Credentials lost in the mail? NMC provides guidance for mariners

Credentials lost in the mail? NMC provides guidance for mariners

(MARTINSBURG, W.Va.) — The National Maritime Center (NMC) mails completed credentials via standard U.S. Postal Service mail, which does not include a means of tracking, and delivery can take up to 21 days. In some cases, the credential may be returned or irreparably lost in the mail for a variety of reasons. Below are some important things you can do…
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ioCurrents names former Foss exec Will Roberts as CEO

ioCurrents names former Foss exec Will Roberts as CEO

(SEATTLE) – ioCurrents Inc., a leading predictive analytics platform to the maritime industry, has announced the appointment of Will Roberts as president and chief executive officer. He will immediately assume day-to-day leadership of the company and will also join ioCurrents' board of directors. Roberts most recently served as president of Foss Maritime Co., where he led all sales, operations and…
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Delay on your MMC application? Five reasons why it might be happening

Delay on your MMC application? Five reasons why it might be happening

(MARTINSBURG, W.Va.) — The National Maritime Center (NMC) receives more than 50,000 applications annually from mariners applying for merchant mariner credentials (MMCs). On average, more than 50 percent of those applications are incomplete or missing information, which causes delays in processing and frustration for mariners. A total of 66,796 awaiting information (AI) reasons were issued in 2021 for MMC applications.…
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Coast Guard initiates legal action against mariners’ credentials after collision

Coast Guard initiates legal action against mariners’ credentials after collision

(SEATTLE) — The U.S. Coast Guard has initiated administrative action related to the mariner credentials of two jet boat operators involved in a collision that occurred on the Willamette River on June 4, 2021. The jet boats, Peregrine Falcon and Osprey, collided near Hog Island. The vessels came around a bend in the channel where an obstruction prevented the vessel…
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Survey of mariners during COVID finds heightened anxiety, isolation

Survey of mariners during COVID finds heightened anxiety, isolation

Mariners across the United States are being asked to take a confidential mental health survey as federal agencies, vessel operators, maritime unions and other industry stakeholders strive to identify the most pressing needs during the pandemic and determine what can be done to alleviate them. The online survey, which is ongoing through May 31, can be completed in 10 minutes.…
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First LNG bunkering barge in US begins work in Port Canaveral

First LNG bunkering barge in US begins work in Port Canaveral

America’s first offshore bunkering barge designed specifically to deliver liquefied natural gas (LNG) began operations in Port Canaveral, Fla., in March. Q-LNG 4000 is part of an articulated tug-barge (ATB) that was constructed through an agreement between Q-LNG Transport and Shell Trading (U.S.) to provide LNG to ships and ports in Florida and the Caribbean.  Nicknamed Q4K, the barge is…
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Sunset begins for paper charts as NOAA shifts to digital delivery

Sunset begins for paper charts as NOAA shifts to digital delivery

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) began to phase out production of its paper nautical charts on Feb. 26 starting with Lake Tahoe, the first of 1,700 charts being converted to exclusively digital delivery. The Raster Sunset Plan being implemented by NOAA’s Office of Coast Survey includes a process to notify mariners of the transition for each paper chart…
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Researchers link hull coatings to microplastic pollution at sea

Researchers link hull coatings to microplastic pollution at sea

Given the painted area of all of the hulls at sea, it stands to reason that in the harsh ocean environment, some of that coating material might come off. According to German researchers, the material is indeed coming off, and it could represent a significant source of microplastic pollution. A recent study by the University of Oldenburg’s Institute of Chemistry…
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Long-sought Houston Ship Channel expansion gets federal go-ahead

Long-sought Houston Ship Channel expansion gets federal go-ahead

After a decade-long campaign by maritime industry stakeholders, Congress has authorized the expansion of the Houston Ship Channel for safer and more efficient navigation. The project will widen and deepen the nation’s busiest waterway, which is accommodating increased traffic and ever-larger ships. The green light came on Dec. 27 with enactment of the Water Resources and Development Act of 2020…
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McAllister launch servicing Long Island Sound with deliveries, crew transfers

McAllister launch servicing Long Island Sound with deliveries, crew transfers

McAllister Towing of Connecticut has initiated launch service on Long Island Sound from Bridgeport, a deepwater port about 50 miles from New York City. The service began in February 2020, just before the COVID-19 pandemic changed the rules for just about everything. With new protocols in place, the launch has provided a less congested option for crew changes and other…
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