Post: #1

A lot of the guys on forum on here are looking for ways to work and make some good money and then travel with an extended lot of time. After my few years in Las Vegas, I decided to make some drastic changes to my lifestyle and financial future. I was looking for a way to make some good money and travel as well.

I know most people were thinking of just the two weeks they get when taking typical 9-5 job but I wanted to travel for a few months at time while making good money. The forums on here have had some interesting ways to make money mostly internet, and oil related jobs. For me the internet route was something you would have to learn on your own and would take time without any guidance and without any serious savings or income it would be even harder. The oil industry sounded good but the places it would take you did not seem appealing.


One job that I remembered talking to someone about was the possibility of was becoming a merchant mariner. Merchant Mariners work on large ships such as container ships, oil tankers, and cruise ships throughout the world. They basically work on contracts for certain periods of time and make certain amount of money for that time. They also get to travel to places that have large ports such as Australia, Europe, all over pretty much.


Now let’s get down to the details of working on these contracts. There are many types of contracts that you can work for. The ships have to either hire foreign crew members or US crew members depending on where the ship is flagged or based out of. If the ship is based out of the US they have to hire only US crew and if not they can hire any foreign crew. The ships that hire only foreign crew members don’t pay crap unless you’re the captain or officers.


The US based ships hire for themselves or through unions that have been around forever in the US.
What do you need:
MMC (Merchant Mariner Credential) This is basically a passport for US citizens that are working on large US only ships. You apply through the US Coast Guard and they do a basic background check and give your credential. The cost of this about $140.
TWIC Card: Transportation Workers ID Card, this card is authorized for working ports and is issued from the TSA. Basic Background Check and costs about $130.00 bucks.
If you have any serious felonies or drug charges you’re pretty much not getting one of these but pretty simple otherwise. You apply and get background check and the documents come in the mail in a few weeks sometimes these can take a few months.
What Next: The next step is you have get some training such basic firefighting and water survival classes. You can take these classes through a third party provider by just looking up STCW certifications.

So at this point you’re consider merchant mariner and you can basically work on ship that will hire you. The other two options at this point is join a union or go look for work on your own. The main merchant mariner union is called the SIU union or Seafarers International Union. There are some others but for the sake of this post I will save you the time.

If you decide to join the SIU union they have an apprentice training program you can go through they will guide you through the process of getting proper documentations and training. The only downside to the program is that you will not get paid very much. The program takes 9 months and you get paid pretty much nothing, probably less than 5 bucks and hour. You will also have to pay for you own documents and physical which has upfront cost of about $1000 plus the uniforms so total about $1400 to start.

The benefit of course you get process finished and you get to start working on the ships right away. You also get to higher seniority in the union giving you jobs over lesser ranked union members.


You can still join the union without having to go through the program but you start out much lower on the ranked member and the jobs pretty much suck at this level but you do get paid more on this level but just jobs are harder to come by. If you decide to go through this route you’re consider a ‘C’ book or level union member. The next level up so to speak is the ‘B’ level where you get more advanced training and get better paid on the ship contracts because of this.

How much do you get paid???
This is the question I guess everyone is asking or thinking. The contracts are paid differently depending on your level of certification and seniority just like any other job. If do not go through the program and just entry level work you’re making anywhere from $2000-$4000 a month depending on contract and what they are doing. If you get up a ‘B’ level status in the union the contracts are paid up $7000 to $10,000 a month, so pretty substantial amount of money if you are working three month contracts. The best part of the contracts is that you work when you want and you need money just working a few months on a contract take your money travel without thousands in your pocket.

The one other option also is working on cruise ships. Unfortunately, they do not pay this well. The pay is dependent on the position and you pretty much working for minimum wage if you’re working for a cruise line. I highly recommend that you join a union and go through the ranks from there.


There a lot of details I left out for time reasons but I will try and answer everyone’s questions from this post. Unfortunately, my internet connection is limited but I will try and answer every question.

Post: #2

I've been planning on doing this for a while I'm just waiting on my MMC packet. Have you heard of the star tech program? It's similar to the one you listed above but it's 2.5- 3 years long and when your done you receive a 3rd assistant engineers license and you are admitted to the union.
https://www.star-center.com/techprogram/...ogram.html

Post: #3

(10-30-2014 07:24 PM)peterfoo22 Wrote:  There a lot of details I left out for time reasons but I will try and answer everyone’s questions from this post. Unfortunately, my internet connection is limited but I will try and answer every question.

