Volume 29… Number 43, October 24, 2023
STORIES COVERED
In This Issue:
- Celebrating the Life of Captain George Quick: “Mentor, Sage, and Irreplaceable Friend”
- Maritime Unions Slam Proposal To Allow U.S.-Flag Ships To Hire Foreign Crews
- Strike Shuts Down St. Lawrence Seaway
- Italian Court Convicts Three Crewmembers on Multiple Charges for Fatal 2014 Ferry Fire
- Plus: Washington State Seeks Candidates for Pilot Training Program
- News for MM&P Health & Benefit Plan Members: Information on the Covid-19 Booster and Other Vaccines
Mark Your Calendar:
- Offshore Membership Meeting in MM&P Tampa Hall on Tuesday, Oct. 31
- Offshore Familiarization Course in Seattle Hall on Nov. 1–2
Attention All Mariners:
Job Opportunities:
And:
“MENTOR, SAGE, AND IRREPLACEABLE FRIEND”
Officials of Masters, Mates & Pilots and the International Transport Workers’ Federation, MM&P pilots and other distinguished guests joined the family of Captain George Quick on Saturday at MITAGS for a celebration of his life and achievements.
Quick, who died on July 11 at the age of 93, was a tireless advocate for mariners’ rights who served as vice president of the MM&P Pilot Membership Group for more than 40 years, after being elected by the union’s pilot members to head the group for nine consecutive, four-year terms.
“Over these years there has been no stronger, more knowledgeable, or more effective advocate for pilots in this country than Captain George Quick,” said MM&P President Don Marcus.
The celebration of life was co-hosted by American Pilots’ Association President Jorge Viso, Association of Maryland Pilots President Eric Nielsen, and MM&P Pilots Group Vice President Kip Carlson.
In parallel with his efforts on behalf of pilots, Quick participated in International Maritime Organization proceedings for more than five decades, contributing to the drafting of instruments, resolutions, and standards that improved the working conditions of seafarers around the globe.
A number of participants in the Oct. 21 event at MITAGS worked alongside him in national and international forums, including as part of the International Transport Workers’ Federation delegation to the IMO.
They include ITF Seafarers’ Section Chair Dave Heindel, who is also president of the SIU, Branko Berlan of the ITF in London, and Odd Malterud of the Norwegian Union of Marine Engineers in Oslo.
Also present were two of his longtime associates and friends from the U.S. Coast Guard: USCG Director of Commercial Regulations & Standards Jeff Lantz, who leads the U.S. delegation to the IMO; and Chief of the USCG Office of Merchant Marine Credentials Mayte Medina, who chairs the IMO’s Maritime Safety Committee, which operates in a critical area of interest for maritime labor.
“It is a measure of the universal respect for George that such a distinguished group has gathered here at MITAGS to pay their respects and share their recollections of our irreplaceable friend,” Marcus said.
“All of us who knew George and had the honor of working with him were in awe of his expansive, brilliant mind, his modest, diplomatic manner, his wry humor and engaging personality.”
Complete coverage of the memorial celebration will be published in the Winter 2023 issue of The Master, Mate & Pilot.
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MARITIME UNIONS SLAM PROPOSAL TO ALLOW U.S.-FLAG SHIPS TO HIRE FOREIGN CREWS
A coalition of maritime and transportation unions is registering strong opposition to a proposal to allow U.S.-flag vessels to operate with foreign crews.
The proposal, contained in a report issued by the Hudson Institute, would create a second U.S.-flag registry to allow shipowners to bypass the hiring of American maritime workers.
The unions expressed their opposition to the report as a whole, saying it contains proposals that would adversely affect the implementation of existing U.S. maritime policies and the operation of U.S.-flag vessels.
But they singled out as particularly egregious the plan to create a second U.S.-flag registry.
“The U.S.-flag deep sea fleet is the largest segment of the maritime industry, providing the trained and qualified mariners needed to meet the requirements of the Department of Defense,” the unions said.
“It is these American mariners who crew the surge and sustainment vessels called into action by the Department of Defense in time of war or other international emergency and who have never, in the history of our nation, refused to respond whenever and wherever needed by our government.”
“At this time in our nation’s history it is imperative that our government act to ensure that our country has the trained and qualified mariners needed by the Department of Defense.”
