Been working as a pilot for over twenty years. My license is up for renewal and I need to provide my sea time. But I’m obviously never a crew member of any one vessel, just pilot them in and out of port. Went to see an “expediter” known for handling USCG licensing. She advised that I just write that I act as Master of my pilotboat for the past five years…?
Doesn’t sound right. Neither does listing the name, number, tonnage etc of the hundreds of ships I’ve piloted over five years. Anyone know the magic language I’m looking for?
I have not had to go that route yet, since I still work in the towing industry. My pilot trips never come into play. BUT, I know when I go to the REC, I go see ONE guy everytime. Since I have pilotage, he takes care of anyone who comes in with a pilot endorsement. Have you called your local REC to speak with such a person?
I would bet that a letter from the pilot organization (on their letterhead) with xxx days as pilot of vessels between xx.xxx and xx.xxx tons, upon the waters of XXX Bay would suffice. That and participation in a random drug test program (CfrXX, XX subch xx) should do it. You may indeed have to list the days, on each vessel for s sticky evaluator, but I would try the easy route first.
On second thought, don’t you get quarterlies? with the vessels name and date listed? copy those (but excise the income part) and send that with it.
In the past I wrote about how we pilot unlimited qualifying ships. It was enough to get my chief mate’s license renewed with pilotage endorsements. I was hoping there was a standard wording that could help reduce possible delay times. The expediter, though very experienced, sounds off the wall on this one.
Yeah. That sounded kind of off. Does said consultant have much experience with individuals sailing as pilots vs. acting as pilot? Might be worth getting a second opinion. I don’t see why each day serving as a pilot would not be credited as a day for sea time purposes. Certainly helps to get the wording and format correct though.
First of all, make sure you list ANYTHING within the last three years explicitly. After my renewal/upgrade got hung up in PQEB for over a month, I got a letter. The sea time letter I submitted stated that I have worked 1099 12-hour days since 9/08. The evaluator wants proof that I worked at least 90 days within the last 3 years. I guess calculators became a victim of the sequester. Anyone with half a brain can figure that even if I worked EVERY DAY of 2008 and 2009 then I would have over 200 days within the last 3 years. The lady on the phone says she sees this a lot. Apparently, if you don’t list each specifically by date, then they don’t want/accept sea time letters of over three years. I now get to make my personell coordinator re-write the letter being more specific and then wait who knows how much longer for my renewal/letter to test.
Yes, and be careful to specify that if within the range of sea time that’s being submitted you upgraded a license/got an endorsement and sailed on a higher grade then specify the dates for that exactly and in synch with that upgrades issuance.
I for example have been with my company for say 4 yeas; 3 months into my employment there I got a masters upgrade and have sailed on and off master since then; the 3 months I didn’t have the masters license is what they were holding me up for. The letter needed to say I only sailed mate then. This usually gets worded as the nmc wanting a “month by month” breakdown of seatime which really means just be more specific.