Thanks for the datasheet, peterfoo. I have to admit--I've thought about signing up for merchant marine life in the past. My big question is: how easy is it to avoid shitholes like Somalia? I don't really want to become the next sap in a "Captain Phillips"-type situation. Are a lot of these deals "around-the-world," where you don't have a say in where you go? Or can you avoid trouble spots if you want?

Other questions:

1) What's ship life like? What kinds of stuff do you do on a typical day?

2) I assume this is mostly dudes on board these ships, right? Easy-going types? Or dickheads forced out to sea?

3) Being around dudes a lot, how's gaming in port? Does "sailor" game play at all? If nothing else, I imagine you gain a lot of good stories to hook 'em with, right?

Thanks again--interesting thread.

Vigo

Post: #4

(10-30-2014 09:11 PM)mmedeiros14 Wrote:  I've been planning on doing this for a while I'm just waiting on my MMC packet. Have you heard of the star tech program? It's similar to the one you listed above but it's 2.5- 3 years long and when your done you receive a 3rd assistant engineers license and you are admitted to the union.
https://www.star-center.com/techprogram/...ogram.html

Never heard of this program, but I know there are a few other unions that do the same thing.

A lot of the union people tell me about third party vendors and schools that give you certain certifications so you can join other types of ships.

I will be looking into that probably at a later date.

P

Post: #5

(10-30-2014 10:09 PM)Vigo_the_Carpathian Wrote:  

(10-30-2014 07:24 PM)peterfoo22 Wrote:  There a lot of details I left out for time reasons but I will try and answer everyone’s questions from this post. Unfortunately, my internet connection is limited but I will try and answer every question.

Thanks for the datasheet, peterfoo. I have to admit--I've thought about signing up for merchant marine life in the past. My big question is: how easy is it to avoid shitholes like Somalia? I don't really want to become the next sap in a "Captain Phillips"-type situation. Are a lot of these deals "around-the-world," where you don't have a say in where you go? Or can you avoid trouble spots if you want?

Other questions:

1) What's ship life like? What kinds of stuff do you do on a typical day?

2) I assume this is mostly dudes on board these ships, right? Easy-going types? Or dickheads forced out to sea?

3) Being around dudes a lot, how's gaming in port? Does "sailor" game play at all? If nothing else, I imagine you gain a lot of good stories to hook 'em with, right?

Thanks again--interesting thread.

Vigo

You can mostly avoid certain areas by only signing up for certain contracts. I think some of the government ships that ship grain and supplies that come from the US Aid program go there.

Most of the vessels go to oil related ports and other big merchant ports such as Pusan Korea, Japan, China, Middle East Etc and some parts of Northern Europe.

1) Ship life can be hard honestly, you lose a lot of the creature comforts such as internet, tv, nice gym etc. Typical day at sea depends on the department you working in. You're honestly working for the most part like 60-70 hours a week. The main three dept are Deck, Engineering and Galley. The deck do the basic stuff such as watch, clean and help offload and load cargo etc. Engineering deal with more the mechanical parts of the ship fixing, making sure engine is running smoothly. Galley is kitchen work, cook clean etc.

2) Yeah mostly guys on the ships I would say out of 25 people on the ships that one is a girl and she works in the galley and probably not of any quality. Most of the guys are young guys that are just looking to save a few bucks buy a house, find some foreign girlfriend. Occasionally you'll meet some old timers but they are good guys and pretty funny as they have a lot of sea time stories.

3) Gaming in port pretty much comes down to brothels and the occasional hooker in the ports. These guys have no idea of game, and they are like a pack of wild dogs if any attractive girl walks in there path and when I mean attractive as in barely a 6.

The one good thing about the ports is that you get the see the various cities but you usually only get one or two days at port. You're pretty much saving your money for travel and go from there. Just pick the right contracts when it comes to visiting the right cities.

My goal is to work a few months and go live abroad pretty much with the money I save and hopefully I save enough to go from there.

Post: #6

Another area to check out is the offshore supply boat industry. Its definitely not a "sailors life for me" gig... Just running food and supplies out to the oil rigs and back but it pays well and most comanies will let you work month on/month off.

If you're an Able Seaman you're looking at about 300/day and about 500/day for mates and engineers. There's a huge demand for these gigs as more and more drilling goes on offshore. In America all these companies are primarily based out of Louisiana but they're starting to branch out to different places such as Brazil.

Some companies to check out for this:

Edison Chouest Offshore
Hornbeck Offshore
Tidewater Marine
Harvey Gulf
Otto Candies
Gulfmark

The month on month off rotation beats almost any other in terms of schedule suitability for travel during your down time in my opinion.

Also it might be worth looking into subsea exploration/ROV (remote operated vehicle) boats. They probably do a bit more traveling than supply boats.

