67
AUGUST 2026
MEMBER NEWS
M
ITAGS has launched a pro-
gram to supply Maryland 
mariners with free naviga-
tion tools and study materials. 
The MITAGS Deck Study & Plot-
ting Pack – Maryland No-Cost Gear 
Upgrade Initiative is a workforce de-
velopment program designed to help 
Maryland mariners advance their U.S. 
Coast Guard deck credentials by re-
moving financial barriers to essential 
navigation tools and study materials.
Each pack has an estimated retail value 
of up to $400 dollars and will be pro-
vided to eligible Maryland residents 
at no charge. The professional-grade 
navigation and study kit is intended 
to support mariners from able seaman 
(AB) to master.
The kits include navigation plotting 
tools commonly used for Coast Guard 
exam preparation and license advance-
ment, including a Weems & Plath Basic 
Navigation Set, additional divider, two 
navigational triangles, three NOAA 
nautical training charts, “The American 
Practical Navigator” (Bowditch), and 
the Coast Guard “Navigation Rules and 
Regulations Handbook.” Also included 
are study supplies such as soft drafting 
pencils and plotting sheets. 
“By reducing the financial burden 
associated with navigation gear and 
study materials, we hope to create more 
opportunities for mariners to pursue 
credential upgrades and strengthen the 
maritime workforce,” said Catherine 
Gianelloni, director of MITAGS East. 
Maryland residents must complete a 
survey to receive the grant. MITAGS 
will schedule a time for recipients to 
pick up kits in person. 
Funding is through a joint effort be-
tween Maryland Department of Labor, 
Maryland Works for Wind, Baltimore 
County Department of Economic & 
Workforce Development, and the U.S. 
Department of Commerce’s Good 
Jobs Challenge grant program, ad-
ministered by the Economic Develop- 
ment Administration.
MEMBER NEWS
MITAGS Offers Free Study and  
Navigation Tools to Maryland Mariners
PHOTO: MITAGS 
MITAGS is offering a free study and plotting pack to Maryland Mariners.
We do 
more than 
collaborate;
we empower 
you through 
partnership 
Kongsberg Maritime  
Protechting People and Planet

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