How Do I Create a Sea Service Letter for My Employer?

If your sea time has been on vessels less than 200 GRT, the CG-719S form is the preferred method of tracking sea days.

Do I need a new CG-719S for each vessel?

Yes. You will need a separate form for each vessel you worked on. They can all be for the same company.

What needs to be on a company Sea Service Letter?

The letter must be on letterhead from either the company that employed you or the vessel on which you served.

Include the date the letter was written.

Also include:

• vessel name
• official number
• vessel type
• propulsion type
• tonnage
• engine horsepower (when applicable)
• the beginning date of service
• the end date of service
• number of underway days.

For any officer endorsement, the letter must also supply a breakdown of the number of days of service within 3 years of the date of the letter. For any Tankerman endorsement or renewal of any endorsement, the letter must supply a breakdown of the number of days of service within 5 years preceding the date of the letter.

The letter must indicate whether the service was 12- or 8-hour days. If the service is 12-hour days, it must attest that a two-watch system has been authorized by the vessel’s Coast Guard Certificate of Inspection (COI), and the COI must actually authorize that.

Where do I get a sample sea service letter?

Sample letters can be found at this USCG site.

We hope this made your life a little easier and if you have other questions the MM-SEAS team is always here to help!

MM-SEAS is free to use on your own and if you need some more personalized help you can upgrade to MM-SEAS Pro inside of the site.

No matter what, when you are ready to submit your application, you can choose to have the MM-SEAS staff create a perfect application, handle the USCG application fees and work with the USCG on your behalf to resolve any issues for a flat fee of $299 or you can choose to submit on your own.

Pro MM-SEAS members get access to unlimited live 1 on 1 calls with one of our USCG Licensing Specialists. We've found that answering questions live with screen sharing in a video call makes both of our lives easier. Pro MM-SEAS members can access these features inside of MM-SEAS under License Guidance.