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I would say a quarter of my class goes straight to a local shore job. The IUOE local rates here start around $30-$40/hr. To get those you have to be a little flexible. Some of my friends sailing out of Seattle can't come anywhere near that unless they go field service or something lovely. The degree just opens up more options which is always a good thing.
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May 24, 2011 03:32
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90 day fly out to Japan. Oh God I'm not ready to work.
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May 25, 2011 20:57
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lightpole posted:90 day fly out to Japan. Oh God I'm not ready to work. No one is ever ready. Enjoy recovering from your long rear end flight and jet lag by immediately starting a 10 hour shift! Although hey, Japan's a lot better than Duluth, so... I'm kinda jealous.
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May 26, 2011 02:10
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What kind of route are you following there, lightpole? Enjoy, it's funny... I just can't wait to get back to it, but then I'm a cadet, so yeah.
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May 26, 2011 02:27
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Two Finger posted:What kind of route are you following there, lightpole?  Two Finger posted:Enjoy, it's funny... I just can't wait to get back to it, but then I'm a cadet, so yeah. In the meanwhile... Gonna ship out in June, hopefully. Probably gonna go back to where I was before, but I could use a lifestyle change. I keep getting recruitment websites emails for seismic surveys, anybody has any thoughts about those? (No experience there, tho, so...)
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May 26, 2011 02:51
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Ro/Ro going where-ever so I have no idea. Possibly between Japan/Korea for military cargo or something but thats just a guess.
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May 26, 2011 03:02
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lightpole posted:Ro/Ro going where-ever so I have no idea. Possibly between Japan/Korea for military cargo or something but thats just a guess. I heard from a friend that RoRos have some of the nicest crew accommodations. Confirm/deny?
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May 26, 2011 03:06
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localized posted:I heard from a friend that RoRos have some of the nicest crew accommodations. Confirm/deny? The only one I ever was on had *two* saunas, one for the officers and one for the crew. Cause the last thing I want to see when I'm off duty is a naked, sweaty, overweight *unlicensed* dude. The boat was 25 years old, tho, so the saunas didn't work... And the engineers were concentrating on keeping the toilets working. FrozenVent fucked around with this message at 05:14 on May 13, 2013 |
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May 26, 2011 03:19
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localized posted:I heard from a friend that RoRos have some of the nicest crew accommodations. Confirm/deny? From what Ive seen its just another ship, the accommodations can only get so nice. On a ship space that isnt used towards cargo is wasted space and a loss of money. There are some parts of the ship that cant be used for certain cargo types which is where the crew and engine goes. The more space available, the more things you can put in there but only if the company wants to pay for it.
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May 26, 2011 17:40
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lightpole posted:From what Ive seen its just another ship, the accommodations can only get so nice. On a ship space that isnt used towards cargo is wasted space and a loss of money. There are some parts of the ship that cant be used for certain cargo types which is where the crew and engine goes. The more space available, the more things you can put in there but only if the company wants to pay for it. Within certain limits it's more a matter of weight and cost; the accomodations go on top of the engine room where you can't stow poo poo anyhow, so the limit is essentially your maximum airdraft... Plus Ro/ros have these huge shelter decks that rarely gets used, I guess. Although if you're talking MSC, those things look like they're built like military boats and just packed with poo poo floor to ceilling, I wouldn't know. All of the cargo boats I've been on where the big white building at the back type. I'd say the main factor in accomodation quality is where the boat was built, and for who more than the type. Nicest I've seen was built in Belgium for Belgian crews, that thing had awesome housing, even if it was old as gently caress. Built in Japan for FOC crews was nice, built in Canada for Canadian crew is meh, the public areas are usually lovely... Of course there's really no way to know any of that before you join; you might be able to find out where it was built and go from there, but even then you're just taking a guess. Accomodation quality is rarely an issue, anyway. Food quality and not being stuck with assholes is much more important, IMHO, and that's entirely dependent on who's onboard right then.
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May 27, 2011 16:07
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Yeah the only Ro/Ro I've been on were grey hulls which are totally different. All flights to Japan canceled due to a typhoon. At least I got most of my errands done and can relax instead of rushing around.