Post: #7

As I was answering one of the questions about merchant marines.

I forgot to mention that after a few years, and you have enough experience in which it's called "sea time". You can become an officer.

Officers and Pay Go to:

Top: Captain over $200K
Second: Chief Mate over $150K
Third: 2nd Mate over $100K
Fourth: 3rd Mate $80-100K

This all depends on how much you work and also what type of ships you're working on.

TO get to third mate you need about 3 years of sea time and some training here and there.

So definitely excellent money once you get up there.

Post: #8

Working at sea in commercial shipping

I have just come back from my first trip of four and a half months. I’m currently a cadet which is basically a trainee officer. I thought I’d write a post of what it’s like to work on a ship and the different roles on board. However I worked on a container ship and have only done one trip away, so I hope that more experienced people will be able to add to the discussion. I remember reading there is at least one guy on here who works in the maritime sector.

Brief list of the types of ship you can work on in the commercial sector
Tankers- Supply liquid cargo in bulk i.e. different types of oil, chemical etc. Very hard and technical job as there are complicated systems in place for safety and the job can get dirty especially with cargo hold cleaning. Ports can be few and far between especially with oil tankers as the price of oil dictates whether the ship will discharge its cargo or not once it has been loaded.

Container Ships - Probably the most common type of ship you’ll see on the deep sea routes. Transports containers (which contain all different types of cargo). Frequent port visits as you are constantly have to load and discharge different containers in each port. However the stays in port are especially short due to the ports normally working 24/7 and being very fast at cargo operations.

Bulk Carriers – Transport cargo in bulk mainly iron ore, coal, grain etc. Port schedules are not really fixed as it depends on the charterers needs and what cargo you are carrying, so you can be at anchor for a while waiting for a port to discharge your cargo etc. Ships are generally slow so long ocean passages take ages.

Passenger Ships – These types of ships include ferries, cruise ships etc. On cruise ships especially you need to have good “people skills” as people are paying for a certain experience, so expect to work long hours doing your job and then going out and having to mingle as it’s all part of the “experience”. Also if you want to go anywhere on the ship you have to be dressed up in whites no casual wear allowed. The upside is there are usually girls for you to game that work on board i.e. dancers/entertainers. Passenger Ferries can also be tough especially as they are usually on busier routes and you have to do the same crossing several times a day which I imagine would get tedious.

Ro Ro Ships – Stands for roll on roll off basically means that wheeled cargo i.e. cars, trucks etc. gets driven on and off the ship. These ships are mainly shorter passages and are similar to passenger ferries as these types of ships carry passengers as well.

Car Carriers- These are similar to container ships but carry cars/vehicles all around the world. Frequent Port visits etc.

Supply ships – These are ships which are there to supply installations such as oil rigs with supplies, medical aid etc. To work on these ships take a lot of skill especially if you work in a tough environment such as the North Sea.

Jobs on board
On the container ship I worked on there was 27 people working on board, however 6 were cadets, meaning the ship should be able to sail with 21 people on board. The ship was multinational with people from Eastern Europe, the Philippines, India
and the UK, however the only people from the UK were cadets.

There were 4 main departments working on the ship: The deck department are in charge of navigating the ship, maintaining the deck equipment, cargo operations and basically getting the ship safely from Point A to Point B safely. At sea the officers work 7 days a week, as the ship always needs someone on the bridge and the crew (seamen) normally work from 8am-5pm 6 days a week “on deck” doing maintenance jobs etc.. In port the whole deck crew is working as cargo operations is basically 24/7 in most ports.

The Engine department which is responsible for everything mechanical i.e. engines, steering gear, air conditioning, water treatment, sewage treatment systems etc. At sea the engine room normally works 8am-5pm 6 days a week doing maintenance etc. In port sometimes the engine department have nothing to do so can go ashore but sometimes they may have jobs to do so then they will have to work in port.

The electrical department which are responsible for maintaining everything electrical on board. At sea the electricians work from 8am-5pm 6 days a week and in port at least one member of the department has to be on the ship in case something needs fixing, in busy ports both electricians will need to be on board and they will work hard.

Finally the catering department are in charge of food preparation, maintaining the accommodation etc. The catering department have to work 7 days a week.

