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The Coast Guard announced in the Federal Register a proposal to revise its merchant mariner credentialing regulations to remove obsolete portions of the radar observer requirements and harmonize the radar observer endorsement with the merchant mariner credential. Under this proposed rule, an active mariner who serves in a relevant position for one year in the previous 5 years using radar for navigation and collision avoidance purposes on vessels equipped with radar, or has served as a qualified instructor for a Coast Guard-approved radar course at least twice within the past 5 years, would not be required to complete a Coast Guard-approved radar refresher or re-certification course in order to renew his or her radar observer endorsement. This proposed rule would not change the existing requirements for mariners seeking an original radar observer endorsement or mariners who do not have either one year of relevant sea service on board radar-equipped vessels in the previous 5 years or service as a qualified instructor for a Coast Guard-approved radar course at least twice within the past 5 years. Elimination of the requirement to take a radar refresher or re-certification course every 5 years would reduce burden on affected mariners without impacting safety.

Comments and related material must be received by the Coast Guard on or before July 11, 2018. For full details, read the proposed rule in the Federal Register.

For information about this document call or email Mr. Davis Breyer at 202-372-1445 or davis.j.breyer@uscg.mil.

This blog is not a replacement or substitute for the formal posting of regulations and updates or existing processes for receiving formal feedback of the same. Links provided on this blog will direct the reader to official source documents, such as the Federal Register, Homeport and the Code of Federal Regulations. These documents remain the official source for regulatory information published by the Coast Guard.