[QUOTE=Johnny Canal;142505]The vessel “Master” has no choice and neither does the office. They have been around longer than anybody on this website, but now all you have to do is download from the USCG/NMC website. I turned mine in recently and the crewing coordinator looked at me like I was some alien invader, but his look wasn’t that much different from the vessel “Master” when I asked him to sign the discharges. In some respects, the office would rather exercise more control over your livelihood than insist the actual mariners take care of their own paperwork thereby decreasing office paperwork.[/QUOTE]
These vessels don’t have masters, it’s first through eighth captain! And you hit the nail on the head, it ain’t about anything but control. Just like the ubiquitous “could be layoffs any day” to spread the fear and keep people from straying. Sad in so many ways. What surprises me is the companies spend resources to attract “those damn academy kids” yet do very little to retain them, usually about the time they got the hang of it. Who doesn’t want a better educated work force?