Not cool.
I think that NMC is referring only to a “national voyage,” i.e., no STCW needed. I’m not sure why they stated March 24th instead of March 31st like the letter states.
Correct. Anyone sailing outside inland waters on non exempt vessels are already required to have a valid STCW medical good for two years (as of 01 January 2017).
The FAQ is from before the current labor lock-out. The March 24th date is just wrong. It should have been January 24, 2019, and the current extension potentially makes it March 31, 2019. And as noted, it’s for domestic voyages only, not a voyage where STCW is required.
Just talked to an owner. He was panicing because his captain’s STCW medical certificate renewal is hung up at NMC. He was thinking of hiring me to replace the guy until he gets his new STCW medical certificate.
But the incompetent young lieutenants at the local OCMI told the owner that his captain does NOT need an STCW medical certificate just to run up and down the US Coast! He can supposedly do that on his National medical certificate with the OMCI’s blessing WTF?
What is the point in spending all the time, aggrevation, and money to obtain and maintain the correct STCW certificates, when the OCMI just turns around and Wrongly tells owners “oh you don’t need that”?
Didn’t it ever occur to anyone to train the OMCI staff?
Didn’t it ever occur to anyone that it’s a bad idea to issue medical certificates with three different expiration dates on them?
Didn’t it ever occur to anyone that the medical certificate should be a sticker in the MMC book, instead of a flimsy price of paper that is hard to read and can fall out of the flimsy plastic pocket in the MMC book?
What was the tonnage of the vessel in question?
A little under 500 GRT
Gotcha. Yeah, it is required then. Hopefully that owner has it in writing from that OCMI to help cover his ass in case something happens.
Spoke with the NMC today. Medical certs are being issued as long as there are no special cases…that is, if it has to be looked at by a doctor, they aren’t in and it won’t be reviewed until the shutdown is over.
If your physical is basic and straight forward, they are indeed issuing them.
2 Likes
I don’t believe it. Neither does my license consultant.
My clean clear easy to approve app for a new medical card has been at NMC since November. They have not done anything with it.
Since I know how screwed up NMC is, I applied early and still have six months before I actually need the new card.
At best NMC is part of “The Swamp,” but judging it by its poor performance it’s more like a cesspool in the back corner of some third world shit hole. No wonder they put it in West Virginia.
1 Like
Well, I know a guy who sent his physical in this week and it went into the mail today.
MEDAIP@uscg.mil
Is this the email that the physical needs to be sent to? I tried to send mines here and the email came back undeliverable. Got this email address from the FAQ portion from the NMC.
City governments got Walmarts built claiming eminent domain. Wouldn’t the feds just do the same thing?
All true, but . . . ‘Reprogramming” of budgeted funds by Presidents has been happening on a significant scale for the last 50 years. Maybe it’s time for the courts to say no more, but they haven’t said it yet.
In this case, Congress passed the Secure Fence Act in 2006 authorizing construction of a border fence. The double row fencing that Bush and Obama built has been effective. Congress just didn’t appropriate enough money to finish it.
Defending borders from invaders is part of any nation’s national defense. The use of Defence Department funds and resources are appropriate.
1 Like
I told my Congressman let’s split the difference: half a “wall” for $3 billion.
1 Like
…edited
2 Likes
I’m in class this week and two guys with me had med certs issued.
I’ve looked online and maybe missed it in this thread but does anyone know if TWIC renewals are affected by the shutdown?
NMC has had my clean, clear, no medications, medical for weeks, but no card issued. Not a peep from them. No rush because I applied early.
In my case, age may be a factor that requires a harder look, even though my medical is clear.
Does anyone know if they have a policy that requires a hard look after a certain age?
I have never heard of such a thing. But if you have some notable changes from the last physical, that can slow the process down. New meds, new onset condition like heart disease/diabetes etc are all flags
Is anyone there answering the phone or email? I can’t imagine anyone is working there now. The header on their web page says they and the RECs are all closed.