You've logged the days. You've spent years operating boats. Now you need to show the Coast Guard that experience.

That's where the CG-719S Small Vessel Sea Service Form comes in.

For qualifying service on small vessels, this form is an important part of documenting your boating experience for a merchant mariner credential.

What Information Goes on the CG-719S?

You'll need information about the vessel and your service aboard it.

That can include:

  • Vessel name
  • Registration or official number
  • Vessel size or tonnage information
  • Waters operated on
  • Your position or role
  • Months and years of service
  • Number of qualifying days

This is why maintaining organized records before filling out the form can save considerable time.

Use a Separate Form for Each Vessel

If your qualifying sea service came from multiple vessels, don't simply combine everything into one record.

Sea service needs to be associated with the vessel on which it occurred.

For example, if you've accumulated qualifying experience on three different boats, organize your records separately for each vessel.

Who Signs the Form?

That depends upon the vessel.

If you're documenting service aboard a vessel you own, you may be able to certify your own service and provide evidence of ownership.

If the vessel belongs to someone else, the vessel owner may need to certify the service.

Commercial employment may be documented differently, including through appropriate sea-service letters.

Can You Reconstruct Old Sea Time?

Many experienced boaters didn't start keeping detailed logs years ago.

That doesn't necessarily mean all of that experience disappears.

Historical service may be reconstructed based on your best good-faith recollection when appropriate, but accuracy matters. Sea-service documentation is not something to exaggerate.

Going forward, detailed logging makes the process considerably easier.

Build the Record Before You Need the Form

Instead of sitting down years from now trying to remember whether you went boating six or eight times during a particular month, maintain the record as you go.

That's one of the reasons Captain's Ledger exists.

Log your boating activity as it happens, maintain vessel-specific records, and make preparing your future sea-service documentation easier.

Your sea time is valuable. Keep a record of it.