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May 28, 2011 01:06
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Sup, fellow boat goons! I don't have a lot to share right now since I am currently in the middle of my first rotation as a processor on a seismic vessel but I will be certain to keep up with this thread. If anyone has any questions for a first timer, I will be happy to answer them as best I can. Bear in mind that I'm not a part of the marine crew so I may be unable to answer questions about licenses and such since I have none other than my offshore safety certification.
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May 30, 2011 22:01
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Hey buddy, whereabouts are you working at the moment? Seismic sounds like something worth getting into, I hear there's some pretty good money there.
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May 31, 2011 00:08
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I keep getting recruitment emails for seismic jobs, I haven't bothered applying because I've got no offshore experience... Is seismic as boring as it sounds? How are the conditions?
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May 31, 2011 02:05
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Finally, fly out to Nagoya tomorrow. I finally remembered what I had heard about this company, they like to keep people on as long as they can so they dont have to buy plane tickets from the states to Japan, business class at that. Ive also heard questionable things about the food but we will see. Im not too worried about the sea time since I need it for the union and my license upgrade. I did 6 months my last ship and as long as this ship is lower stress without an rear end in a top hat chief and 1st Ill be ok. I think I spent over $200 on snacks and half my duffel is filled with almonds, sunflower and pumpkin seeds.
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Jun 1, 2011 07:57
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I stopped caring at business class. I am jealous and I hate you. Consider also that money spent on snacks / onboard entertainment is part of the cost of doing business without going batshit, and should not be considered part of your net income. I mean that seriously. Finally, knowledge nugget of the day: A gigantic CD wallet full of DVDs / CD, with headphones and adapters stuffed in it, will freak the gently caress out of airport security. Don't put the wires in the CD Wallet, causes apparently a stack of DVDs show up on the X-Ray the same color as some other kind of plastic... Yeah, I once packed about 10 pounds worth of DVD and a TV in a regular size suitcase. That was the most awesome contract ever. (Bought the sunflower seeds once I was onboard, tho.) My room had a friggin couch, yall. FrozenVent fucked around with this message at 15:38 on Jun 1, 2011 |
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Jun 1, 2011 12:24
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International flights are all business class by contract. gently caress CD's thats what hard drive is for. Much smaller too.
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Jun 1, 2011 16:05
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Signed on to a RoRo tramp ship a few hours ago, setting sail the morning after tomorrow. SoCal, Guam, Korea, Okinawa, Japan, Mexico, Panama, East Coast. See you loving NEVER.
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Jun 2, 2011 07:28
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Hey, at least you get to see the world! Adventure! The unexpected! Exotic places!I'm kinda jealous. But then I've been ashore since October, so yeah, I need a swift kick in the head. How long did you sign up for?
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Jun 2, 2011 09:24
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J Corp posted:Signed on to a RoRo tramp ship a few hours ago, setting sail the morning after tomorrow. Did you get the Green Dale or Wave?
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Jun 2, 2011 14:07
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I'm applying for a deck officers cadetship with SSTG (UK). I recently dropped out of uni (just not for me) and in my perusing the merchant navy really stood out to me as a good career path. Is there anything I can do to get a taste of the lifestyle or to make my application sturdier? I'm also in two minds as how to present my year at uni and how I ended up looking at boats. In truth I had never really considered the MN until now, but I'm really up for it and am keen to start a career. I have some business management qualifications prior to uni which I thought might (with some massaging) support a deck officer application due to the role of responsibility etc etc inherent in the role. Thanks for any advice or titbits anyone can offer, I'm really in knowledge assimilation mode as far as this goes.
