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I AM SO PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN - THANK YOU ALL !

If you get a chance, please look at this and I hope you feel the same way I do.

http://www.smartplanet.com/blog/cities/moving-documentary-of-911-evacuation-by-boat-shows-resilience-of-cities/881?tag=nl.e660

Touch Keys with you later,

N.

See Federal Register/Vol. 76, No. 168/Tuesday, August 30, 2011/Notices  Page 53924/53925

Announcements

Merchant Mariner Medical Advisory Committee

The Coast Guard announced the first Merchant Mariner Medical Advisory Committee (MMMAC) meeting in the Federal Register.

The Meeting is scheduled for September 19-21 in Easton, Maryland at Marine Engineers Beneficial Association.

Click here for details - Federal Register notice.

To view archive announcements and reports please click here.

If you have any questions please feel free to contact us through email at IASKNMC.

Touch Keys with you later,

N.

Merchant Marine Personnel Advisory Committee

The Coast Guard has announce the next scheduled Merchant Marine Personnel Advisory Committee (MERPAC) meeting in the Federal Register.   

The Meeting is scheduled for October 6 and 7 in Washington DC.

Click here for details - Federal Register notice.

The CG has announce! (obviously then can’t spell and grammar is out the window)  Spell check didn’t catch this little boo boo and evidently no human looked at it either.  Regardless please make a note on your desk calendar regarding this meeting.

It might just be another bunch of wind accumulating in one room but it could still be very important to you.

Touch Keys with you later,

N.

Hello to you all;

I have a blinding head ache and my blood pressure is so high at this moment that I am surprised I have not had a stroke.  SO IT IS TIME FOR MY SOAP BOX - AGAIN!

I have a client who was sent a “letter” from NMC’s MEB Branch stating that Mr. B needed additional information pertaining to his physical.  No problem, inconvenient for Mr. B but Ok.  In this letter it stated that he had “CHRONIC ATRIAL FIBRILLATION” more information was needed. Mr. B does not nor has he ever had any history of heart problems.

Here is the kicker, we pointed that out to the NMC-MEB and they sent us a request to “disregard” this as it was placed in his letter in error.  ERROR, of for heavens sake, Mr. B was and is livid but not as much as I am.  We sent all of the OTHER required information to the MEB and this morning I received a telephone call from the evaluator.  Asking me to once again look at the physical that I had submitted and note that on page such and such it states quite clearly that Mr. B does indeed have “CHRONIC ATRIAL FIBRILLATION”.  I looked at that page while she was on the telephone and low and behold, what she was looking at was a COPY OF NVIC-04-08, with EXAMPLES, that Mr. B had included with his package and I had just left in there when I submitted his application.  You can bet your booties that I will strip every package in the future of anything that is not EXACTLY what is called for in the application.

I want to apologize to Mr. B for allowing this to happen on my watch.  BUTTTTTTT - I also want to point out that even an iD10T should have been able to figure out that it was a copy of the NVIC and not part of the 9 page physical. 

Thanks for listening,

Touch Keys with you later,

N.

Hi all,

It appears it is time once again for my SOAP BOX.

I have a friend who is an instructor for a well known school and who’s license was do for renewal.  Ok, no problem right?  It has now been 6 weeks and guess what still no renewal.  History of events.

