Summer 2009 News Release

Hello Fellow Captains,

Please find below some news and other information of interest to licensed mariners and those who have an interest in U.S.C.G. licensing issues.

We will try to update this news letter on a regular basis. The information is in brief point format as we try to keep you abreast of what you need to know.

How about licensing?

As most professional mariners know, all those who use their license must be in possession of a Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC). This rule went into affect on April 15, 2009, and covers all credentialed mariners.

Any applicants who are renewing or obtaining a credential for the first time must send their TWIC card in with their application, or, at a minimum, a copy of the TWIC receipt they receive after applying for their card.

There is a $132 fee required for the TWIC application and you must apply either on line or by visiting one of the many TWIC offices established for you. To find the nearest TWIC office, go to:

http://www.tsa.gov/

...and locate the search engine box in the upper right hand corner of page and click on it after you enter TWIC in the box. A list of service center locations will be one of your options.

Another change concerns the frame-able licenses that we have received in the past. These have been replaced with a new credential that resembles a passport. This booklet, red in color, must be carried with you anytime you are operating your vessel under the authority of your license.

For those applicants who are renewing or making their first application, your package must still be sent to the REC in Toledo, at 420 Madision, Toledo, OH, 43604. They will, in turn, process your application to Martinsburg, WV.

Social Security cards will no longer have to be sent in. However, you do need to include a new oath form that allows the oath to be administered by a Notary and a copy of your birth certificate. Some other new forms are being worked on. In the mean time, the old forms are still being accepted.

We will have another update and more news for you on all this after this year's annual meeting of U.S.C.G. approved training schools with the Coast Guard this June.

What's New with Sea Tech

What with all the nation's bad economic news and the current depressed state of the economy, the last twelve months certainly have been a challenge. In order to better serve our students, some changes have been necessary.

Please make a note of our NEW U.S. postal mailing address:

Sea Tech Marine Training
Suite 144
3840 East Robinson Road
Amherst, NY 14228

Our Toll Free telephone number and email addresses all remain the same.

Anything Else?

Always feel free to call us (Toll Free at 1-877-883-9366) with any questions you may have regarding licenses, or send us an e-mail at:  

Best Wishes to all our friends, dedicated instructors and staff, and all our students and graduates. Thanks for your continued support.

Regards,
Captain Dennis Daniels