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Jun 2, 2011 16:29
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Disclaimer: I'm a total loving idiot, and I have a chief mate's license with no time on it, which means I'm full of it. And I don't know much about how the UK works. Take everything with a grain of salt. Don't stress too much. Try to get in touch with a graduate of the program, find out how many people were in his class. There might not be that much competition; some programs have "Has a high school diploma and a pulse" as their admission requirements these days. SSTG's website has a lot of information about the process and there's even puns in some of their PDFs, so they're not that stuck up. Probably worth shooting them an email with a ton of questions, they'll have answers and they might remember you being all eager. If you don't already have a passport, get one. Same with your MN medical, if it's not too expensive. If you can get a discharge book, that would show some comittment. Some sort of "Intro to pleasure boating" course might help a touch with your interview, but not a whole lot. The interviewers probably don't expect you to know much. If you can get your hands on a copy of Klaus Van Dookum's Ship Knowledge, that's a pretty good primer... It's not on Amazon for some reason. Your year at uni isn't really a drawback, especially if you did some coursework in maths. Emphasis your maturity, professionalism, eagerness to learn and so on. Basically, tell them "I'm not a 17 year old dickhead who's gonna drink every night, fail half his classes and then drop out to go work at McDonald's." Responsability, leadership, etc... Always a plus. Demonstrate an abillity to think under pressure, I'm sure they'll like that. Foreign languages are a plus. You're approaching this as a career, which is great. Emphasis that. Half of my classmates were all about "Seeking a new adventure", "Seeing the world" and "DOLPHINS!!!!!". Two thirds of my class dropped out, there was some overlap. (I was a "Heh, why not" and I'm still around so... accidents happen.) So you know. Great career opportunity in an in-demand field, great personnal challenges and opportunities for character development, interesting field and oh, also the chance to travel. The interview is probably mostly an attitude check. Be respectful of authority, confident, don't be afraid to admit you don't know the answer to a question. That's another area where contacting a past or actual student might help a great deal; I didn't have to do interviews so I wouldn't know. If I had to hazard a guess, I'd say be aware of the hardships that come with a career at sea, don't overemphasis your need for family and girlfriends and don't be a fricking idiot. Any questions, feel free of course. Sadly I don't have anybody in the UK I can refer you to.
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Jun 2, 2011 17:36
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Two Finger posted:Hey buddy, whereabouts are you working at the moment? Sorry I've been out of touch for a while. Been living it up in Las Palmas for the last few days. Our boat was in for some work so we got to go on shore leave for a while after shift. We're currently going north up to the coast of Ireland to begin our next project. I will only be on board a few days during shooting before crew change and flying back home. The money is definitely good (highest paying job I've had so far) but the kicker for the deal is that you are only supposed to work on a 5 week rotation. This means you are getting a full years salary and are only supposed to be working half the year. It varies based on company whether you have to go into the office to do work during your off time. FrozenVent posted:I keep getting recruitment emails for seismic jobs, I haven't bothered applying because I've got no offshore experience... I had no offshore experience either before joining up so I can relate. With the boring question, it depends on what you define as boring. If you mean that the work is repetitive and you are usually doing the same thing for 12 hours a day every day of the week for 5 weeks then yes, it can get very boring. On the other hand, you can be called out to assist on deck or with unloading or loading the boat so there is definitely some variability in the work routine. Most of my off time I spend either sleeping or eating so boredom is not too big of an issue. There is also a gym on board that I frequently use. The boat itself is very nice: it's a brand new boat with a lot of comforts in the cabins like TV's, dvd players and game consoles in the TV lounge. Food is also excellent but that is because we have an unlimited food budget and a 5 star chef on board so your mileage may vary. One other thing: if you have never been offshore before and have not had your tonsils out, be prepared to be sick as a dog when the weather picks. You will get seasick at some point, just a matter of when. Today was my day so I'm writing this in between my sessions of praying to the porcelain gods so be ready for that.
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Jun 2, 2011 20:34
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Tactical Grace posted:I'm applying for a deck officers cadetship.... Everything FrozenVent said is gospel. I am a UK deck cadet at the moment in my first sea phase. There are some serious mongs in my class so I wouldn't worry too much about entry. In the interview they are mainly looking to see that you comprehend what the career entails. Other than some typical interview questions for any industry they will ask you how you would cope being away from home for long periods, how you would feel to be the only British person on board a ship for said long period, if you think you could cope with the sometimes harsh working conditions, etc. They also want to see that you have well researched the career and may ask you about different types of merchant vessel, the career progression/different ranks (see this http://www.careersatsea.org/careers/). They probably will ask you if there is anyone in your family or friends that are or have been at sea in any capacity. They will ask you if you have had any experience at sea. I had neither of these things but it didn't seem to matter too much; they just want to see that you have fully considered it and aren't just going on some whim. What you are doing right now is what they are looking for really; you could put in you application that you have spoken with qualified officers and cadets about the career. Batter on with any other questions if you've got them. There is also this website if you havn't seen it already, http://www.officercadet.com/index.php there is some ok information within it, they are all a bit too keen for me personally but they know their stuff. As for the university thing don't worry too much about it, just be honest and show real enthusiasm for the career at sea. There were plenty of people in my class who'd been to university and not finished it; spin it into a positive experience if you can. See if you can get this to work for you http://video.stv.tv/bc/Programmes/programmes-themerchantnavy/ and try to catch Mighty Ships on freeview channel Quest (it's a bit overly dramatic but has some interesting episodes). Also the fact you were in university I hope you are applying for the Foundation Degree (Professional Diploma in Scotland) because the HND/HNC would be way to slow for you,the FD/PD isn't taxing at all as long as you know how to take notes/study. quote:Basically, tell them "I'm not a 17 year old dickhead who's gonna drink every night, fail half his classes and then drop out to go work at McDonald's." Funnily enough, one of the best guys in my class came from working at MacDonald's.
