Questions about the sea time log
No: the log counts your sea days by the published day rule and shows them against the published service numbers, but only the credentialing authority decides whether you qualify.
For the rules themselves, start with what counts as a sea day, or open your sea time log.
Frequently asked questions
Does Sea Time Ledger tell me whether I qualify for a license?
No. Sea Time Ledger does not determine eligibility; the credentialing authority decides. It counts your logged days by the published day rule and shows them against the published service numbers, with the section cited, so you can see what is missing.
Is this site part of the Coast Guard or the National Maritime Center?
No. Sea Time Ledger is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to the United States Coast Guard, the National Maritime Center or any other government body. It names them only to say whose rules and forms it describes.
Where are my trips stored?
Only in this browser, on this device. There is no account and nothing you log is uploaded. Export a backup file from the log page now and then, because clearing your browser's site data deletes the log.
Do you ask for my Social Security number?
Never. There is no field for it anywhere on the site, and the form fill leaves the name, reference number and Social Security number boxes for you to complete in your PDF reader.
How does the site decide whether a day counts?
On a vessel under 100 gross tons a day needs at least 4 hours underway, and on larger vessels 8 hours. Trips on one boat on one date are added together, a long day is never worth more than one day, and each calendar date counts once across all your vessels.
What if my boat has no gross tons on its paperwork?
Leave the box empty. The boat is then counted under the small vessel day rule, and its days add nothing above 25 tons toward a Master tonnage limit. The form asks for length, width and depth in that case, which you can enter on the vessel.
Is the printed grid the official form?
No. It is our own layout with the same fields, for copying into the form or attaching to a letter. You can also drop your own downloaded copy of the form onto the progress page and have the vessel boxes, the grid and the totals filled in, in your browser (Premium).
Why does the recent service line show two numbers?
The regulation asks for 90 days within 3 years of the application. A policy letter from September 2025 accepts 90 days within 7 years for national officer endorsements. The progress page shows both and uses the 7 year window for the gap.
Can I import trips from a spreadsheet?
Yes (Premium), from a CSV file with headings for the date, the vessel, the hours and the waters. Every row that cannot be read is listed with the reason, and vessels the log does not know are added. A row that matches a trip already in the log is skipped, so importing the same file twice adds nothing.
Does the site give navigation or safety advice?
No. It keeps records and does arithmetic. It says nothing about how to operate a vessel or which waters are safe.