• He made application on his own (how simple should that be) for Renewal - Increase in Tonnage from 50 to 100 -Increase in Waters from Inland to Near Coastal (this is a very simple application and should have been completed and his MMC issued within days)
• He mailed it into the local REC (no problem)
• The Local REC forwarded his application to NMC (still no problem)
• NMC Received his application (no problem)
• Evaluator got the application to process AND THAT IS WHEN THE PROBLEMS BEGAN!
• Captain P sent in 520 days on near coastal waters and this should, without a doubt, qualified him for master near coastal according to 46 CFR 11.428
• Captain P sent 180 days on vessels over 51 GRT, which should have raised his tonnage to 100 GRT without a doubt, according to 46 CFR 11.422
• Evaluator worked on this problem and sent him a letter stating that he did not qualify for the near coastal because he needed 720 days (Hey Ditz, look at his file and ALL of his sea service)
• Captain P questioned this and asked for a re-evaluation
• After 2 weeks, Evaluator sent another letter stating he did not qualify for the near coastal quoting 46 CFR 11.422 (please read this CFR cite and tell me what in the hell this has to do with raising your tonnage?)
• Then the Evaluator stated he needed an additional 24 days on vessels over 34 GRT to qualify for the 100 GRT - Captain P had already sent in 180 days on over 51 GRT
• The Evaluator sent him another letter stating that his application had been re-evaluated and that he was not qualified for QMED.  HE DIDN’T EVEN APPLY FOR QMED for crying out load.
• Captain P, after may attempts to contact said evaluator via telephone and e-mail, got through (Oh happy days)
• The evaluator apologized for the paragraph in the letter concerning his QMED and said that it was an over sight on their part and it is very difficult to keep all of the evaluations straight.  OH MY GOD!  If he didn’t qualify for 100 GRT or QMED WHO’ S FILE WERE THEY LOOKING AT TO BEGIN WITH?
• The time has now been 5 weeks for this evaluation
• Captain P, spoke to said evaluator and was totally dumbfounded at the INEPTITUDE of this individual.  This evaluator LITERALLY DID NOT KNOW about 46 CFR 11.428 (master near coastal) so Captain P, literally had to TRAIN his evaluator on what the regulations are.
• His Evaluator said they would take another look at everything and get back to him by the end of the week, making this 6 weeks.

Captain P has spoken to his Senator’s office and has a letter written to be sent to them no matter the outcome of this. Captain P’s approach to this has been stellar and he has kept his temper in check, BUT, he must follow through and let his Senator know just how many jobs and how much income he has lost because of the INEPTITUDE of just this one evaluator, (think about all of the other evaluators who are doing the same thing to you).  The Senators, Congressmen and Representatives cannot help correct the problems at NMC unless they are made aware of the situation.

THIS IS YOUR LIVELIHOOD THAT NMC IS MUCKING ABOUT WITH.  BUT IF YOU DON’T CARE, DON’T SHARE.

Ok down off my soap box now, until later.  I deal with this sort of thing everyday but you should not have to.

Touch Keys with you later,

N.

Hi All;

Just a quick note to let you know that the new STCW and Manila Amendments have been DRAFTED.  Please note, these are only DRAFTS and have not been finalized yet.  There is no clear date as to when they will go into effect.

Touch Keys with you later,

N.

Hey all, how are you?  Hope all is well with you.

Please go to the NMC website and look at the document titled New Format for Deck / Engine Examination Guide dated July 2011.  This is helpful when preparing to test for a license or document rating.  Their website is http://www.uscg.mil/nmc but y’all already knew that didn’t ya.

Touch Keys with you later,

N.

Hi everyone:

NMC just published the following so be sure to go check it out at their website.

• NOTICE PUBLISHED ON STCW ENDORSEMENTS AS OFFICER IN CHARGE OF A NAVIGATIONAL WATCH and
• U. S. COAST GUARD POLICY LETTERS STATUS  -  (Qualification VIA “the Hawsepipe” for STCW Endorsement as Officer in charge of a navigation watch on ships of 200 GRT/500 GT or more.)

Some very interesting reading.

Touch Keys with you later and have a great summer.

N.

Notice Published on STCW Endorsements as

Officer in Charge of a Navigational Watch

US Coast Guard Policy Letters Status

The National Maritime Center

www.uscg.mil/nmc

Hello everyone, I am wishing you all a very HAPPY AND SAFE 4TH OF JULY.

One of my clients pointed this out to me (thank you BW) and I needed to share it with all of the deckies out there because it is of major importance to you.

The title is QUALIFICATION VIA “THE HAWSEPIPE” FOR STCW ENDORSEMENTS AS OFFICER IN CHARGE OF A NAVIGATIONAL WATCH ON SHIPS OF 200 GRT/500 GT OR MORE.

You and view it on http://www.uscg. mil/nmc  Please do so.

Again have a happy and safe 4th.

Touch Keys with you later.

N.