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Jun 2, 2011 21:52
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mr_cardholder posted:One other thing: if you have never been offshore before and have not had your tonsils out, be prepared to be sick as a dog when the weather picks. You will get seasick at some point, just a matter of when. Today was my day so I'm writing this in between my sessions of praying to the porcelain gods so be ready for that. I should clarify: I've been "Offshore" before, as in lost sight of land for a few weeks. I've never worked for the offshore industry, however. Most of my experience is dirt boats. magpie posted:As for the university thing don't worry too much about it, just be honest and show real enthusiasm for the career at sea. There were plenty of people in my class who'd been to university and not finished it; spin it into a positive experience if you can. There's a clear correlation between not having just come out of high school and not dropping out / flunking out. Your program is probably aware of this. Seriously, I'd worry more about passing the medical than about your year at uni holding you back. Might get a question at the interview. "Well, I got some soul-searching and some, erm, celebrating out of my system, sir." magpie posted:See if you can get this to work for you http://video.stv.tv/bc/Programmes/p...hemerchantnavy/ and try to catch Mighty Ships on freeview channel Quest (it's a bit overly dramatic but has some interesting episodes). Oh yeah, I should have recommended Mighty Ships. It's really interesting, you get to see all kind of ships and, somewhere in there there's some good information about every day life on a ship. Althought I was joking about the show with a friend yesterday, and she was all like "Yeah, sometimes I get bored on watch so I pretend I'm the narrator from Mighty Ship. Suddenly I'm Indiana-Fricking-Jones." The best one is the cowboy who killed a mushroom vent with his hat. That was an awesome episode. (It had everything Mighty Ships ever had to offer, plus cattle.) magpie posted:Funnily enough, one of the best guys in my class came from working at MacDonald's. On the other hand, plenty of graduate end up working dead end jobs that don't require a Nautical Science paper, because... I don't know. Seriously, every other month there's someone whining on Facebook that There Just Aren't Any Jobs. Meanwhile I have three messages on my answering machine. Like anything, this career is what you make of it, I guess.
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Jun 3, 2011 03:34
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lightpole posted:Did you get the Green Dale or Wave? Green Ridge. Only scheduled overnight is in Busan :/ The crew seems cool. But what the gently caress is the company thinking only having 2 oilers for the entire unlicenced side?
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Jun 3, 2011 04:04
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Wow thanks, lots of information. My SSTG application is on the rocks as I got a C in high-school maths (requirement is B). I phoned them up and had a chat with a guy who says I can organise a resit and put in my predicted grade so I guess I'll do that. He also said they have a 10:1 applications to places ratio for deck so gently caress me (30:1 in ETO). Magpie which agency did you go through? Yeah I would be going for the foundation, its obviously the better qualification and you can upgrade to a bachelors. I watched Mighty Ships when I first got interested, great show! Just started The Merchant Navy so I'm getting a full TV education going. He didn't give me a figure but said that engineering had a lower ratio. He also said to stick to my guns. I mean I would consider engineering, I just thought I'd be better on deck. But what do I know. I'm planning on applying to every agency and getting a MN medical asap - already have a passport, but I think most people in the UK do as out country is so small. Another thing he said another thing I should do is make my application stand out, I guess this is the personal statement section he's referring to. I got very good at this for journalism but I'm kind of in the dark as to how to present myself as an inspired potential sea person. Tactical Grace fucked around with this message at 10:30 on Jun 3, 2011 |
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Jun 3, 2011 10:09
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Tactical Grace posted:He also said they have a 10:1 applications to places ratio for deck so gently caress me (30:1 in ETO).  Don't give up yet, don't be afraid to apply to other places. 10:1 seems... High. 30:1 for ETO seems extremely loving high. They didn't give you the ratio for marine engineering by any chance? Show up with a passport, MN medical and discharge books and you'll be miles ahead of the pack, in any case. That ratio includes the half-blind dude who believes in his dream. Edit: Yeah, strange that he wouldn't give you a ratio for engineering. They *might* be puffing out those ratios a bit. FrozenVent fucked around with this message at 11:42 on Jun 3, 2011 |
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Jun 3, 2011 10:16
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I'm currently studying to be an Engineer in Australia. So if anyone has any Aus related questions I'd be happy to try to help. I've worked on Oil/Gas platforms for the last 5 years but wanted something with a bit more structured career path and a few more bits of paper with my name on it. There is basically no such thing as an ETO on Australian crewed vessels otherwise thats the position I'd be heading for.
