Unapproved Courses at Gulf Coast Maritime Academy

Maritime News
22

MMC renewed and received on 31 January after a nearly 5 month application process. I do believe the NMC is a bit stretched particularly in the Customer Service Center. In my particular renewal process I really needed to be on the ball with hard facts and legalese. Along the way for example I had to learn the definition of “truncation” in relation to my situation.

Here are a few of the emails since my last post in December:
SMB-OSC-NMC-Questions2
From:iasknmc2@uscg.mil
To:JB
Tue, Jan 14 at 9:19 PM
Good morning sir,
I am so sorry for the delay on this email, the evaluator just got a response from their supervisor and reached out to me.
As of right now, none of the GCMA course can be credited so we will need new Basic training courses.

US Coast Guard approved course listings may be found at http://www.dco.uscg.mil/Portals/9/NMC/pdfs/courses/courses.pdf. You can then search by Courses or Course providers. Utilizing Control + F (or Command + F for a MAC) on your keyboard will allow you to search the document. We suggest using keywords for the location or course you are looking for to assist you with your search.

I understand that between the delay on this response and taking a new course you will need may need additional time. To request an extension, you will need to email IASKNMC@USCG.MIL . Please specify how much time you need and why you need the additional time. Once you send that request, we will forward it for review.

Please note, if sending attachments please ensure it is in the pdf format. Other file types cannot be accepted.

Please include your mariner/reference number with any responses, as the previous email chains have been deleted for protection of your personal information.

Your opinion matters to us, and the NMC is committed to providing excellent customer service. Your feedback will guide efforts to improve the Mariner Credentialing Program. Please visit http://homeport.uscg.mil/mmcsurvey to complete a survey. All information is confidential.

Customer Service Center Specialist II, Insight Technology Solutions, LLC.
Contractor to U.S. Coast Guard National Maritime Center
100 Forbes Drive Martinsburg, WV 25404
(Fax) 304-433-3416

I did not agree with the “finality” of this email so my appeal continued.

Response email of 14 Jan 2025 here:
JB

From:
jb
To: iasknmc@uscg.mil

Tue, Jan 14 at 10:31 PM

To whom it may concern at NMC CSC,

I am in disagreement with this decision that just arrived from x, inline below. This disagreement is the first step I am following in NMC’s “Denial, Reconsiderations, and Appeals” document (attached).

In summary, the issue of my Basic Training and AFF certificates was already handled by LT x as described in her email below. I received her response after contacting NMC Compliance Investigations as suggested in Capt. Clare’s letter of 9/26/2024 titled “Unapproved Courses at Gulf Coast Maritime Academy.” (Attached)
HQS-SMB-DCO-MCFTF
From:mcftf@uscg.mil
To:JB
Fri, Dec 6, 2024 at 11:51 PM

Good Day JB,

I did not have you on my list for Gulf Coast, but I looked up your record and your record is cleared of truncation requirements due to your previous Basic Fire Fighting experience and courses. I looked at the status of your application and it was assigned to an evaluator December 4 and looks like they are verifying your advanced FF certificate as of yesterday.

V/r,
LT x
NMC Compliance Investigations
100 Forbes Drive, Martinsburg, WV 25404

In addition, I have been a documented merchant mariner for over 40 years (OS endorsement letter in 1983) while attending SUNY Maritime College from 1982-1986, and a licensed officer since 1986. In that time I have received and maintained the following capacities/endorsements:
Reference Number: x
Document Number: x
Document Type: MMC
x
International Regulations
II/1: Officers In Charge of a Navigational Watch (500 Gross Tons or More)
II/2: Master, Chief Mates (500 Gross Tons or More)
II/3: Officers In Charge of a Navigational Watch and Masters (Less Than 500 Gross Tons)
II/4: Rating forming part of a navigational watch (RFPNW)
II/5: Able Seafarer-Deck
III/6: Electro-Technical Officer
IV/2: GMDSS Radio Operator
V/3-1: Basic IGF Code
VI/1: Basic Training (BT)
VI/2: Proficiency in the use of survival craft, rescue boats and fast rescue boats
VI/3: Advanced Fire Fighting
VI/4: First Aid and Medical Care
VI/5: Vessel Security Officer
VI/6: Vessel Personnel With Designated Security Duties/ Security Awareness
International Capacities and Limitations
Capacities Limitations
Vessel Personnel With Designated Security Duties.
Advanced Firefighting.
Medical First-Aid Provider.
Person in Charge of Medical Care.
Rating forming part of a navigational watch (RFPNW).
Basic Training.
Basic IGF Code Operations
Master.
Vessel Security Officer.
Electro-Technical Officer (ETO).
GMDSS Operator.
Officer in charge of a navigational watch (OICNW).
Proficiency in fast rescue boats.
Security Awareness.
Proficiency in survival craft and rescue boats other than fast rescue boats (PSC).
Able Seafarer - Deck.
Domestic Capacities and Limitations
Capacities Limitations
Deck Officer - Master Of Self-Propelled Vessels Not Including Auxiliary Sail Of Unlimited Tonnage Upon Oceans.
Wiper
Tankerman Assistant Limited to Dangerous Liquid (DL) Cargoes
Deck Officer - Master Of Towing Vessels Upon Oceans and Western Rivers.
MODU - Offshore Installation Manager (OIM) Of Surface Mobile Offshore Drilling Units while on Location and Underway.
Steward’s Department (F.H.)
Deck Officer - Radar Observer (Unlimited)
Radio Officer - Radio Officer
Lifeboatman
Able Seaman- Unlimited
MODU - Barge Supervisor (BS)

I am well aware of the requirements and ramifications of STCW but please realize that not only do I believe my certifications are acceptable as per Capt Clare’s letter, but LT x has dealt with the issue specifically concerning these very short REVALIDATION courses.