It would be irresponsible, they added, to divert U.S. taxpayer dollars to support or otherwise encourage the operation of U.S.-flag vessels that do not provide the employment base necessary to increase and support the U.S-citizen mariner base.
Doing so, they said, would constitute “at best a waste of U.S. taxpayer dollars, and at worst, a dangerous disregard for America’s national security requirements.”
“We urge the Biden Administration and the Congress to put American maritime workers first, and to soundly reject this proposal to create a second U.S.-flag registry that would be little more than a flag-of-convenience that has at its core the outsourcing of American maritime jobs.”
“We instead urge Congress and the Administration to work with us to strengthen and expand the U.S.-flag fleet in order to create jobs for America’s maritime workforce and to further enhance America’s economic, homeland and military security.”
The letter was signed by MM&P President Don Marcus, TTD President Greg Regan, MTD Secretary-Treasurer Mark Clements, SUP President David Connolly, AMO President Paul Doell, SIU President David Heindel, MFOW President Anthony Poplawski, and MEBA President Adam Vokac.
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STRIKE SHUTS DOWN ST. LAWRENCE SEAWAY
Shipping on the St Lawrence Seaway was halted Sunday when 361 workers who belong to Unifor, the largest union operating on the seaway, walked off the job at 13 Canadian locks.
The union said in a statement that it has been trying for months to negotiate a new contract for its locals in Ontario and Quebec.
The previous contract expired on March 31.
Unifor officials said Sunday that the union and the employer “remain 1,000 nautical miles apart on wages.”
“This impasse is extremely unfortunate, but our members remain committed to getting a fair agreement,” said Unifor National President Lana Payne.
The shutdown is not affecting intra-U.S. shipping in the Great Lakes system, but since 13 of the 15 locks in the seaway are in Canada, traffic between U.S. points in the system and markets in Canada and beyond has been halted.
The U.S. operates two locks on the Seaway, both in Massena, N.Y., which also have had to shut down since no ship traffic is able to reach that point on the waterway.
There are said to be more than 100 vessels outside the system waiting to get in, but a spokesperson for the SLSMC said no vessels are stuck inside the system because they were moved out before the strike began.
“It’s really up to the employer at this point to seal this deal,” said Unifor Quebec Director Daniel Cloutier.
“These are jobs that require intense training, a high level of understanding of the health and safety risks, and that carry enormous responsibility for the wellbeing of seafarers and their cargo. They are irreplaceable.”
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ITALIAN COURT CONVICTS THREE CREWMEMBERS ON MULTIPLE CHARGES FOR FATAL 2014 FERRY FIRE
A court in Italy has convicted the captain, chief engineer, and another member of the crew of the passenger ferry NORMAN ATLANTIC on charges stemming from a 2014 fire that is considered one of Europe’s worst modern-day maritime disasters.
The NORMAN ATLANTIC was carrying 222 vehicles, 487 passengers, and a crew of 55.
A fire broke out on the car deck in the early morning hours as it sailed through stormy weather from the Greek port of Patras to Ancona, Italy.
Investigators said the fire probably originated in the engine of a truck that had been left running.
At the trial, prosecutors described the firefighting and evacuation operations as “chaotic.”
They said the crew started the firefight on the wrong deck, which allowed the fire to spread further than it otherwise would have.
Passengers testified that the order to abandon ship was not given until hours after the fire had begun, at which point the cabins were filled with smoke.
“The crew tried to somewhat coordinate the evacuation into the emergency boats, but that proved to be impossible,” one passenger said.
“At that stage people were just throwing themselves into the boats. It took me 25 minutes to get into one.”
Accident investigators said that the VDR recording revealed that the sprinkler system was out of service; one crewmember was heard saying that it was emitting smoke instead of water.
The bodies of nine passengers were recovered from the sea; 19 others were never found.
The authorities said the exact number of people killed remains uncertain because the ship was carrying multiple stowaways.
Besides the passengers who died, two crewmembers aboard a tugboat dispatched to tow the burned-out hull into port were killed when a towline parted.
Prosecutors initially charged the entire crew, the shipowner, the shipping company, and the charterer with manslaughter, culpability for the failed evacuation, and poor firefighting.
The court sentenced the captain to six years in prison, the first engineer to five years, and a third member of the crew to three years.
