I sent my pack in and was received May 23. I sent in all my certificates, oupv, masters upgrade, stcw , towing. After a few back and forths with the REC asking me for things that i had already gave them, although it was quick communication relative to NMC, was worrisome. The NMC sent me and email saying i would be approved to test after clarifying something on my sea service. I asked why just approved to test, they said i need to take a course. I told them i sent in all my course certificates, they asked for them again. I sent them again, proper format, pdf, etc. I had ONE SINGLE helpful person on the phone this whole time and she insured that they recieved the email correctly and it was there. Got another AI email saying i am approved to test. Called, the woman was so unhelpful and just kept saying the same thing over and over which was of no use. She said that if it was sent in correct format they would recieve it, clearly not. So i sent them in the third time. Was told it takes 14 business days to open the email, and the run around again.
I cannot afford a consultant, i am barely making it by right now. I have a few jobs waiting for to get this ticket. What can i do to ensure that they actually got the certifcates? The other big issue is that my STCW certs expired last week and they still didnt review them. Am i out a week of classes and 1200$?
I can’t get over how they repeat " 14 days, if sent in correctly they would have it, check back on this date… bla bla. Really need some assistance here.
It sounds to me like you can’t NOT afford a consultant. Being cheap on a few hundred dollars has already cost you thousands in missed work.
I never understood such logic, but such thinking would be right at home in a shipping company HQ. They are masters of penny wise, pound foolish…step over a dollar to pick up a dime, etc.
It is a relatively painless process to get credentials if you submit all the correct paperwork/course certificates, so something isnt right and causing some sort of trigger on your application. Most of the classes you take have a year grace period for submission to the NMC. I took a course last summer and only recently submitted due to waiting on a few other things. Sounds like you either need to go back through and carefully read each corresponding checklist to the endorsements you want, or hire someone to do that for you. I haven’t used this guy but I think I will coming up soon. Might be worth a look. For the record there are a lot of maritime consultants if you just look on google so it’s probably worth the money if you are having so many problems…
You can try that app too and upload all your info and it will tell you if it is accurate or not.
I read the article - 5 years ago. The difference is that it’s been so long that it has almost certainly reached a resolution. Knowing the outcome is more relevant than being charged. Charged and acquitted is a bit different than charged and convicted.
He might or might not have been convicted. But there is enough of the story out there to know that his integrity is questionable. Maybe not as questionable as Farmer’s…
"In regards to Gentleman’s clubs, these outings were not for the personal benefit of Captain Farmer and instead these outings were for the benefit of the organization as a whole . . . during very strenuous times in the port,’’ Fallon wrote.
The pilot association’s executive director at the time, Andrew Hammond, disagrees. Only he and Farmer were present one night in August 2008 when $9,025 was charged to an association credit card by the Centerfolds club in Boston, Hammond testified. The funds, he said, were spent on “private dancers and alcohol,’’ and no business was discussed.
Hammond said that Farmer told him to pay the credit card bills for the strip club purchases “in a manner designed to avoid detection of the nature of the expenses.’’
Fallon conceded some of the expenses might raise eyebrows, but argued they were an accepted way of doing business.
“When you’re trying to promote business . . . there are certain things that are always done, especially when you’re dealing with a male guest: You’re going to go golfing, you’re going to go to ball games, you’re going to go drinking, and you’re going to go to strip joints,’’ Fallon said. “That’s just a fact of life.’’
Which STCW course did you take? There are a lot…I’m guessing BT? If so, then yes, once the endorsement is on your MMC it is good for five years. There are a few different ways to refresh it but that’s the time frame it is good for. Without knowing your personal situation, if you have direct communication with someone at the NMC and they are telling you that your information is correct, then you are probably good to go. Good luck and also a good thing to keep in mind that dealing with the NMC always takes time, and it’s better to double your time frame just to be on the safe side…
Your integrity? I have no clue. How often do you pay the strippers using the pilots association’s funds?
Whatever. Sorry for sidetracking your thread.
When dealing with NMC, you need to be detail oriented and give them enough time to screw things up. If you are persistent, they usually get it right on the third or fourth try.
