A new digital platform offering free sea-time logging for yacht crew has launched at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show (FLIBS) on 28 October 2026, aiming to streamline how crew document their professional records using vessel AIS data.
Verified Crew, founded by Captain Ken Maff after 25 years at sea, combines sea-time records, certificates, medical documentation and identity verification into a single free digital wallet. The platform is designed to reduce the administrative burden crew face when applying for certificates, enrolling in courses or changing jobs.
Under the system, crew connect their vessel to the platform, which uses the vessel's AIS track to help automatically build a sea-time record. Crew can also upload photographs of their documents, with the wallet reading expiry dates and sending reminders before certificates or medicals lapse.
Every document uploaded is validated free of charge, with machine learning checks screening for AI-generated content and Photoshop manipulation, and whether the document already exists on the platform. Each document is then certified with a SHA-256 hash.
The wallet and AIS-based sea-time logging remain free of charge. However, Verified Crew offers a paid tier of verification services, covering identity, criminal-record, watchlist, sanctions, employment and professional credential checks.
On the question of who should pay, Verified Crew points to the Maritime Labour Convention 2006, Standard A1.4, paragraph 5(b), which states that "no fees or other charges for seafarer recruitment or placement or for providing employment to seafarers are borne directly or indirectly, in whole or in part, by the seafarer". In that spirit, the company advocates for vessels to cover the cost of background checks. Where a crew member pays for a check themselves, Verified Crew says it will proactively engage with the vessel they join to seek reimbursement, and will refund the crew member directly if they have paid out of pocket. The company says it does not want cost to be a barrier to crew holding a verified background check.
"Crew spend years earning their qualifications and building their experience," Maff said. "They deserve a professional record that stays with them from boat to boat, and the people hiring them should be able to see exactly what's been checked. The proof matters."
Jason Rodrigues, the company's chief technology officer, said the AIS feature was designed to cut down on manual record-keeping. "AIS gives us a record of the vessel's movements that can help crew document their sea time," he said. "That means less work reconstructing dates later."
To coincide with the launch, crew attending FLIBS can claim a free ID check by signing up at Verified Crew's website using the code FLIBS26. The offer runs from 28 October to 1 November 2026, expiring when the show closes.
The company noted that AIS-based logging depends on a vessel transmitting its signal and on the availability of coverage, meaning gaps could affect the completeness of a record. It added that the tool is intended to support, rather than replace, formal sea-time documentation, with final acceptance of sea service remaining at the discretion of the MCA or other relevant maritime authorities.