MMC revoked indefinitely. Do I have any options?

Maritime Employment
1

Okay, little bit of background here.

I worked on tugs for a little while, before heading off to the wonderful land of piney point maryland to attend the SIU apprentice program. Well, After the program, I kinda fucked up on my first solid paying job with less than a month to go before getting my relief and heading back to school to upgrade. That fuck up would be binging on cocaine in miami, followed by a drug test two days later. Well, the bigger fuck up comes a little later. I didn’t go to the unions rehabilitation program, or the “farm” as they like to call it. at the time, it seemed pointless. All this work, to get a c book and maybe have a shot at sailing again. The USCG officer I met with gave me the chance to go, and be able to sail again after a year of randomized drug tests. Well…I kinda fell into a dark place for a little while at this time. I became super lazy and unmotivated, and well, I started ignoring the letters the USCG was mailing to me. Eventually I received a letter that said my MMC has been revoked indefinitely. This all happened almost 2 years ago.
Recently, I have begun to seriously miss the sea. I thought I wouldn’t, I thought I would be ok and find something else, I’m in college now studying an interesting topic, but god dammit I miss sailing. Do I have any options? Please refrain from flaming me for I know very well the mistakes I made. Advice for anyone in the SIU program or going into the program: stay the fuck sober.

2

So you had a chance to retain your license, you completely blew off the CG and now you want your license back? This might sound crazy, but have you called the coast guard? Id start there. You probably never did any treatment program, id expect to start now.

…and now that ive read your post again, I feel like you probably didn’t learn your lesson; "Advice for anyone in the SIU program or going into the program: stay the fuck sober. " Every mariner needs to be sober. Any injury or accident will result in a drug test, not to mention all the random tests.

3

[QUOTE=exiledsailor;147859]Okay, little bit of background here.

I worked on tugs for a little while, before heading off to the wonderful land of piney point maryland to attend the SIU apprentice program. Well, After the program, I kinda fucked up on my first solid paying job with less than a month to go before getting my relief and heading back to school to upgrade. That fuck up would be binging on cocaine in miami, followed by a drug test two days later. Well, the bigger fuck up comes a little later. I didn’t go to the unions rehabilitation program, or the “farm” as they like to call it. at the time, it seemed pointless. All this work, to get a c book and maybe have a shot at sailing again. The USCG officer I met with gave me the chance to go, and be able to sail again after a year of randomized drug tests. Well…I kinda fell into a dark place for a little while at this time. I became super lazy and unmotivated, and well, I started ignoring the letters the USCG was mailing to me. Eventually I received a letter that said my MMC has been revoked indefinitely. This all happened almost 2 years ago.
Recently, I have begun to seriously miss the sea. I thought I wouldn’t, I thought I would be ok and find something else, I’m in college now studying an interesting topic, but god dammit I miss sailing. Do I have any options? Please refrain from flaming me for I know very well the mistakes I made. Advice for anyone in the SIU program or going into the program: stay the fuck sober.[/QUOTE]

Not one single mariner who has played by all these reasonable rules at work and on vacation should EVER have to compete with you again for a job requiring an MMC. USCG petitioned YOU multiple times with a path of corrective action. And you snorted that, too.

Advice for you: good luck at DeVry or ITT Tech or wherever you are.

4

[QUOTE=Johnny Canal;147880]Not one single mariner who has played by all these reasonable rules at work and on vacation should EVER have to compete with you again for a job requiring an MMC. USCG petitioned YOU multiple times with a path of corrective action. And you snorted that, too.[/QUOTE]

I am with you Johnny…with all the chances this cretin had to make good with the USCG, he “blew” them all and I do not feel that such a person deserves a second chance given the extensive track record of willful disregard. It is too easy for a person to say how badly they miss the work and think that alone gives them a right to deserve reconsideration but if granted another chance only proves a slap in the face to all those mariners who do follow the rules and earn their rights to stay at sea.

I believe our man should not be on indefinite suspension but permanent! I hope he does not return to inflict is sorry assed story on us any further.