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Jun 4, 2011 09:54
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So what's the figures... we've got FrozenVent on the deck side with his license, lightpole in engineering? Also with his license, me as an engine cadet, pazrs I guess as an engine cadet as well, magpie a deck cadet, poo poo, we're getting a few in here. That 10:1 is ridiculous, everywhere I've heard of is really hurting for qualified engineers and deck officers both. I have HEARD that engineers are in greater demand but certainly nothing like that.
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Jun 4, 2011 10:13
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Two Finger posted:That 10:1 is ridiculous, everywhere I've heard of is really hurting for qualified engineers and deck officers both. I have HEARD that engineers are in greater demand but certainly nothing like that. Well, that's a ratio of applications vs accepted cadets, so I can sort of see it. Companies, while they bitch about the shortage of officers, are never keen to take cadets. Meanwhile, cadets are extremely loving expensive to train (It's kind of hard to estimate, but I keep hearing numbers in the low six figure range) when you take into account simulators, teachers, facillities and so on. Plus travel, cadet pay, etc, etc. It adds up. They probably count everything they get as an application, tho, even that guy who flunked out of High School at the last minute, the guy who broke down crying at the interview and the blind chick. That probably cuts a lot of chaffe. I know the small nautical college I attended in Canada isn't a good comparison, but they usually can't fill up the class. The matriculating class was something like 30% full a few years back, because they hadn't done any advertising. Engineering is always a lot worst, like 20 students for 30 spots or whatever. Then there's also the 50 - 60% drop out rate, and the fact that nobody's actively recruiting unlicensed... It's easy to see why there's such a shortage of western seafarers, the whole system is hosed up. Edit: VV My class started at 58, graduation was 23 people and that included people who'd started up to three years before us. Of those people, at last count, something like 19 were still sailing after four years. FrozenVent fucked around with this message at 10:58 on Jun 4, 2011 |
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Jun 4, 2011 10:23
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I somehow completely missed the part about that being for cadet applications. You're right about the dropout rate though. We had 22, we're down to 17 in the second year, and there are at least 5 I can point to that are going to find it extremely tough to make it through. I expect we'll be below 10 when we graduate.
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Jun 4, 2011 10:55
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In the UK at least the recession is really kicking in. Apparently the application rate has "exploded" in the last year.
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Jun 4, 2011 11:05
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The recession whacked the shipping industry a few years back. We're pretty much the first ones to take a hit as soon as production and international trade goes down. Heh, maybe they did have a good year, you never know. Don't despair, tho, you have a pretty good background from what you've said. Just get those math grades up. Math's kinda important.
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Jun 4, 2011 11:12
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Their are only 7 engineering students in my intake. Well 9, but two are from the UAE and are already supported by NGSCO. Companies were talking to students in the first week. In comparison the deck class has 48. I'm hoping to go straight into the offshore industry, where in Australia the standard swing is 5 weeks on 5 weeks off or the med swing 3on-3off-3on-6off (which I was use to from platforms).
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Jun 4, 2011 11:23
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pazrs posted:I'm hoping to go straight into the offshore industry, where in Australia the standard swing is 5 weeks on 5 weeks off or the med swing 3on-3off-3on-6off (which I was use to from platforms). Yeah, this is what my brother does. Work is kinda so so but the money is awesome. I'm thinking I may go into it once I qualify. I'll probably do a year on the cruise ships then head to offshore, but I haven't decided yet. Whereabouts in Aus are you located man?