Prosecutors said they were forced to drop the charges against the shipowner, the shipping company, the charterer, and the rest of the crew because “the shortcomings of the Italian legal system” led to the statute of limitations running out.
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WASHINGTON STATE SEEKS CANDIDATES FOR PILOT TRAINING PROGRAM
The Washington State Board of Pilotage Commissioners is seeking candidates to join the state’s Pilot Training Program.
The written exam will be held on April 8, 2024, via remote proctoring.
There will be a simulator evaluation in Seattle for candidates who are successful on the written exam.
The Washington State Pilot Training Program offers:
— the opportunity of a lifetime to train as a pilot;
— some of the best pilots in the industry will mentor and train candidates throughout the program;
— an excellent safety record!
— a paid training program lasting approximately 15-36 months with an $8000 monthly stipend;
— a fair, non-discriminatory grading system and an open application exam process that ranks candidates anonymously on written and simulator test scores;
— the desire to invest in a diverse training pool;
— trainees have the tools they need to succeed in this prestigious program.
For the examination packet, resources, FAQs, and more information, go to: https://pilotage.wa.gov/become-a-pilot-.html
The deadline for applying is March 1, 2024.
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MPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT GETTING YOUR COVID-19 BOOSTER
CVS has informed the Plan Office that they have corrected the error in their system that was stating that members of the Health & Benefit Plan were not covered for the Covid-19 booster.
They have advised that they have made the necessary changes so that members should be able to get a Covid booster at CVS or participating pharmacies.
If a member received the booster and paid, we will reimburse them directly. They will need to submit the details of the booster and a paid receipt.
Please note that members seeking all other shots (flu, RSV, etc.) at CVS and participating pharmacies may be told that they are not covered.
Members who pay can get reimbursed by the MM&P Health & Benefit Plan by submitting the details of the shot and a paid receipt.
If a person gets these shots at their doctor’s office, the office will normally submit the bills to the Plan for payment.
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OFFSHORE MEMBERSHIP MEETING IN MM&P TAMPA HALL ON TUESDAY, OCT. 31
There will be an Offshore membership meeting at the MM&P Tampa Hall on Tuesday, Oct. 31 at 1100.
All MM&P Offshore members are encouraged to attend the meeting.
As a reminder, the Tampa Hall is located at:
4333 S 50th St.
Tampa, FL 33619
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OFFSHORE FAMILIARIZATION COURSE IN SEATTLE HALL ON NOV. 1–2
The Offshore Familiarization Course will be held over a two-day period in the MM&P Seattle Hall on Wednesday, Nov. 1, and Thursday, Nov. 2.
The schedule on both days that the course is held will be from 0930 to 1500.
The Seattle Hall is located at:
15208 52nd Ave. S., Ste 100
Tukwila, WA 98188
The phone number is: 206-441-8700
There is no sea-time requirement to take the course.
All Offshore applicants, potential transferees from other membership groups and other interested Offshore members are encouraged to take the course as soon as possible.
If you are interested in participating in the course, please contact Kirsten Wilhelm at kwilhelm@bridgedeck.org.
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WELL-PAYING JOBS OFFERING PERMANENT EMPLOYMENT ARE AVAILABLE WITH MM&P ON THE GREAT LAKES AND IN COASTAL WATERS!
The MM&P United Inland Group has jobs available with Grand River Navigation, Weeks Marine, Cetacean Marine, and Key Lakes.
At Grand River Navigation on the Great Lakes, there are:
— licensed deck jobs for those with Great Lakes pilotage;
— jobs for open water mates with a Towing Officer Assessment Record (TOAR);
— licensed engineering jobs.
GRN now offers a signing/retention bonus of $3,000 to all mates and assistant engineers who complete the 2023 sailing season and return for the 2024 sailing season.
At Cetacean Marine, there are licensed and unlicensed engineering jobs.
At Weeks Marine, there are licensed and unlicensed engineering jobs aboard their growing fleet of dredges.
WMI is offering a $3,000 new hire sign-on bonus. It is payable in three payments of $1,000 each, the first $1,000 after the successful completion of the second hitch, the second $1,000 upon successful completion of the third hitch, and $1,000 upon successful completion of the fourth hitch.
