Coast Guard

Published on: August 11, 2026

What Mariners Should Know About the Coast Guard’s New NAVITA Credentialing System

The U.S. Coast Guard is rolling out a new digital credentialing platform in September 2026 and if you make your living on a boat, it is worth learning about. The system is called NAVITA, and it is meant to replace the patchwork of paper forms, mailed documents, and status check phone calls that mariners have relied on for years to get and renew their Merchant Mariner Credentials and medical certificates.

The timing is not an accident. This year’s federal funding lapse forced the National Maritime Center to pause much of its work, and when it reopened in May, the agency was faced with a backlog of more than 19,000 applications, with processing times projected at eight to twelve months for some mariners. NAVITA is the U.S. Coast Guard’s answer to that backlog, along with the earlier ASAP portal that replaced the long-running HOMEPORT system after it was shut down last year.

For a lot of mariners, especially the ones fishing out of Seattle, Kodiak, and Dutch Harbor, a modernized system sounds like good news, and it may well be, eventually. Fewer lost documents and clearer status updates should be an improvement over the paper documents. But it is worth asking who this system is built for, and who it might leave behind.

Published on: August 11, 2026

What US and Norwegian Coast Guard Drills Mean for Alaskan Fleets

by Nigel Stacey

U.S. Coast Guard crew members from the Legend-class national security cutter USCGC Stone (WMSL 758) work alongside Norwegian coast guard crew members from HOPEN during joint training, off the Newport, Rhode Island coast, July 10, 2026. The training allows both crews to build familiarity, share operational expertise and improve coordinated response in Arctic conditions. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Laticia Sims)

The U.S. Coast Guard has completed a major Arctic interoperability exercise, and the coastlines involved help explain why the training matters so much to those of us on the water. Between July 8th and July 15th, 2026, crews aboard the Legend-class national security cutter USCGC STONE (WMSL 758) worked alongside the Norwegian Coast Guard Vessel HOPEN off the coast of New England and Newport, Rhode Island. The exercise, part of Operation Arctic Cohesion (OAC) 2026, focused on crew exchanges, joint underway training, and shared best practices for Arctic operations, and it was observed by partner nations Canada and Finland as part of the broader Arctic Coast Guard Forum (ACGF).

It is worth noting that Norway, of all nations, is a natural training partner. Norway’s mainland coastline runs about 15,500 miles, but if you count every fjord, inlet, and offshore skerry, the total stretches past 62,000 miles, making it one of the most fragmented coastlines on Earth. A fjord is a long, narrow, glacially carved inlet, flanked by steep cliffs, where retreating ice sheets left behind a deep U-shaped valley that seawater later filled. That terrain, cold water, narrow passages, remote landings, is not so different from the coastline that Alaska’s own commercial fishing fleets navigate every season, where the state’s more than 34,000 miles of coastline (counting islands and inlets) presents many of the same search-and-rescue and vessel-safety challenges.

Published on: June 23, 2026

U.S. Coast Guard Helicopter Crashes Near Sitka, Alaska

by Nigel Stacey

A U.S. Coast Guard MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew from Air Station Sitka crashed during a training flight near Harbor Mountain in Sitka, Alaska, on Monday, June 22^nd, 2026. All four crew members aboard survived.

Watchstanders at the Arctic District command center received the initial report of the crash through the activation of the aircrew’s personal locator beacon at approximately 10:07 a.m. Sitka Fire and Rescue arrived on scene at approximately 11:00 a.m. and transported all four crew members to Mt. Edgecumbe Medical Center.

“We are incredibly relieved our crew members survived with only minor injuries,” said Rear Adm. Bob Little, commander of the Coast Guard’s Arctic District. “We are grateful for the swift response by the Sitka Fire and Rescue who assisted us during this critical time.”

Published on: April 28, 2026

Six Missing After Cargo Vessel Mariana Capsizes in Typhoon Sinlaku

by Nigel Stacey

On Wednesday, April 15, 2026, watchstanders at the Joint Rescue Coordination Center Honolulu received a report from the vessel manager of the M/V MARIANA, a 145-foot U.S. registered dry cargo ship that regularly transports goods between Guam, Tinian, and Saipan. The vessel’s starboard engine was disabled while carrying six people, leaving it stranded approximately 140 miles north-northwest of Saipan. The crew reported the disabled engine just as Typhoon Sinlaku approached the region.

The U.S. Coast Guard established an hourly communication schedule with the M/V MARIANA through the vessel’s manager. On Wednesday evening, communications went silent, and contact was never reestablished.

On Thursday morning, a U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Barbers Point HC-130 Hercules airplane crew launched from Guam to search for the vessel but were forced to return to Guam due to heavy winds in the search area. That same day, Super Typhoon Sinlaku made landfall on the island of Tinian with sustained winds of 145 mph and torrential rain. The storm pummeled the region for roughly 48 hours. On Saipan, it triggered flooding, tore roofs from buildings, and overturned vehicles. More than 15,000 residents lost power. The Northern Marianas government requested an expedited federal disaster declaration.

Published on: April 7, 2026

Deadliest Catch Deckhand Todd Meadows’ Cause of Death Revealed

by Nigel Stacey

The official cause of death has been released for Todd Meadows, the deckhand who died February 25, 2026, after falling overboard from the F/V ALEUTIAN LADY during filming of Deadliest Catch Season 22. Todd Meadows cause of death was reported as drowning with probable hypothermia and submersion in cold water. The Alaska Department of Health has ruled the incident an accident.