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Jun 6, 2011 03:55
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Two Finger posted:
I'm at the maritime college in Launceston at the moment. Last year I lived in four states so I am use to moving around. For ease of work (and weather!) I'll probably base myself out of Perth again. Although I am Melbourne born and bred. A bit more general discussion, whats the deal with unions? Should I be attempting to join one or avoid like the plague? The MUA is always in the news but I think only IR's can join, not officers etc.. Im also aware of the AMOU and AIMPE...
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Jun 6, 2011 10:10
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Tactical Grace posted:Wow thanks, lots of information. My SSTG application is on the rocks as I got a C in high-school maths (requirement is B). Really? I got a cadetship with maersk starting this september at warsash and im pretty sure for an hnd you only need standard grades (scottish 4th year exams) and that highers (5th and 6 year)were only a req for a foundation degree which at the end of the day is pretty much the same thing except I get paid slightly more and can do a little extra to get an honours degree in marine engineering. On a side note I just got my uniform through and my god I loving love this jumper. I love jumpers man. Oh and when you interview make sure and say you think college will be a lot stricter and more work than uni. They love that. Its also true if you didn't do some hardcore degree. As for a background in sea I have literally none and when they asked I just talked about how the grandad was in the navy and how im from glasgow and always saw the docks and loved going to museums with engineeringy stuff in them as a kid. I did a degree in business and hated it and now im doing this so I just presented myself as someone who was kinda lost then realised they could do something interesting like the merchant navy. You definatly do not need a sailing background in the slightest. Try applying to clyde marine and maersk aswell as sstg, they asked me if I had applied to others when I interviewed and seemed happier that I had because I was taking it seriously. I am flying to london on sunday to get my american visa. Pain in the rear end. Mr Teatime fucked around with this message at 14:54 on Jun 6, 2011 |
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Jun 6, 2011 14:47
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I've done some more reading up and even in the US this sounds like a growth industry. A career at sea is sounding better and better to me, it is the one pleasant surprise I have had in a long time thinking about jobs and careers. I wish I knew a little more about how to get started, specific to America, but Google is my friend here. Any US-specific advice is appreciated. I don't really care what it is: school is cool with me (all my other options in life involve it), shorter training, unions, moving across the country - nothing is off the table. Been doing a lot of that soul-searching and realizing that a career spent wandering the globe may be not only an acceptable fit for me, but one that makes me want to get up and do something every day.
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Jun 13, 2011 07:44
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Can't really help you with the US-specific stuff, sorry, but...shovelbum posted:Been doing a lot of that soul-searching and realizing that a career spent wandering the globe may be not only an acceptable fit for me, but one that makes me want to get up and do something every day. "Wandering the globe" conjures images of a guy standing in the middle of India with a backpack and a Lonely Planet guide, haggling over the price of a live chicken. Hiking to Everest base camp. Scuba diving off Mexico. Seeing the Hermitage. "Career at sea" conjures images of a guy getting from an oil field to a refinery as fast as he can (So he can do it all again sooner), while staring at nothing but water for weeks on end, with maybe the chance to see the inside of a Wal-Mart every couple of week. (I have friends who, no poo poo, did four months contracts without setting foot ashore once.) Although the chance to go scuba diving did come up a few times, and I did see the Hermitage. Quickly. If you live only for those moments, and that's enough to keep you going, good... But it might be a long loving time in-between. Wether or not you want to get up doesn't matter, because someone will be banging on your door twice a day to get your rear end out of bed and take the watch. They will get you out of bed, because they want to get in theirs. The traditionnal "Want to get out of bed" check happens every few months when the phone ring and you have to ask yourself "Do I want to go back for three months?" It's a technical career that's centered around safety and efficiency, in which there's room to grow both professionaly and personally. It sometimes involves wandering the globe. It also sometimes involve ferrying dirt between Point Boredom and Uglyville for two months straight. But hey, I'm gonna start looking for a job sometime this week. It can't be all that bad. FrozenVent fucked around with this message at 08:38 on Jun 13, 2011 |
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Jun 13, 2011 08:33
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