The Coast Guard's new credentialing portal aims for complete applications and quicker processing times. An American ship captain tested it and found issues that raise concerns about automation, accountability, and whether Washington truly understands the problems it is trying to address.
By an Anonymous U.S. Merchant Marine Captain
In April, President Trump signed Executive Order 14269, titled Restoring America's Maritime Dominance. This order focuses on rebuilding the U.S. Merchant Marine and includes an important directive: identify and eliminate unnecessary credentialing requirements for American mariners.
The White House recognizes a significant truth that has been overlooked for years: you can build many ships, but without licensed mariners to operate them, they are merely costly vessels docked at the pier.
The Military Sealift Command has already had to reduce operations due to a shortage of qualified crews. Anyone who has worked on an MSC vessel knows the challenges of a ship being unable to set sail because of inadequate staffing.
So, when the Coast Guard launched NAVITA, a new portal for merchant mariner credentialing, on September 14, many were hopeful. As reported by gCaptain in June, the Coast Guard linked the project to the executive order, with Rear Adm. Rob Compher stating the objective was “to make it easier for mariners to get the credentials they need to work.”
That goal is indeed commendable.
For years, mariners have referred to the National Maritime Center in West Virginia as a bureaucratic nightmare. This summer, more than 19,000 applications were stuck in a backlog, with wait times reaching eight to twelve months.
I hold a Master Unlimited license and have spent over ten years at sea on various ships, including tankers, containerships, and MSC vessels. I've experienced the Coast Guard's credentialing process firsthand, so I logged in to test NAVITA.
In short, it doesn't resolve the issues.
NAVITA does not seem to tackle the problems it was meant to address.
What Is NAVITA?
The Coast Guard promotes NAVITA as a tool to expedite the credentialing process by ensuring applications are complete. It highlights missing items during the process, calculates fees, and connects to Pay.gov for immediate payment.
While this sounds beneficial, the actual issue is not a lack of included documents; it lies in the complex and confusing rules governing credentialing. As a result, the documentation often contains incorrect information. The problem is that the paperwork may look complete, but it can still be rejected by the Coast Guard.
Unfortunately, NAVITA, particularly in its initial version, does not seem equipped to differentiate between complete and correctly filled applications.
Why Do Applications Get Rejected?
Any mariner who has gone through a renewal process will share similar stories.
No one forgets their physical exam, but many applicants run into trouble because doctors need to initial and date every page of the report, which many doctors are not aware of, leading to rejections.
Similarly, no one misses their drug test, but many mariners inadvertently take tests that the Coast Guard doesn’t accept, resulting in further complications.
Everyone submits sea service letters, but many don’t check if the tonnage matches what the National Vessel Documentation Center has on file or doesn’t verify that the dates are accurate, which can lead to issues during evaluation.
And payment? NAVITA even includes a fee calculator, yet during my testing, it often gave me incorrect amounts and suggested higher fees than I actually owed.
So does NAVITA catch any of these issues?
The answer is NO.
It checks that files are present but does not consider their content.
This is a critical distinction since the system's main goal should be reducing application errors.
What Are "Optional Uploads"?
When I tried to renew a more complex endorsement, NAVITA provided me with a list of "optional uploads." Some were irrelevant, while others were incorrect.
This can confuse mariners looking to complete training based on suggestions from NAVITA, leading them to pay for unnecessary requirements.
Does NAVITA Actually Automate Anything?
Not really.
NAVITA does not verify the data you input. For example, I entered an address not found in the USPS database, and it accepted it without question, which could result in your credential being sent to the wrong address.
It also does not check the documents you upload. Whether the scan is readable, if a page is missing, or if the wrong form is uploaded doesn’t matter as long as the file ends with .pdf.
And if the technical team struggles with the fee calculator, it raises doubts about their ability to tackle more complicated automation as promised in future releases.
I honestly can't say.
What Did $3.8 Million Buy?
