Here is a guide for how to read your new merchant mariner credential.
First Page
The first page contains mostly your personal information. The part you are not used to seeing is your reference number (red oval in the image below) located near the top right corner of the page. This number is 7 digits long and is how the USCG identifies your records. It is also listed in the bottom left corner of each page in the credential.
Domestic Pages
These pages are split into 2 columns. One is titled CAPACITY, and the other is LIMITATIONS APPLYING (IF ANY). The Capacity column lists the endorsement that you are qualified to work under.
The Limitations column lists any restrictions with the endorsement and the specifics of the scope of the endorsement. In the example below the mariner is allowed to work as a Master on Vessels less than 200 GRT in Near Coastal waters.
The "Vessels Including Auxiliary Sail" means that this mariner is qualified for sailing vessels in addition to motor vessels. The Near Coastal phrase indicates mariner cannot operate the vessel on waters more than 200 NM offshore under this license; closer than 200 NM, Inland waters, or Great Lakes are all okay.
For the Third Mate Capacity, the limitations are different from the Master Capacity. The tonnage is Unlimited; sail vessels are not included; and the mariner can act as Third Mate on Ocean waters (i.e. greater than 200 NM offshore). In other words, this mariner has different limitations on vessel size and the operating route depending on whether they're acting as a Master or a Third Mate.
STCW Pages
These pages are split into 2 columns, just like the Domestic Pages. STCW endorsements are listed under the Capacity column.
Some examples are: Basic Training and Advanced Firefighting.
We hope this made your life a little easier and if you have other questions the MM-SEAS team is always here to help!
MM-SEAS is free to use on your own and if you need some more personalized help you can upgrade to MM-SEAS Expert Access inside of the site.
No matter what, when you are ready to submit your application you can do it yourself, or you can hand the whole thing to us. An MM-SEAS Navita Navigator walks you through submitting in Navita, the Coast Guard's new submission portal, on a short video call. No computer, or not up for a video call? Our team gets your application submitted to the Coast Guard for you anyway. A Stress-Free MMC is $399. Two MM-SEAS licensing experts check every page, we pay your Coast Guard fees at submission and charge your card so you never touch pay.gov, and we stay on it with the National Maritime Center until your credential is issued.
MM-SEAS Expert Access is $99 a year. It is your personal guidance counselor for USCG licensing: what training you need next, which sea time counts, and how to reach the credential you want, by phone, email, chat or a 1 on 1 video call. Expert Access members also get $50 off a Stress-Free MMC.
Need to renew, upgrade or get your first USCG license? We're here to help.
About the author
Nate Gilman is President and Co-Founder of MM-SEAS. He hawsepiped from the deck to a 3rd Mate Unlimited license with full STCW compliance over more than 15 years at sea, and is a veteran of the NOAA Commissioned Corps. He works directly with the National Maritime Center, USCG-approved training schools, and vessel operators on credentialing policy, and writes on sea service documentation, evaluation standards, and how mariners move up the license ladder.
