Maritime News

I have two more vacation weeks scheduled for this summer: August 10 through 16 and August 31 through September 6. Beginning September 7 I will be back to my standard two week class schedule rotation. Lecture courses are available to a maxium of six students per class. The following is my lecture class schedule through September; Call (503) 841-6066 to schedule.

1. 64-hour Operator of Uninspected Passenger Vessel (OUPV) course: $900 Available Aug 17-24; Sept 7-14; Sept 21-28
2. 80-hour Master 100 ton course: $1,100 Available Aug 17-25; Sept 7-16; Sept 21-30
3. 48-hour Able Seaman (any rating) course: $700 Available July 30-Aug 4; Aug 20-25; Sept 10-15; Sept 24-29
4. 16-hour Restricted OUPV/Master Portland MSO course: $300 Available Aug 23-24; Sept 13-14; Sept 27-28
5. 24-hour Rules of the Road course: $400 Available July 30-Aug 1; Aug 20-22; Sept 10-12; Sept 24-26
6. 24-hour Upgrade OUPV to Master 100 tons course: $400 Available Aug 3-5; Aug 24-26; Sept 14-16; Sept 28-30
7. 32-hour Upgrade Master 100 tons to Master 200 tons course: $600 Available Aug 6-9; Aug 27-30; Sept 17-20

Self-paced courses available during regular classroom days by appointment to a maximum of two students per class. Call (503) 841-6066 to schedule.

1. 16-hour Apprentice Mate (Steersman) Upgrade course, $300
2. 8-hour Master/Mate Fishing Industry Vessels Upgrade course, $200
3. 4-hour Auxiliary Sail Endorsement course, $100
4. 4-hour Assistance Towing Endorsement course, $100
5. 60-hour Celestial Navigation (200 tons) course, $1,200
6. 1-day Radar Renewal (any endorsment) course, $250
7. 5-day Unlimited Radar Observer course, $800
8. 1-day Visual Communications (Flashing Light) course, $200

The following statement comes from the USCG National Maritime Center website. 

“In order to legally serve under the authority of a U.S. Merchant Mariner Credential the holder must also hold a valid U.S. Transportation Worker Identification Credential.”

What this means is that if you hold a USCG license and have NOT yet applied for your TWIC than your license is not valid. To correct this situation you MUST go to the closest TWIC enrollment center and enroll in the program. Click here for information on how to enroll in the TWIC program.

The Coast Guard released version one of an electronic Merchant Mariner Credential Verification Tool (MMCV), which is hosted on Homeport. This tool is intended primarily for mariners, employers and port states to verify the validity of a Merchant Mariner Credential. Data released by this tool is limited to what is contained on the actual credential and has been determined to be publicly releasable. Once you have entered the data as discussed below the system will return:

• Basic mariner biographical information as seen on the credential.
• Credential Type. Click on the Credential Type (MMD, License, STCW, COR, MMC) for additional information.
• Credential Serial Number. Click on the Serial Number for additional information.
• Issue/Expiration Date
• Status (Valid/Invalid)
• Error. If the system can’t find a match for the data you entered you will get an error message. Please contact the NMC for further information as this does not necessarily indicate an invalid credential.

Credential Verification Data may be entered in the tool in four ways:

• A document search. A single credential serial number can be entered and will return a validity status for that particular credential.
• A single mariner search. A single mariner reference number and last name can be entered and will return all valid credentials held by that mariner.
• A multiple mariner search. A list of multiple mariner reference numbers and last names can be entered and will return all valid credentials held by each mariner. This search should be accomplished by copying the data from a two column spread sheet (ref num & Last Name) into the search block. Typing the data directly into the block will not work.
• A single mariner search using biographical data. The last name, date of birth and last four digits of the mariner’s social security number may be entered and will return all valid documents held by that mariner.

Additional Notes:

• Due to the conversion from legacy credentials to the MMC, many mariners’ legacy credentials will continue to show as valid, until the original expiration date, in addition to their MMC.
• Credentials in Continuity Status currently show as valid. If you select the Credential Type or Serial Number on the output screen you can readily determine if the credential is in continuity or not. We hope to have a fix in place for this prior to September 09.
• Printable versions of the reports are available by selecting the Printer Friendly Button.

