46 CFR 11.448: Service for Mate of Great Lakes and inland vessels
Last reviewed: October 14, 2026
This section sets the minimum service needed to qualify for an endorsement as Mate of Great Lakes and inland self-propelled vessels of less than 500 GRT. The applicant needs 2 years of total service in the deck department of self-propelled vessels. One year of that service must be on vessels of 50 GRT or more, and three months must be bridge watchkeeping.
Applies toApplicants for an endorsement as Mate of Great Lakes and inland self-propelled vessels of less than 500 GRT.
What it says
The minimum service to qualify an applicant for an endorsement as Mate of Great Lakes and inland self-propelled vessels of less than 500 GRT is 2 years of total service in the deck department of self-propelled vessels.
“is 2 years of total service in the deck department of self-propelled vessels”
One year of the required service must have been on vessels of 50 GRT or more.
“One year of the required service must have been on vessels of 50 GRT or more.”
Three months of the required service must have been spent performing bridge watchkeeping duties under the supervision of the Master or a qualified officer on vessels of 50 GRT or more.
“Three months of the required service must have been while performing bridge watchkeeping duties under the supervision of the Master or a qualified officer on vessels of 50 GRT or more.”
Common questions
How much service do I need for a Mate of Great Lakes and inland vessels under 500 GRT endorsement?
The minimum is 2 years of total service in the deck department of self-propelled vessels.
“is 2 years of total service in the deck department of self-propelled vessels”
How much of the required service must be on vessels of 50 GRT or more?
One year of the required service must have been on vessels of 50 GRT or more.
“One year of the required service must have been on vessels of 50 GRT or more.”
Is bridge watchkeeping required for this Mate endorsement?
Yes. Three months of the required service must have been spent performing bridge watchkeeping duties under the supervision of the Master or a qualified officer on vessels of 50 GRT or more.
“Three months of the required service must have been while performing bridge watchkeeping duties under the supervision of the Master or a qualified officer on vessels of 50 GRT or more.”
The text of 46 CFR 11.448
Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (eCFR), current as of April 16, 2026 · Read it on eCFR
Requirements for Mate of Great Lakes and inland self-propelled vessels of less than 500 GRT
The minimum service required to qualify an applicant for an endorsement as Mate of Great Lakes and inland self-propelled vessels of less than 500 GRT is 2 years of total service in the deck department of self-propelled vessels. One year of the required service must have been on vessels of 50 GRT or more. Three months of the required service must have been while performing bridge watchkeeping duties under the supervision of the Master or a qualified officer on vessels of 50 GRT or more.
The plain-English explanation on this page was written with AI from the regulation text above and checked automatically before publishing: every quote appears in the text, every number comes from it, and a second model confirmed each statement adds nothing the text doesn't say. Regulation text current as of April 16, 2026. The regulation text governs. RegKnot is not affiliated with the U.S. Coast Guard.