected Fishing Vessels O/NC: Domestic

The Mate Uninspected Fishing Vessel credential allows its holder to act as Mate on Uninspected Fishing Vessels, however propelled, documented to engage in the fishing industry.  The license is not required to operate wooden ships of primitive build, unrigged vessels and vessels of less than 200 GRT/500 GT.  The Mate Uninspected Fishing Oceans credential allows its holder to act as Mate on Uninspected Fishing Vessels on any waters. The Mate Uninspected Fishing Near Coastal allows its holder to act in the capacity as Mate on Fishing Vessels up to 200 miles offshore. The authority of this credential is limited to Uninspected Fishing Vessels.

Service Requirements for Mate Uninspected Fishing Vessels

Three years of total service on ocean or near-coastal routes. Service on Great Lakes or inland waters may substitute for up to 18 months of the required service.

Tonnage Limitations on Mate Uninspected Fishing Vessel Credentials

 The license is normally issued with a tonnage of 500 GRT or 1600 GRT based on qualifying experience.  However, if the candidate has served on large fishing vessels, the tonnages may be 2000 GRT, 3000 GRT, 4000 GRT or 5000 GRT.  No uninspected fishing vessel has a tonnage greater than 5000 GRT.  The tonnage endorsements are determined as follows:

• Less than 500 GRT:  One year of the required service must have been on vessels of 50 GRT or more.
• Less than 1600 GRT/3000 ITC: One year of the required service must have been on vessels of 100 GRT or more.
• 1600 - 5000 GRT:  The vessel tonnage upon which the 3 years of required service was obtained will be used to compute the tonnage.  The endorsement is limited to the maximum tonnage on which at least 25% of the required service was obtained or 150% of the maximum tonnage on which at least 50% of the service was obtained, whichever is higher.  Limitations are in multiples of 1000 GRT, using the next higher figure when an intermediate tonnage is calculated.  For example, a mariner has three years of sea-time. Of those three years he or she has served for 9 months on a 2800 GRT vessel and 18 months on a 2600 GRT vessel.   25% of the time was served on a vessel of 2800 GRT which by itself would give him a tonnage of 3000 GRT.  But 50% of the time was spent on a 2600 GRT vessel.  !50% of 2600 is 3900 GRT, so he would get a tonnage limitation of 4000 GRT.

Raising Tonnage Limitations on Mate Uninspected Fishing Vessel Credentials

The tonnage limitation on a Master Uninspected Fishing Vessel Credential may be raised by any of the following means:

• Three months of service as Mate on a vessel results in a limitation in that capacity equal to the tonnage of that vessel rounded up to the next multiple of 1000 GRT.  For example, if a mariner serves as mate on a fishing vessel of 1400 GRT for three months, the tonnage limitation on his/her credential will be raised from 1600 to 2000 GRT;
• Six months of service as mate on a vessel results in a limitation in that capacity equal to 150% of the tonnage of that vessel.  If the mariner serves as mate on a fishing vessel of, for example, 1400 GRT, for six months, the limitation will be raised by a factor of 1.5 (150%) to 3000 GRT (1.5 x 1400 = 2100);
• Six months of service as mate on vessels more than 1600GRT/3000 GT results in raising the limitation to 5000 GRT/GT; 
• One year of service as deckhand on vessels more than 1600 GRT/3000 GT while holding a license or MMC endorsement as mate, results in raising the limitation on the MMC to 5000 GRT/GT.
• Two years of service as a deckhand on a vessel while holding a license or MMC endorsement as mate results in a limitation on the MMC equal to 150% of the tonnage of that vessel.  Example:  A mariner holds a Mate 1600 UFIV credential.  He serves two years as a deckhand on a vessel 3334 GRT.  His Master's license will be raised to 5000 GRT.
• One year of service as deckhand on a vessel while holding a license or MMC endorsement as mate results in a limitation on the MMC equal to the tonnage of that vessel.

Notes: 

1. If a mariner is serving on a fishing vessel and working in a credentialed capacity for 12 hours/day, he or she will be credited with 1.5 days for each 1.0 day of work.
2. The requirements for the Ocean and Near-Coastal endorsements are the same, but to get the credential endorsed for Oceans, successful completion of an additional examination or an approved course is necessary.
3. The Uninspected Fishing Industry Vessel credential is not an STCW credential.  Since it is not, mariners are not required to take a "Medical First Aid Provider Course."  However if the UFIV credential carries a tonnage greater than 1600 GRT, NMC has been requiring the mariner to pass a flashing light exam.

Examination and Assessments:

The examination for the Mate Uninspected Fishing Vessels is described in the Deck Examination Guide Section 4.3.4

(Reference 46 CFR 11.462)
NMC Checklist for Mate Uninspected Fishing Vessels
Downloadable Application