5

I have to say, at first blush, I’m with Johnny and c.captain. But I’m not going to beat you over the head with the whole action/consequences thing. I will say this, though–as this all happened only two years ago, I wouldn’t be very hopeful of getting back into the game this soon. If, indeed, you’re serious about getting your life back on track, then of course best of luck to you. What snacktray said is probably your best (indeed, only) shot. You’re definitely going to have to prove, beyond any doubt at all, that you’re deadly serious about being clean, staying clean, and doing EVERYTHING the Coast Guard would ask of you–and then some. Problem is, how do you prove that? If you haven’t already, voluntarily checking into a treatment program would be a good first step. [I]even if you’ve been clean for a while[/I].

Even at that, I’d personally rate your chances with the Coast Guard at some small fraction of one percent–at best.

6

46 CFR 10.211 and 10.213 may shed some light on your ordeal.

7

I know this, that most mariners fuck up with booze, drugs, trafficking in persons, log or record book augmentations, work hours, pollution and God knows what else ad nauseam.

His real offense: He was caught.

All you co-signers, for the most part, are hypocrites.

8

[QUOTE=DeckApe;148106]I know this, that most mariners fuck up with booze, drugs, trafficking in persons, log or record book augmentations, work hours, pollution and God knows what else ad nauseam.

His real offense: He was caught.

All you co-signers, for the most part, are hypocrites.[/QUOTE]

“Trafficking in persons”???

WTF are you talking about ???

If sneaking on the occasional “seaman’s club” girl in Guam or Singapore or S. America (let alone some gal from the Vieux Carre) counts as such, then take away my MMC right now for past crimes, along with dozens of others on this site.

Otherwise, I’m going to bet more than a few dollars that less than 1% of American Mariners can be justifiably accused of human trafficking. And as far as drugs go, I’ll bet your “most mariners” claim is also WAY off the mark. I’m sure there are some who have been doing this since the 70s who are on this forum that might have done as much (before there were even guidelines/regulations/company policy), but WAY less since the late 80s early 90s.

I’m coming up on 2 decades and have NEVER touched pot, pills, cocaine, etc., at work or even on year long vacations.

Now, it may well be a contributing factor as to why I’m an uptight prick, but at least I’ll never have to worry about any testing.

Take your huge paint brush somewhere else.

1 Like
9

Yes there is a few things you can do and that is simply wait out the 3 years total revocation
Then you can re- apply for a USCG administrative clemency hearing, (you may have to retrain if the license or documents have expired for more then 1 year)
OR…you may also…

1.) You will need a part time job to pay for a DOT SAP counselor and follow up costs,
2.) Google a local DOT SAP counselor in your city, get the SAP initial & follow up letter and take a DOT return to work “observed” drug test after you have completed the counseling,
3.) then take 1 year of random drug tests (12) in a year! (with a legitimate third party administrator your previous employer is a DER and must help you to set this up! but they do NOT have to pay for this!)
you must NOT setup your own drug test it MUST be a UNANNOUNCED test!
4.) join a local AA/NA group for 1 year and document the date / time and have your sponsor sign the book after each meeting!
get in contact of your previous MRO that notified you of the positive drug test and call him/her and ask for for a return to duty letter.
make sure to keep the folder of all the documents that you will accumulate on your journey back to the sea in a safe place!

Yes, you are correct that all this is a hassle!, it was meant to be this way in order for you to learn a lesson!
I hope that whatever you decide to do goes well for you, and you can enjoy working on the water again, but for the sake of your self and your family, keep your nose clean!

:smiley:

Good luck!

10

I for one, don’t ever want to see this cretin get an MMC ever again. Too many good clean mariners out there for all the available jobs…HE IS NO LONGER NEEDED FOR ANYTHING!

but for the sake of your self and your family, keep your nose clean!

that should real “keep you ASS clean”

Good luck!

he’s already made his bed…luck should have nothing whatsoever to do with this but justice!

11

[QUOTE=DeckApe;148106]I know this, that most mariners fuck up with booze, drugs, trafficking in persons, log or record book augmentations, work hours, pollution and God knows what else ad nauseam.

His real offense: He was caught.

All you co-signers, for the most part, are hypocrites.[/QUOTE]

The Dr. Phil in me detects a wee bit of projection.

12

You are a fool. I tried pot once in high school. Hated it. Have never done any other drug except alcohol. I like my beer when I’m home. Never on the vessel. So no hypocrite here.

I also do not believe this guy deserves a second chance at an sea career. I hope he cleans himself up and gets his act together but the CG should permanently wash their hands of him.