Deck Dept - Sea Days while alongside

My sea service letters specify the days I’ve spent underway vs. alongside. I’m trying to find the relevant CFR’s for credit for sea days while alongside in the deck department. I’ve been told there is a 3:1 ratio, I’ve also been told there is no credit for time alongside for deck. Most of my time alongside was spent standing in port bridge watch and general deck maintenance. Any help appreciated.

46 CFR 10.232(e).

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Thanks for the link. I’ve reviewed this CFR and am still confused.

Sea service on vessels that do not get underway. This requirement applies to service obtained on vessels mandated by the Certificate of Inspection (COI) which are in operation but do not get underway or occasionally get underway for short voyages.

How do you interpret this? Does it apply to all vessels? My vessel regularly gets underway but we spent alot of time tied up for Covid. During this time alongside I was living and working on the ship but I just dont know if any of that time is creditable.

The fact that your sea service letters document the period alongside, you best figure on using the 3:1 ratio for those periods.

Why do they do it that way? Most commercial vessels in familiar with just list days onboard and that’s it.

I wish I knew. Would have been a lot easier for me if they had simply specified total days on board.

Ask them.

Probably because that’s the right way to do it.

Do you specify underway days on your discharges? If it was important why isn’t there a place for that information on the official USCG form?

“Nature of Voyage”

You’re supposed to fill out “shipyard” or some other extenuating circumstance. I agree, most people don’t, but some places (like MSC) give different discharges for pier time or shipyard time vs. underway time.

Yep, I work for another federal agency so my sea service letters sound very similar to MSC. Do you know if the shipyard/pier time is creditable?

It should be the 3:1 that’s quoted in the CFR above.

Or, try and talk the Captain into just giving you a discharge that’s a little vague.

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From my experience its all qualifying seatime. Your doing shipboard maintenance, standing gangway watches, handling lines, regularly underway that’s almost the job ! I think The NMC is way too busy to figure out how many vessels were dockside or anchored during Covid and if they could then they should even throw in a couple years of seatime for all those Mariners who were literally stuck on vessels with no relief or shore time. Give them all RATINGS !