The direct link to MMCV is: http://homeport.uscg.mil/mmcv

Specific questions regarding a mariner credential should be addressed to:

IASKNMC@USCG.MIL / Phone: 866-IASKNMC

Feedback regarding the tool itself should be submitted via the NMC website link: http://www.uscg.mil/nmc/contact_iasknmc.asp and select website under the category drop down.

I just found a great source of maritime news and information for the Puget Sound, Washington area. It is called Puget Sound Maritime. Click here to check it out

Since January 2009, the National Maritime Center (NMC), the Coast Guard’s new centralized mariner credentialing processing facility in Martinsburg, West Virginia, has issued over 34,600 credentials, with 12,000 of those credentials issued in less than 30 days. Unfortunately, the NMC’s average processing time of 80 days is not acceptable to the Coast Guard. While a significant portion of delays in processing is attributable to the complexity of completing the application, other delays are the result production bottlenecks in the professional qualification stage of the credential evaluation process. These delays are attributable to the introduction of an entirely new type of passport-style consolidated mariner credential, the installation of new software used to produce the new credential and the surge of applications being submitted by merchant mariners. The Coast Guard is taking the following actions to immediately remedy the problem and ensure it does not occur again in the future.

• Immediate Process Changes to Expedite Mariner Applications: NMC has implemented new processing procedures to expedite applications for mariners at risk of having their current credentials expiring. Additionally, streamlined processing procedures have been established for entry level applicants, including summer hires.
• Immediate Software Changes: The Coast Guard is updating the software used to evaluate mariner applications and produce the consolidated credentials. The Coast Guard is also increasing the information technology network capability at the NMC.
• Surging Resources Aggressively: The NMC is surging additional resources to assist in conducting professional qualification evaluations. The additional resources will provide the necessary additional capacity to reduce the delays as quickly as possible.
• Building Long Term Capabilities: The Coast Guard is taking measures to streamline the entire mariner credentialing program by building capabilities for electronic submission and processing of credential applications.
• Maritime Industry Outreach: The Coast Guard is aggressively communicating its action plans to industry leaders, marine employers, individual mariners and the public via the NMC Call Center, NMC website and the Coast Guard list server. Moreover, NMC is providing its Regional Examination Centers (REC) with clear guidance to assist mariners in completing their applications and avoiding generally preventable delays.

With most mariners sailing June through August business is slow and I will be taking some well needed time off over the summer. During this time lecture courses will be offered on a three week rotation instead of my standard two week rotation. Self-paced courses are available by appointment.

Lecture courses available on a three-week rotation schedule to a maxium of six students per class. Call (503) 841-6066 to schedule.

1. 64-hour Operator of Uninspected Passenger Vessel (OUPV) course: $900 Available July 27-Aug 3; Aug 17-24; Sept 7-14
2. 80-hour Master 100 ton course: $1,100 Available July 27-Aug 5; Aug 17-25; Sept 7-16
3. 48-hour Able Seaman (any rating) course: $700 Available July 9-14; July 30-Aug 4; Aug 20-25; Sept 10-15
4. 16-hour Restricted OUPV/Master Portland MSO course: $300 Available July 12-13; Aug 2-3; Aug 23-24; Sept 13-14
5. 24-hour Rules of the Road course: $400 Available July 9-11; July 30-Aug 1; Aug 20-22; Sept 10-12
6. 24-hour Upgrade OUPV to Master 100 tons course: $400 Available July 13-15; Aug 3-5; Aug 24-26; Sept 14-16
7. 32-hour Upgrade Master 100 tons to Master 200 tons course: $600 Available July 16-19; Aug 6-9; Aug 27-30; Sept 17-20

Self-paced courses available 7-days a week by appointment to a maximum of two students per class. Call (503) 841-6066 to schedule.

1. 16-hour Apprentice Mate (Steersman) Upgrade course, $300
2. 8-hour Master/Mate Fishing Industry Vessels Upgrade course, $200
3. 4-hour Auxiliary Sail Endorsement course, $100
4. 4-hour Assistance Towing Endorsement course, $100
5. 60-hour Celestial Navigation (200 tons) course, $1,200
6. 1-day Radar Renewal (any endorsment) course, $250
7. 5-day Unlimited Radar Observer course, $800
8. 1-day Visual Communications (Flashing Light) course, $200