Cross-shipping rights for Offshore applicants/members are available for licensed personnel, with sea time and points counting towards upgrading Offshore membership.
Key Lakes is looking for a mate with Great Lakes pilotage and an open-water mate.
The regular relief is for 30 days but could be modified if mutually agreed on.
These are long-term, permanent jobs.
For more information, go to the Jobs page on bridgedeck.org.
If you are interested, please contact UIG Vice President Tom Bell (tbell@bridgedeck.org or 216-776-1667) with any questions.
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OFFSHORE JOBS AVAILABLE
There is a chief mate job open on the SLNC GOODWILL.
Tanker Captain, CM, 2M and 3M’s needed, including for new tanker ALLIED PACIFIC.
Positions available aboard Patriot LMSR’s at all levels including new vessels SEAY and PILILAAU.
Members and applicants who are interested in MSC training, please sign up with MITAGS and for those who do not qualify for training benefits yet, please email Jeremy Hope, VP Gulf and Gov’t Contracts at jhope@bridgedeck.org with the subject line MSC TRAINING.
ENGINEERING JOBS AVAILABLE OFFSHORE AND ON THE GREAT LAKES
There are openings for engineers in the MM&P Offshore fleet and the Great Lakes & Gulf Region.
For engineering jobs in the Offshore Group, contact Atlantic Ports Vice President Tom Larkin, tlarkin@bridgedeck.org, or 201-963-1900.
For engineering jobs on the Lakes, contact MM&P Great Lakes & Gulf Region Vice President Tom Bell, tbell@bridgedeck.org, or (216) 776-1667.
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MITAGS ACADEMIC NOTES
For registration contact our Admissions Department: 866.656.5568 or admissions@mitags.org
Classes are 5-day unless otherwise noted
Class dates followed by an * are full
AB – Able Seaman (5-Day): 01/22/24, 01/29/24
AIS-1 – Automatic Identifications Systems Orientation (1-Day): Not currently scheduled
ARPA-OIC– Automated Radar Plotting Aids (4-Day): 11/13/23, 02/05/24, 03/04/24
AZIPOD (2-Day): Not currently scheduled
BRM – Bridge Resource Management (5-Day): Not currently scheduled
BRMP –Bridge Resource Management for Pilots (2-Day): Not currently scheduled
BRMP-EMR –Bridge Resource Management for Pilots with Emergency Shiphandling – (Now also included in BRMP-Refresher) (3-Day): Not currently scheduled
BRMP-Refresher (Now including Emergency Shiphandling for Pilots) (3-Day): Not currently scheduled
BT – Basic Safety Training (5-Day): 01/15/24, 02/12/24
BT-Revalidation (2-day) (Must have 1 year of sea service in last 5 years): 11/13/23, 01/29/24, 03/11/24
BT-Refresher (3-day): 01/29/24
CHS-OIC – Cargo Handling Basic (5-Day): 04/15/24
[CMM – Chief Mate and Master Courses]
ADVSTB-CMM – Advanced Stability (5-Day): 12/18/23, 01/29/24, 04/29/24, 06/24/24
ADVWX-CMM – Advanced Meteorology (5-Day): 12/11/23, 01/22/24, 04/22/24, 06/17/24
CHS-CMM – Advanced Cargo Operations (10 Days): 02/05/24
CM-OPS 1 – Chief Mate Operations (5-Day): 11/27/23, 02/26/24
CM-OPS 2 Maersk – Chief Mate Operations II Maersk Specific (5-Day): 12/04/23, 03/04/24
CM-OPS 2 APL – Chief Mate Operations II APL Specific (5-Day): Not currently scheduled
ECDIS – Electronic Chart Display Information Systems (5-Day): 12/11/23, 03/11/24
LMS – Leadership and Managerial Skills (Management Level – Formerly MCL-CMM) (5-Day): 11/13/23, 03/18/24
MPP-CMM – Marine Propulsion Plants (5-Day): 03/11/24