Note: Capt Clare’s letter was posted weeks after I submitted my application in SEPTEMBER 2024.

On our end as merchant mariners we certainly know one of the main reasons why there is a shortage of mariners: This bureaucracy. Long gone are the days when we could walk into an REC and get our papers back the same day or early next morning. I am glad I am in the twilight of my career as far as this back-and-forth red tape goes.

Kind regards,
JB

The following email is my reply to a Reconsideration email which was a step I did not want to take at the time. I was following the NMC’s FAQs document instructions.

From:jb
To:SMB-OSC-NMC-Questions2
Cc:

Thu, Jan 16 at 4:59 AM

Hello x,

Thank you for the email.
I did not submit a formal Reconsideration request as per the FAQ’s document I referenced in my previous email. I was following Step 1 of that document and I was hoping to get this rectified before moving on to Reconsideration. Reconsideration information appears to begin in Step 2.

In either case, I am hoping to get this expedited as my ability to work is now totally affected. My MMC expires on 15 February 2025. One month and counting down.

Best regards,
JB

On Wednesday, January 15, 2025 at 10:37:01 PM GMT+7, SMB-OSC-NMC-Questions2 iasknmc2@uscg.mil wrote:

Good morning,

We have received the reconsideration request, and it was forwarded to the correct department for review. Please note the time frame of the reconsideration request is 90 days for review/decision to be made.

“Please note, if sending attachments please ensure it is in the pdf format. Other file types cannot be accepted.

Please include your mariner/reference number with any responses, as the previous email chains have been deleted for protection of your personal information.

Your opinion matters to us, and the NMC is committed to providing excellent customer service. Your feedback will guide efforts to improve the Mariner Credentialing Program. Please visit http://homeport.uscg.mil/mmcsurvey to complete a survey. All information is confidential.”

Thank you,

x
Customer Service Center, Contact Center Specialist II, Insight Technology Solutions, LLC.
Contractor to U.S. Coast Guard National Maritime Center
100 Forbes Drive Martinsburg, WV 25404
(Fax) 304-433-3416

Here is the link to the FAQs document: https://www.dco.uscg.mil/Portals/9/NMC/pdfs/faq/appeals_faq.pdf

I am unsure in which state my application ended, but on 29 January I was sent out an auto-bot reply that my MMC was being printed then another bot reply that it was mailed.

All’s good that ends well.
JB

2 Likes
23

GCMA - Check out the Network Visualizer

Interesting Network Visualizer on this page if anyone is still disgruntled enough to know who was behind this madness.

24

John Timmel? Yikes. He was a Tampa pilot forever.

25

His boy is also a pilot in Tampa. The other guy ran the boat too.

26

Yea I know Junior.

27

Glad it worked out for you JB. After 4 years of schooling when SUNY was actually hard, 40 years sailings, countless boats & even more nonstop weekly drills it’s a damn shame the nmc made ya run through the hoops like you were trying to truncation the system or something over someone elses con game. Without a doubt, you’re more of a mariner than any of those yahoo’s in Martinsburg will ever be.

BTW, for anyone else who was wondering:

Truncation
Noun, the act of making something shorter or quicker, especially by removing the end of it.

The term “novel” is a truncation of the Italian word “novella”.

Example: Officials claimed the truncation of the race was due to the earthquake.

1 Like
28

Christopher Hayes of Spring Hill. Matches Christopher Hayes of Spring Hill that managed gulf coast maritime :open_mouth:. I think this school issues are the least of his worries

30

I can 100% confirm this it’s the same guy… read the bio. It’s the same guy.

https://www.realtor.com/realestateagents/67a1f3f0cbd62f075826c438

1 Like
31

I wanted some satisfaction from my situation described above, but it just ain’t happening with this news.
Karma, I reckon.

2 Likes
33

Wow, appears you are correct. I didn’t recognize him in the arrest photo…

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34

Me too! It’s been 5 years.

35

From the Pasco News article:

“Some of the videos featured Hayes himself, including one depicting him with a black Labrador retriever, later confirmed by his wife to be the family dog.”

The only thing dumber & more twisted than getting it on with the family dog is recording yourself doing it. How can someone get so f*cked up in the head they think that is a good idea? I don’t think I’ll view Realtors, people who run maritime schools or fellow mariners the same again after reading that article.

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36

I would not recommend reading the police report, it’s some of the worst that you can imagine. All I can say is Florida passed the death penalty for pedophiles, and this guy may be a prime candidate if the accusations are true.

1 Like
37

Sick fu**