Delayed Issuance / License Creep Clarification by USCG

[danzante]

The USCG just issued this clarification of delayed issuance of MMC.

[Jolly Tar]

So has anyone ever done this?
I read the memo and it indicates that the credential will be issued ONE MONTH prior to expiration. My response to that is, are they NUTS? I'd have chewed my fingers down to the THIRD knuckle if I didn't have my documents squared away thirty days out from expiration.

Anyone got any stories?

[dougpine]

Trust NMC to make something simple so complicated. I'll take license creep over this any day.

[Jolly Tar]

That was my thought, thanks for the sanity check.

[Capt. Fran]

I'm not sure I even understand wtf the plan is now.

NMC's attitude about dealing with mariners:
N = Not
M = My
C = Career, so who cares...

[Jeffrox]

Last year when everybody was having so many problems with getting anything out of NMC I thought I'd get ahead of the curve and apply for renewal 6 month early; I figured with all the delay time I'd get my documents right about when the old stuff expired. They turned my renewal around in axactly one month, thereby "creeping" me out of Five Months of License time. I then had 2 of each document valid for those 5 months -how F'in stooopid. So even when NMC does something right (my 1 month renewal) they also find a way to trick F**k you!! All-in-all I've lost a year of time due to the "Creeps".

[dougpine]

I've always submitted my renewals 6 to 12 months ahead of the expiration date just to be safe. I think I've lost six years doing it this way.

I thought the way they were going to deal with "license creep" was to issue the new credential with a new expiration date five years beyond your current one. That is so simple. I can't for the life of me understand why they've made it so funky.

[Jeffrox]

I've always submitted my renewals 6 to 12 months ahead of the expiration date just to be safe. I think I've lost six years doing it this way.

I thought the way they were going to deal with "license creep" was to issue the new credential with a new expiration date five years beyond your current one. That is so simple. I can't for the life of me understand why they've made it so funky.

Right, what you describe is sooo simple. Why are we required to request something that no one would not want. "We have a million dollars for you, but before we mail it to you, first verify that you want it...." I'm getting pissed just thinking about; maybe I should do like my Aussie friends and go get pissed and stop thinking about....

[Conspearasea]

Besides the added expense of "losing" time, is there some other reason to be concerned with license "creep" ?

As for holding two documents that are valid during a period.....My last renewal I had to send in my current documents to the REC, before they would mail out my new MML/MMD. Has that policy changed?

[Jeffrox]

Besides the added expense of "losing" time, is there some other reason to be concerned with license "creep" ?

As for holding two documents that are valid during a period.....My last renewal I had to send in my current documents to the REC, before they would mail out my new MML/MMD. Has that policy changed?

I received a letter with my new documents directing me to mail-in my MMD only. Then for the next 5 months the USCG website showed me holding 2 active licenses, 2 active MMD cards, and 2 active STCW Certs. (the website now, correctly, just shows 1 of each BTW)

[richard8000milesaway]

I don't understand the fuss over the new policy letter. it sounds logical to me: assuming your doc are in order, upon written request they will wait to print them until about 30 days out then print & mail.

[jdcavo]

...I thought the way they were going to deal with "license creep" was to issue the new credential with a new expiration date five years beyond your current one. That is so simple. I can't for the life of me understand why they've made it so funky.

It's actually fairly complicated, we've been looking at this for awile. Among the problems is the issue of whether a mariner is involved in a casualty after the new credential is issued, but before the old one expires. A credential can only be suspended or revoked if the mariner was acting under its authority of the casualty. There is a legal issue of whether you can be acting under the aithority of a license that is not yet in effect, and whether the not yet effective license can be suspended/revoked. Also, current law provide that a credential expires five years after it's issued, I beleive this requirement is in the U.S. Code and not the CFR, so if this is a valid interpretation, an act of Congress might be needed to make the change.