(DCS-1 available on request – contact Admissions)
SHMGT-CMM- Ship Management (5-Day): 11/06/23, 02/26/24
SHS-ADV-I-CMM – Advanced Shiphandling (week 1) (5-Day): *10/30/23, 12/04/23, 01/08/24, 02/05/24, 04/08/24, 05/06/24, 06/03/24
SHS-ADV-II-CMM – Advanced Shiphandling (week 2) (5-Day): *11/06/23, 12/11/23, 01/15/24, 02/12/24, 04/15/24, 05/13/24, 06/10/24
**SHS-ADV-I & II are now approved to include SAR-CMM assessments at MITAGS**
VPEN-CMM – Voyage Planning & Electronic Navigation (5-Day): 02/19/24
WKP-CMM – Advanced Watchkeeping (5-Day): 03/18/24
WX-HW-ATL – Heavy Weather Avoidance Routing: Atlantic Ocean (2-day) – Not Currently Scheduled
WX-HW-IND – Heavy Weather Avoidance Routing: Indian Ocean (2-day) – Not Currently Scheduled
WX-HW-PAC – Heavy Weather Avoidance Routing: Pacific Ocean (2-day) –12/02/23, 01/27/24
CIW-DPA/IA – Continual Improvement Workshop: Designated Person Ashore & Internal Auditor (3-Day) ** This course is NOT covered by the MATES Program **
Online: 10/11/24
CIW-SMS – Continual Improvement Workshop: Successful Safety Management (2-Day) – Online: Not Currently Scheduled
CNAV-OIC– Celestial Navigation (15-Day): 05/06/24
CRISIS-COMMS – Crisis Communications (1-Day): Not currently scheduled
CRSMGT – Crisis Management and Human Behavior (1-Day): Not currently scheduled
CDMGT – Crowd Management (1-Day): Not currently scheduled
CSE – Confined Space Entry (3-Day): Not currently scheduled
CSE-AWR – Confined Space Entry Awareness (2-Day): Not currently scheduled
DDE – Great Lakes (20-Day): 02/05/24
ECDIS for Pilots (2-Day): Not currently scheduled
ERM – Engine Resource Management (5-Day): 11/27/23
ADV-FF – Advanced Fire-Fighting (4-day): 02/19/24, 03/24/24
FF-BADV – Fire Fighting Combined Basic & Advanced (5-Day): Not currently scheduled
FF-ADV-Rev (1-day) (Must have 1 year of sea service in last 5 years) – Advanced Fire Fighting Revalidation: 11/15/23, 01/31/24, 03/13/24
FF-ADV-REF (2-day) – Advanced Fire Fighting Refresher: 02/01/24
FSM – Fatigue, Sleep, & Medications (1-Day): Not currently scheduled
Online: Not currently scheduled
GL-Pilot – Great Lakes Pilotage Familiarization (2-Day): 02/02/24
GMDSS – Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (10-Day): 01/15/24
HAZ – Hazardous Materials (5 day): 11/16/23
LAP – License Advancement Program for Mate to Master (20-Day): 03/04/24
LAP-Great Lakes – License Advancement Program – Great Lakes (15-Day): 02/05/24
LAP-ORG3rd – License Advancement Program for Original 3rd Mate, Oceans, Any Gross
Ton License (15-Day): 06/03/24
LEG – Legal Aspects of Pilotage (1-Day): Not Currently Scheduled
LNG-BADV – Basic and Advanced IGF Code Operations (3 Day): 11/13/23, 01/08/24, 02/12/24, 03/11/24
LTS –Leadership and Teamworking Skills (Formerly MCL-OIC) (1-Day): 04/04/24
MEECE – Management of Electrical and Electronic Control Equipment (Assessments not included): 12/04/23
MED-PIC – Medical Person in Charge (10-Day): 12/04/23, 01/08/24
MED-PIC-REF– Medical Person in Charge Refresher: 11/27/23, 01/22/24
MED-PRO – Medical Care Provider: (5-Day): 01/08/24
MED-DOT-DA – Dept. of Transportation Drug & Alcohol Testing (1-Day): 10/15/23, 11/16/23, 12/09/23, 01/13/24, 03/14/24
[MSC – Military Sealift Command Courses]
MSC-CBRD-1 – Military Sealift Command Chemical, Biological, Radiological Defense Orientation (Basic) (1-Day): 10/26/23, 02/29/24, 05/09/24, 06/07/24, 08/08/24, 09/12/24, 10/31/24
