Towing Officer Assessment Record (TOAR): An Overview
The TOAR is the practical, hands-on assessment record at the heart of earning a towing officer license. This overview explains what it is, who signs it, and how it fits the towing career path.
What a TOAR Is
The Towing Officer Assessment Record (TOAR) is a structured record of practical, demonstrated competencies that a mariner completes to qualify as a towing officer. Rather than relying solely on written exams, the towing world verifies real vessel-handling ability through documented assessments performed aboard actual towing vessels.
What It Assesses
A TOAR covers the practical skills of operating a towing vessel: making up and handling tow, maneuvering in current and confined waters, locking through, handling emergencies, watchkeeping, and navigation appropriate to the route. The assessments confirm you can actually do the job, not just describe it on paper.
Who Signs It
TOAR assessments are conducted and signed by a Designated Examiner (DE) — an experienced, qualified towing officer authorized to evaluate and sign off competencies. Many towing companies maintain their own Designated Examiners so trainees can complete their TOAR in the normal course of working hitches aboard company vessels.
How It Fits the Towing License
The TOAR is a central requirement for the Mate (Pilot) and Master of Towing Vessels endorsements. It's paired with qualifying sea time, route-specific service, and the underlying MMC and medical. Completing the TOAR is typically the practical milestone that turns a Steersman into a licensed towing officer.
Planning Your TOAR
Because assessments must be done on the water with a Designated Examiner, plan your TOAR around your rotation and your company's DE availability. Track which competencies are signed off and which remain, and communicate with your captain and training department so you can knock out assessments efficiently during your hitches.
A note on requirements
Credentialing rules change and often depend on your specific vessel, route, tonnage, and history. Nothing here is legal advice. Always confirm the current requirements with the USCG National Maritime Center (NMC) and with your employer or vessel operator before making career or hiring decisions. When a rule seems to conflict with your situation, an NMC deficiency letter or a call to the NMC Customer Service Center is the fastest way to get an authoritative answer.