The F/V ALEUTIAN LADY is one of the vessels featured on the long running reality series. Meadows had joined the crew in May 2025 and had not yet appeared on air at the time of his death. Captain Rick Shelford announced the loss on social media, calling it “the most tragic day in the history of the Aleutian Lady on the Bering Sea.” He remembered Meadows as someone whose enthusiasm and strong work ethic made him family almost immediately.

Meadows was from Montesano, Washington, and leaves behind three young sons. A GoFundMe established in his memory has raised more than $60,000.

Published on: March 18, 2026

Two Killed in Confined Space Incident Aboard Barge Near Ketchikan

by Nigel Stacey

It is with great sadness that we report the deaths of two maritime workers following a fatal confined space incident aboard the freight barge WAYNEHOE, moored approximately 25 miles northwest of Ketchikan, Alaska, near Skowl Arm on Prince of Wales Island.

According to the U.S. Coast Guard, watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Southeast Alaska in Juneau received a mayday call at 9:14 a.m. on Sunday reporting that the crew of the tug vessel CHUKCHI SEA had lost contact with four crewmembers inside a confined space aboard the barge. The tug and barge are owned by Hamilton Marine Construction, a Bellingham, Washington-based company.

The U.S. Coast Guard directed the launch of a 45-foot Response Boat-Medium crew from Coast Guard Station Ketchikan, with members of the South Tongass Volunteer Fire Department aboard, to respond to the incident. While en route, the crew of the CHUKCHI SEA recovered one deceased crewmember and assisted two survivors out of the confined space.

Published on: March 10, 2026

In Memory of AST2 Tyler Jaggers: Honoring a Hero

by Nigel Stacey

The maritime community lost one of its finest on March 5^th, 2026. Aviation Survival Technician Second Class Tyler Jaggers, assigned to U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Astoria, passed away from critical injuries sustained while rescuing a distressed mariner from a commercial vessel offshore.

On February 27, 2026, Jaggers was part of an MH-60 Jayhawk crew responding to a medical emergency aboard the G/C MOMI ARROW, which was located approximately 120 miles west of Cape Flattery, Washington at the time of the incident.

In the hours that followed his injury, Jaggers was airlifted to Victoria General Hospital in British Columbia, then transferred to Madigan Army Medical Center at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Tacoma, Washington, where he received medical care surrounded by those who loved him.

Published on: February 17, 2026

New Coast Guard Cutter for Alaska’s Demanding Waters

by Nigel Stacey

The USCGC FREDERICK MANN is the sixth Fast Response Cutter (FRC) assigned to the Arctic District and the third for Kodiak. These aren’t ceremonial vessels, they are crucial for conducting search and rescue operations when fishing vessels are in distress, patrol fisheries to protect one of the nation’s most valuable natural resources, and defend the maritime borders.

Alaska’s coastline is longer than the entire rest of the United States combined. However, for decades the U.S. Coast Guard has relied on aging patrol boats built in the 1980s to cover this area. The new generation of FRCs represents a significant upgrade. These new vessels are equipped with advanced surveillance and communications systems and capable of deploying smaller boats over the horizon to reach vessels in distress or under suspicion.

The USCGC FREDERICK MANN will be incorporated into the U.S. Coast Guard during a significant period of modernization. After the commissioning of the USCGC STORIS (the service’s first new polar icebreaker in more than 25 years) the Arctic District is also set to receive two additional Offshore Patrol Cutters soon. For a region where climate change is opening new shipping lanes and creating new security challenges, this is an important addition.

Published on: February 10, 2026

Coast Guard Launches Formal Investigation into Fatal F/V Lily Jean Sinking

by Nigel Stacey

The U.S. Coast Guard has officially launched a district-level investigation into the sinking of the fishing vessel LILY JEAN, which occurred approximately 25 miles off Cape Ann, Massachusetts, and resulted in the loss of seven lives.

Commander of the U.S. Coast Guard’s Northeast District, Rear Adm. Michael Platt, authorized the inquiry after the 72-foot commercial fishing vessel’s entire crew was lost in the incident. Emergency responders were alerted when the vessel’s emergency beacon (EPIRB) activated around 6:50 a.m. that morning.

Multiple U.S. Coast Guard units responded to the distress call, including an Air Station Cape Cod helicopter crew, a Gloucester small boat team, and the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter THUNDER BAY. Rescuers discovered a debris field at the beacon’s location and retrieved one deceased individual from the water. The vessel’s life raft was found deployed but empty.

Published on: February 3, 2026

Seven Lost Following the Sinking of F/V Lily Jean

by Nigel Stacey

It is with great sadness that we report the U.S. Coast Guard has suspended its search for the F/V LILY JEAN after more than 24 hours of effort by air and sea turned up no survivors. One body was recovered from the water. Six crew members remain missing and are now presumed dead.

The distress began early Friday morning, when the U.S. Coast Guard received an emergency beacon activation signal from the F/V LILY JEAN, a 72-foot groundfish trawler based out of Gloucester. The vessel had gone down approximately 25 miles off the coast of Cape Ann, about 40 miles northeast of Boston. Repeated attempts to reach the boat by radio went unanswered.

The F/V LILY JEAN was captained by Accursio “Gus” Sanfilippo, a fifth-generation Gloucester fisherman. The crew included Paul Beal Sr. and his son Paul Beal Jr., John Paul Rousanidis, Freeman Short, and Sean Therrien. Also aboard was Jada Samitt, a 22-year-old NOAA fisheries observer from Virginia, assigned to collect data on the vessel’s catch.