As reported by gCaptain last September, the Coast Guard awarded Stealth Solutions, a Salesforce consulting partner, a five-year contract worth up to $49.6 million for credentialing modernization. The first phase, which cost $3.8 million, funded the initial release of NAVITA.
Here’s what that initial release does: it takes your information and converts it into a PDF. That’s the extent. There’s no backend system. Informants indicate that staff is re-entering details from Salesforce into the old NMC system for evaluators to review as before. So, that’s $3.8 million for just a PDF, with $45.8 million remaining on the contract.
The Coast Guard will argue this is just the first phase and better features are forthcoming. I've heard that promise before. If I were to consult my Magic 8 Ball about the future for every mariner waiting in line, it would likely say, “Outlook not good.” Moreover, friends working with Salesforce mention that additional unlocks are often charged, which could potentially lead to complications for underfunded departments like the NMC.
Who Tested It Before Launch?
From what I've gathered, user testing involved a small group of service academy and union members, many of whom don’t handle credentialing cases daily, making them ill-equipped to judge NAVITA's accuracy.
Industry professionals were not included in the testing process. Mariners and operators relying on this system didn't interact with it until launch day. My two Navy friends, seeking to transition into this sector, have expressed confusion about the process.
Why Does Everything Have to Be a PDF?
Uploads must be in PDF format—no photos or Word documents. While several mobile applications can convert images to PDFs seamlessly, NAVITA lacks that capability, as Salesforce doesn't provide it out of the box.
Who owns a scanner in 2026?
The Coast Guard will say paper applications are still acceptable. You can personally submit your application at one of 19 Regional Exam Centers. However, of these, only 16 are open, and none are located in the Pacific. Moreover, if you're trying to find forms CG-719B and CG-719C on the NMC site, you'll discover the download links are missing. A friend stuck in this situation was even told he had to submit a Freedom of Information Act request just to access his file.
So, how are mariners supposed to utilize the paper option?
Why Salesforce?
Credentialing is a complex process for the Coast Guard, involving various factors like endorsements, sea time, medical standards, and training regulations that all interconnect. Despite this, the Coast Guard chose Salesforce, a costly platform designed primarily for tracking sales leads, to manage it. Any additional functionalities that Salesforce does not offer must be developed using Apex, Salesforce’s programming language that resembles Java.
Now, the Coast Guard is committed to one vendor, incurring costs for every customization, yet still lacks basic features one would expect from any website in 2026, likely without the budget needed for essential programming upgrades.
There are also concerns that Apex solutions might be outsourcing tasks to Southeast Asia. While this raises questions about potential exposure of sensitive information like FBI background checks or veterans' records, addressing these concerns could be managed through regular updates or community engagement led by USCG representatives.
What About Employers?
Many companies manage credentials for their crews because if a mariner’s credential lapses, they cannot work, which may prevent the ship from sailing. However, NAVITA only allows mariners to designate an individual as a third party, even though the OMB-approved form CG-719B permits employers and unions to do so.
U.S.-flagged operators crew the commercial fleet that the Defense Department relies on for strategic sealift, so any hindrances in ensuring proper crew credentialing pose a risk to strategic operations. Employers can list job vacancies on the gCaptain job board, yet they must verify credentials and resumes before hiring anyone, and NAVITA complicates that process. Given that many U.S. flagged vessels are involved in critical national security operations today, this raises considerable concerns for our military.
Is This What Maritime Dominance Looks Like?
The executive order instructed the government to eliminate obstacles for mariners, yet NAVITA introduces new ones.
My prediction is that NAVITA may shorten the queue in one way—not as intended. Experienced mariners who have consistently renewed their credentials will take one look at this system, grow frustrated, and choose to retire instead.
A few years ago, Captain John Konrad, the founder of gCaptain, published an editorial titled “Admiral, I Am NOT Ready For War.” His point was that equipment alone does not win wars; it is the people who do. This remains true today. We currently lack enough mariners, and every one we lose due to a flawed website reduces the pool available when our country requires them.