The oldest privately-owned maritime training school in the United States, Crawford Nautical School has been training mariners from all areas of sea-going life -- deep sea, coastal and inland waters; Masters, Mates, Pilots and Engineers for nearly 90 years.
The National Maritime Center
Requirements, applications, examination information, policy statements as well as other resources are found at the Coast Guard's National Maritime Center, the portal for merchant mariner credentialing in the United States.
Credential Application Forms
Checklists for USCG Credential Requirements
On the Quarter
According to Dorothy Parker, "the cure for boredom is curiosity. There is no cure for curiosity." Our father is in his 90th year of incessant inquiry. "Don't you think someone should look into this," he asks constantly. We've invited him to do just that here.
We've Moved
For the last fifteen of our nearly 90 years, Crawford Nautical School has been located at 353 Alaskan Way on the Seattle waterfront. Effective January 2012, the school is being relocated as a major reconstruction of the waterfront takes place. Our new location is the Marine Business Center on the Ship Canal in Ballard at 801 NW 42nd Street.
Question of the Week
In an industry where it is possible to dance on ceilings and lean against floors, there are bound to be questions. Every week we will post some here -- along with our best answers.
CNS
National Maritime Center
On the Quarter
We've Moved- Question of the Week
December 2011
The USCG has issued Policy Letter (No. 11-15) describing policy and forthcoming regulations allowing certain mariners without a valid Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) to acquire and renew a Merchant Mariner Credential. A more detailed description of the changes and how they affect individual mariners is available on the National Maritime Site.
Upcoming Classes
05.21.2012 08:30 - 05.25.2012 16:00
Celestial Navigation: Week 1 of 2.5
05.22.2012 08:30 - 16:00
Radar Renewal: 1-Day
05.23.2012 08:30 - 05.25.2012 16:00
Week D: Bridge Resource Management
05.28.2012
Holiday: No School
05.29.2012 08:30 - 06.01.2012 16:00
Celestial Navigation: Week 2 of 2.5
Tankerman Class
Dangerous Liquid Cargo Course
Crawford Nautical School is now offering a Dangerous Liquid Cargo (Tankerman Familiarization) Course. The class meets USCG & STCW requirements for Tankerman P-I-C, Tankerman Barge, Tankerman Assistant and Tankerman Engineer. The next scheduled class is April 16 - 20, 2012. For additional information, contact the School.
Collision, Allision, Grounding
With the advent of "Google Alerts" and news media hypervigilant for misfortune, the list of marine casualties seems to have grown longer in the past few years. 
This is probably because in the past, maritime incidents were only newsworthy if they involved passenger deaths and/or oil spills. In fact, accidents do happen more than we think, as this log will attest.
Search
Engineering Class
Our 4-week engineering class for engineers of all grades, including QMEDs, will be held June 4 - 29. For information about enrolling and tuition, please contact us at 206.667.9377 or by This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Weblinks
Here is an assortment of links ranging from the useful to the interesting to the familial to the time-wasting, in no particular order. Weekly Notice to Mariners (NGA) The Weekly Notice to Mariner issued by the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency is no longer available in paper format. This is the link to view and/or set up a subscription
Chart No. 1 Nautical Chart Symbols, Abbreviations and Terms is a reference publication depicting basic chart elements and contains a description of the symbols, abbreviations and terms that appear on nautical charts produced by the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency and the National Ocean Service.
International Committee on Seafa...
Traveling Abroad -- US State Dep...
Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)
Can't remember the name of the Prime Minister of Jamaica in 2011 (Andrew Holness) or the highest elevation in Slovenia (Triglav at 2,864 m) or military expenditures as a percentage of GDP in Bulgaria (2.6% in 2005). The CIA does.
Curious about your feathered watch partner?
Titles 33 and 46 are most relevant to mariners.
Scan "Today's Issue" for entries under "Coast Guard" to get early notice of proposed or enacted regulations.
Mariners make most use of Titles 46 (Shipping), 33 (Navigation and Navigable Waters), 49 (Transportation) and 47 (Telecommunications).
International & Inland Rules of ...
Here you will find the official text of the 1972 International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea (COLREGS) and the Inland Rules of the Road, as well as much other useful information.
Note that soon the Inland Rules of the Road should be appearing in the CFRs (Part 33) as their status has been changed to regulatory.
Coming to Seattle from the near North.
Coming to Seattle from the South.
Coming to Seattle by rail.
Southeast Alaska Pilots' Associa...
Southwest Alaska Pilots Association
Florida Harbor Pilots Association
Western Great Lakes Pilots Assoc...
Associated Branch Pilots (Louisi...
Crescent River Port Pilots' Asso...
New Orleans Baton Rouge River Pi...
Association of Maryland Pilots
Boston Harbor Pilot Association
The Pascagoula Bar Pilots' Assoc...
Hudson River Pilots Association
Pilots' Assn. for the Bay & Dela...
Twinkle, twinkle little ..... Is that Betelgeuse or Bellatrix? What's its altitude, azimuth? Time of sunrise, sunset, moonrise, moonset. It's all here and more.
Enter a position to find the exact variation affecting the magnetic compass. Unfortunately the use of this tool can be confusing to mariners. What the calculation describes as "declination" is what mariners call "deviation." Furthermore, while the html format gives the variation (aka "declination") to five decimal places of seconds of arc, it does not label the error E or W. This must be deduced from looking at the compass rose to see if the red MN is pointing to the left of West of North or to the right or East of North.
Mariners' Alerting & Reporting S...
A confidential reporting system run by The Nautical Institute to allow full reporting of Accidents (and Near Misses) without fear of identification or litigation.
The US Coast Guard's wide range of authority includes search-and-rescue, buoy-tending, ice navigation, drug interdiction, vessel inspection and licensing of ships' officers.
National Maritime Center (NMC)
NMC is the portal for mariners acquiring, upgrading or renewing licenses and credentials.
