Ready To Get Your Able Seaman? TSC is here to help
#theseafarercollective #GHHS #graysharborhistoricalseaport #ableseaman #education #newyear #mmc
The past month has been really exciting for The Seafarer Collective. As winter approached, and folks began hunkering down with friends and family to celebrate the season, four motivated and energetic professional mariners signed on to the first-ever TSC Online AB course.
TSC’s Coast Guard-approved Online AB course lasts 4 weeks. Each week covers different topics, with short quizzes to conclude each week and lock in your knowledge. Students enrolled in the course have access to each other and the instructor (me!) through a discussion board in our online classroom. The past few weeks were lit up by engaging topics such as which knot reduces the strength of rope the least to the more complex question of; how can deckhands can help to identify and prevent dangerous situations?
One of our now-certificated students described the course this way:
I'm so happy I got to be a part of this, the class was great! I love that online courses are an option now for the maritime world. If it wasn't for this class it would probably be years before I got my AB. - TSC AB Student
We are pleased to offer the opportunity to enroll in our second cohort of students: our Winter B session begins Sunday, January 27th and there is still space available!
To register for Winter B view: https://www.theseafarercollective.org/onlineab
See you out there! Sarah (Herard) Hirsch
Lead Instructor
More about the Online AB Course:
The Online Able Seaman Certificate Course is a 4-week Online AB Course which has been approved by the USCG’s National Maritime Center. The course will be offered to mariners who meet the sea service requirements of at least 180 days, and have the capacity to participate in a distance learning classroom experience.
The Seafarer Collective's Online AB material is housed on Eliademy, with an instructor providing feedback and guidance throughout the course. Upon completion of the course, an in-person exam must be completed, which will be proctored by an approved TSC staff member or distance-learning proctor. TSC will work with each student to find a convenient location for their exams to be administered.
Mariners who pass The Seafarer Collective AB exams will be presented with a certificate of completion of THE TESTING REQUIREMENTS FOR AB and for Lifeboatman Limited, which can be presented to the USCG National Maritime Center upon application for a merchant mariner credential.
When you take our Online AB Certificate Course, you are NOT also completing a full Lifeboatman Course or completing a Lifeboatman Limited Shipboard Assessment - that is something you must complete independently. We can help to explain the process, and here are some more details on this important distinction:
Sea Service requirements for AB and Lifeboatman Limited: The minimum sea service requirement for a mariner for AB Sail is 180 days, and 360 for AB Special. However, without a full Lifeboatman course, the mariner must reach 360 days of sea service to qualify for Lifeboatman Limited, as well as complete shipboard assessments (not part of this class). Mariners taking The Seafarer Collective AB course must pursue the shipboard assessments on their own (and have 360 days of sea service), or take a separate Lifeboatman course before applying for their AB.
Lifeboatman Limited Shipboard Assessments: In The Seafarer Collective AB course, students will be provided with a how-to video and Q&A with the instructor to learn how to work with their qualified captain/mate to complete their shipboard assessments for Lifeboatman Limited. However, if a student is interested in earning their full Lifeboatman and/or only has 180 days of sea service, they will need to take a separate, in-person (not online) Lifeboatman course.
A note on Domestic vs. STCW: Students applying for a domestic Able Seaman (not STCW) do not need to take a Basic Training course to apply for their AB.