With many mariners looking to take a break from the industry, understanding the U.S. Coast Guard's continuity option can help keep your credentials intact for future opportunities.
One of the side effects of the Covid-19 pandemic was an increase in mariners leaving the industry, allowing their credentials to expire rather than renewing. I hear a lot of debate and get questions about whether someone should keep their license, even if they are not going to sail on it or if they are going to take a prolonged period away from the industry.
It’s important to note that if a U.S. credential is expired for more than one year, the mariner would effectively need to start over in the process and apply for a license, establish sea time recency, go to training, take exams, and be issued a license. Depending on how long the license has lapsed, there is no guarantee that it can be easily reissued. But for U.S. mariners, there is an option that allows you to “pause” that decision and not risk losing your license.
What type of scenario would see this issue come up? Well, let’s say a yacht captain has decided they want to retire from working on board and take up a shoreside job. They no longer need their license and do not want to go through the expense of maintaining it, keeping their medical certification, taking classes, maintaining license insurance, etc., so they choose to let it expire. A few years go by, and the lure of the sea once more draws them back — maybe their personal situation at home has changed, or a former yacht owner calls with a new build, or they simply miss the challenges of being on board.
Can that person get their license back? It’s not easy and will usually require a significant amount of testing and recency. You can review the regs in 46 CFR 10.227 for the requirements as set forth therein. They are straightforward for a domestic license, but as most of us are sailing internationally, we would need to comply with STCW, which could be more onerous.
So, what are the options? The USCG allows a mariner to place their credentials into “continuity” — this does not allow a mariner to use the license while it is in continuity, but it will basically pause the license and hold it pending future reinstatement or expiration. That would allow the mariner to have the opportunity to request reinstatement, complete the necessary training and recertification for their endorsement, but not have to re-take the full exam for their endorsements.
If you don’t have one year of sea time in the last five years, there may be a short exam and, of course, there are some STCW-specific courses you would have to take to get your STCW credentials back. When a Document of Continuity is reactivated or replaced with an MMC, the mariner has the option to activate all the endorsements, or to activate only a few and request a new Document of Continuity for the remaining endorsements.
Requesting a Document of Continuity is a great choice for mariners who may want to pause their national credentials if they are not able to comply with all the requirements for renewal — these may include medical issues, paperwork, or training compliance — or if they are taking a prolonged break from the industry but may want to come back someday. I would recommend any U.S. mariner who is considering allowing their credentials to expire to look at the option of placing them in continuity — it’s taken a lot of hard work, effort, money, time, and personal sacrifice to earn that license. Placing it in continuity keeps that door open should your plans change and you look to return to the maritime workforce.