MSC-DC – Military Sealift Command Damage Control (2-day): 10/27/23, 03/01/24, 05/10/24, 06/07/24, 08/09/24, 09/13/24, 11/01/24
MSC-ENVPRO (1-Day – Evening Class): 10/28/23, 03/01/24, 05/10/24, 06/07/24, 08/09/24, 09/13/24, 11/01/24
MSC-FF-HELO (2-Day): Not currently scheduled
MSC-SMA – Military Sealift Command Small Arms Qualifications (4-Day): 10/30/23, 01/08/24, 03/04/24, 05/13/24, 06/10/24, 07/15/24, 08/12/24, 09/16/24, 11/04/24
MSC-Security Watch Basic (1-Day/ 8-hour): 10/28/23, 03/02/24, 05/11/24, 06/08/24, 08/10/24, 09/14/24, 11/02/24
MSC-Security Watch Advanced (1-Day): 10/29/23, 01/07/24, 03/03/24, 05/12/24, 06/09/24, 07/14/24, 08/11/24, 09/15/24, 11/03/24
MSC-Ship’s Reaction Force (3-Day): 11/03/23, 01/12/24, 03/08/24, 05/17/24, 06/14/24, 07/19/24, 08/16/24, 09/20/24, 11/08/24
NDMS-ENAV – Navigational Decision Making Series – Best Practice in eNav (3-Day): Not currently scheduled
NSAP-MMP – Navigational Skills Assessment Program-MM&P (2-Day): 11/06/23*, 11/08/23*
PSC – Personal Survival Craft (Lifeboatman) (5-Day): 01/29/24, 02/05/24
PSC-REF – Personal Survival Craft Refresher (2-Day): 01/25/24
RFPNW – Ratings Forming Part of a Navigational Watch (3-day): Not currently scheduled
ROR-1 – Radar Observer Renewal (1-Day): Not Currently Scheduled
ROR-1N – Radar Observer Renewal Evening Classes (1-Night): 11/18/23, 01/31/24
ROU-OIC – Radar Observer Program – Unlimited: 11/16/23, 01/29/24, 02/26/24
SAR – Search & Rescue – (Now with OIC and CMM assessments) (3-Day): 10/23/23, 04/01/24
SHS-BAS-OIC – Basic Shiphandling: 04/29/24
SHS-EMR5 – Emergency Shiphandling (5 Day): 11/13/23, 02/26/24
STB-OIC – Ship Construction and Basic Stability: 04/05/24
TCNAV/CO – Terrestrial Navigation and Compasses (15-Day): 02/05/24
TPIC – Tankerman Person in Charge: 11/13/23, 01/29/24, 03/04/24
TRAC-TUG-2 (2-Day): Not currently scheduled
TTT – ** NOT covered by the MATES Program **: 10/23/24
VPDSD – Vessel Personnel with Designated Security Duties: Not Currently Scheduled
VSO – Vessel Security Officer (3-Day): 05/31/24
WKP-OIC – Watchkeeping (Operational Level) (10-Day): 12/04/23, 03/18/24
WX-OIC –Meteorology (Operational Level): 04/22/24
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MITAGS–WEST ACADEMIC NOTES
You can enroll online at www.mitags.org or contact our Admissions Department 866.656.5568 or admissions@mitags.org
October 2023
23-27 Basic Cargo Handling & Stowage
30-1 Security Officer – Vessel, Company & Facility
30-3 Basic Training
30-10 Watchkeeping (Operational Level)
31-3 ARPA
November 2023
6-7 Basic Training Revalidation
6-10 Medical Care Provider
6-10 Leadership & Managerial Skills
13-15 Search & Rescue
16th Leadership & Teamworking Skills
17th Flashing Light Assessment
27-30 Advanced Firefighting
27-15 Celestial Navigation
December 2023
7-8 Advanced Firefighting Refresher
9-10 Basic Training Revalidation
9-11 Basic Training Refresher
11th Radar Renewal
11th Advanced Firefighting Revalidation
11-15 Basic Training
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The MM&P Wheelhouse Weekly is the official electronic newsletter of the International Organization of Masters, Mates & Pilots, 700 Maritime Blvd., Suite B, Linthicum Heights, MD 21090-1953. Phone: 410-850-8700; Fax: 410-850-0973. All rights reserved. The MM&P Wheelhouse Weekly©2023. Articles can be reprinted without prior permission if credit is given to The MM&P Wheelhouse Weekly.
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