1625-0040 46cfr12.05-5

Coast Guard, DHS

§ 12.05–7

Subpart 12.05—Able Seamen
§ 12.05–1

Certification required.

(a) Every person employed in a rating
as able seaman on any United States
vessel requiring certificated able seamen, before signing articles of agreement, shall present to the master, his
or her certificate as able seaman
(issued in the form of a merchant mariner’s document).
(b) No certificate as able seaman is
required of any person employed on
any tug or towboat on the bays and
sounds connected directly with the
seas, or on any unrigged vessel except
seagoing barges or tank barges.
(c) The following categories of able
seaman are established:
(1) Able Seaman—Any Waters, Unlimited.
(2) Able Seaman—Limited.
(3) Able Seaman—Special.
(4) Able Seaman—Special (OSV).
[CGD 80–131, 45 FR 69240, Oct. 20, 1980]

yshivers on PROD1PC62 with CFR

§ 12.05–3

General requirements.

(a) To qualify for certification as
able seaman an applicant must:
(1) Be at least 18 years of age;
(2) Pass the prescribed physical examination;
(3) Meet the sea service or training
requirements set forth in this part;
(4) Pass an examination demonstrating ability as an able seaman
and lifeboatman; and,
(5) Speak and understand the English
language as would be required in performing the general duties of able seaman and during an emergency aboard
ship.
(b) An STCW endorsement valid for
any period on or after February 1, 2002,
will be issued or renewed only when the
candidate for certification as an able
seaman also produces satisfactory evidence, on the basis of assessment of a
practical demonstration of skills and
abilities, of having achieved or maintained within the previous 5 years the
minimum standards of competence for
the following 4 areas of basic safety:
(1) Personal survival techniques as
set out in table A-VI/1-1 of the STCW
Code (incorporated by reference in
§ 12.01–3).

(2) Fire prevention and fire-fighting
as set out in table A-VI/1-2 of the
STCW Code.
(3) Elementary first aid as set out in
table A-VI/1-3 of the STCW Code.
(4) Personal safety and social responsibilities as set out in table A-VI/1-4 of
the STCW Code.
(c) An STCW endorsement valid for
any period on or after February 1, 2002,
will be issued or renewed only when the
candidate for certification as able seamen meets the requirements of STCW
Regulation II/4 and of Section A-II/4 of
the STCW Code, if the candidate will
be serving as a rating forming part of
the navigational watch on a seagoing
ship of 500 GT or more.
[CGD 80–131, 45 FR 69240, Oct. 20, 1980, as
amended by CGD 95–062, 62 FR 34537, June 26,
1997; CGD 95–062, 62 FR 40140, July 25, 1997;
USCG-1999–5610, 67 FR 66068, Oct. 30, 2002]

§ 12.05–5

Physical requirements.

(a) All applicants for a certificate of
service as able seaman shall be required to pass a physical examination
given by a medical officer of the United
States Public Health Service and
present to the Officer in Charge, Marine Inspection, a certificate executed
by the Public Health Service Officer.
Such certificate shall attest to the applicant’s acuity of vision, color sense,
hearing, and general physical condition. In exceptional cases where an applicant would be put to great inconvenience or expense to appear before a
medical officer of the United States
Public Health Service, the physical examination and certification may be
made by any other reputable physician.
(b) The medical examination for an
able seaman is the same as for an original license as a deck officer as set forth
in § 10.205 of this subchapter. If the applicant is in possession of an unexpired
deck license, the Officer in Charge, Marine Inspection, may waive the requirement for a physical examination.
[CGFR 65–50, 30 FR 16640, Dec. 30, 1965, as
amended by USCG-1998–4442, 63 FR 52189,
Sept. 30, 1998]

§ 12.05–7 Service or training requirements.
(a) The minimum service required to
qualify an applicant for the various

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