Getting Started

Onboarding: your first hour with Binnacle

This guide gets you from signup to an accurate fleet compliance score in about 60 minutes. Read it through, then work the checklist.

What you'll do

  1. Add your vessels (5 min each)
  2. Add your crew members (3 min each)
  3. Assign crew to vessels (1 min each)
  4. Upload a photo of each credential (30 sec each — AI does the rest)
  5. Watch the compliance score update in real time

Step 1 · Add your vessels

Dashboard → Vessels → Add vessel. You need:

  • Name (e.g., MV Pacific Spirit)
  • Official number (from COI — required for accurate CFR matching)
  • Subchapter — from the COI: K, T, H, M, I, L, or Other
  • Gross tonnage (required — drives endorsement grades)
  • Home port
  • COI expiration

Binnacle uses subchapter + tonnage + route to compute which credentials each crew position requires per 46 CFR Part 15. Wrong tonnage = wrong requirements, so get this right.

Step 2 · Add your crew

Dashboard → Crew → Add member. You need:

  • Name (first, last)
  • MMC number (Z-prefix for new cards, 9-digit for legacy)
  • Position (Master, Mate, Engineer, AB, OS, Deckhand, Cook/Steward)
  • Email + phone (so the crew member receives SMS alerts at 14/7/0 days before credential expiration)
  • Hire date

Step 3 · Upload credential photos

Go to each crew member's detail page and click Add credential. Upload a clear photo (phone camera is fine) of:

  • Merchant Mariner Credential (MMC)
  • TWIC Card (front)
  • Medical Certificate (CG-719K)
  • Drug test result
  • STCW certificates (Basic Training, Advanced Firefighting, PSC, etc.)
  • CPR/First Aid certificate
  • Sea service letter (Binnacle auto-calculates endorsement upgrade eligibility)

Our AI classifies the document type and extracts fields automatically. Takes about 30 seconds per document. You can paste MMC numbers manually if you don't have photos yet — Binnacle will verify them against the USCG National Maritime Center directly.

Step 4 · Watch the compliance score

Go to the Dashboard. The big number (0-100) is your fleet compliance score:

  • 100: Every credential valid, nothing in the 90-day warning window
  • 80-99: Some credentials approaching expiration — normal operating state, plan renewals
  • 60-80: Attention needed — multiple expirations coming or one already expired
  • Below 60: High inspection risk — act immediately

Step 5 · Set up alerts

Settings → Alerts. Default: email at 90/60/30/14/7/0 days before any credential expires. SMS kicks in at 14/7/0 days to crew members with phone numbers on file. Admins always get email alerts. Crew members get SMS if their phone is on file.

Step 6 · Review COI requirements

Each vessel page shows a COI requirements section. We auto-generate this from 46 CFR based on subchapter + tonnage + route + passenger count. Green ✓ = requirement met, Red ✗ = gap you need to fix (hire, promote, or re-certify a crew member).

This section tells you what an inspector will check. Close these gaps before they find them.

Common questions

Do I need to enter every credential manually?

No. Three paths:

  1. Photo upload: AI extracts fields. Fastest for bulk onboarding.
  2. MMC number only: Binnacle queries USCG, results come back via email we parse automatically.
  3. Manual: Type fields in a form. Last resort.

What if USCG changes a rule?

We monitor the Federal Register daily. When a USCG rule affects your fleet's subchapter or a credential you track, you see an alert on the Alerts page with impact assessment and a link to the full rule text.

What data do you share with USCG?

We submit credential verification requests to the USCG Homeport system on your behalf — the same request any port inspector can make. We do not share your crew roster, vessel data, or compliance status with USCG or any third party beyond the subprocessors listed in our DPA.

What if I have 50+ vessels?

Contact sales@binnacleai.com. We offer Enterprise pricing with per-crew billing, SSO, SOC 2 reports, and custom integrations. Onboarding in about 2 weeks for a 50-100 vessel fleet.

I'm stuck.

Email support@binnacleai.com or reply to any Binnacle email — the founder reads every message. During business hours (8am-6pm HST) you'll get a response within an hour.

Need the USCG regulatory references? See our plain-English guide to 46 CFR Part 15.