Deck Officers (in order of importance)
• The captain is a high-grade licensed mariner in ultimate command of the merchant vessel. The captain is responsible for its safe and efficient operation, including: ship's seaworthiness, ship's safety and security conditions, cargo operations, navigation, crew management and ensuring that the vessel complies with local and international laws, as well as company and flag state policies
• The Chief Mate performs the 4-8 navigational watch when the ship is on passage. His other duties include being in charge of the deck maintenance, being in charge of cargo operations, going to the forward mooring station to manoeuvre the ship, going to the forecastle to supervise in anchoring the ship when required, is in charge of cadets training, Is also in charge of the work and rest hours for the whole of the deck department.
• The Second Mate performs the 12-4 navigational watch when the ship is on passage. In port normally works a 6 on 6 off schedule monitoring cargo operations. Also in charge of preparing the passage plan, updating charts and navigational publications. Normally goes to the aft mooring station for mooring manoeuvres.
• The Third mate performs the 8-12 navigational watch when the ship is on passage. In port normally works a 6 on 6 off schedule monitoring cargo operations. Also in charge of maintaining the fire fighting and lifesaving equipment which he normally does from 1pm-4pm. Also prepares the port documents before arrival in port. Usually goes to the bridge for mooring manoeuvres.
• Deck Cadet- Is a trainee officer who has to complete a practical training book while at sea. This will involve shadowing officers on navigational watches, working on deck and going to each respective section for mooring manoeuvres etc.

Deck Crew in order of importance
• Bosun - Basically a foreman, the chief mate will tell him what jobs he wants doing on deck and then he has to make sure it gets done. Goes to the forward station for manoeuvring assisting the chief mate with mooring, anchoring etc. Does odd jobs in port under the instruction of the chief mate.
• Able bodied Seaman – On sea passages normally works on deck under the bosun, but if the area the ship is sailing in is busy goes to the bridge and helps perform a navigational watch as a lookout. For mooring procedures either goes to the aft mooring station or is at the helm(steering wheel) on the bridge. Performs a gangway watch in port. There was 3 Able bodied seamen on my ship.
• Ordinary Seaman - On sea passages normally works on deck under the bosun, for mooring/anchoring manoeuvres goes to the forward station. Performs a 6 on 6 off watch in port monitoring mooring ropes checking cargo lashing etc. There were 2 Ordinary seamen on my ship.


Engine Department In order of importance
• The chief engineer is a licensed mariner in charge of the engineering department on a merchant vessel. Is basically responsible for all operations and maintenance that has to do with any and all engineering equipment throughout the entire ship.
• 1st Engineer is the person on a ship responsible for supervising the daily maintenance and operation of the engine department. They report directly to the chief engineer. On a merchant vessel, the First engineer is the marine engineer second in command.
• 2nd Engineer is usually in charge of boilers, fuel, auxiliary engines, condensate and feed systems, and is the third most senior marine engineer on board. Also in charge of bunkering operations (taking on fuel).
• 3rd Engineer is generally the most junior marine engineer of the ship, this person is usually responsible for electrical, sewage treatment, lube oil, bilge, and oily water separation systems
• Engine Cadet is a trainee officer who has to complete a practical training book while at sea. Will shadow all the jobs that the engineers do, as part of their practical training at sea.
• Motorman executes routine checks of the machinery, tanks, bilge and pump-rooms along with the daily operation and maintenance of the machinery. Is basically an engine room “rating”, working under the instruction of officers. There were 2 motormen on my ship.

Electricians
• Electrician officer is in charge of all the electrical systems on board. There are a lot of jobs to do as his job will encompass the accommodation block, on deck and in the engine room.
• Electrician cadet is a trainee officer who has to complete a practical training book at sea. Will shadow the electrician officer in the jobs that he does.

I will not talk about the catering department in this post. I hope that people have gained something from this post it’s hard to condense everything down and to not use technical terms. If anyone has any questions I can answer them in this thread or answer PMs.

Post: #9

Stupid question :
Can you apply for an MMC being
Overseas(outside us territory) ? I reckon probably not specially when training is involved but just wondering

Post: #10

Great thread peterfoo22, don't know how I missed it at the time. Equally great post tylerdurden1993.

As you do when your 15 and Scottish, I was out underage drinking one night when I came across a friend of a friend. Nice guy, walked with an air of confidence, had the girls eating out his hand. After a while he goes to buy a round for the whole crowd! That's when I seen the size of his stack, fuck, could have chocked a horse with it. On returning I had to ask, what the fuck do you do to have that amount of cash in your pocket? I'm in the Merchant Navy he said.

After 2 hours solid of him telling me stories of his trips to sea, I was hooked! The following Monday on my way home from school, I crossed the city to the shipping company offices, walked in the main personnel door and told the man sitting behind the desk that I wanted to go to sea.

He looked me up and down and said like the Master from Floyds 'The Wall', "how old are yi, laddie?" 15, I said. "yi cannas go tae sea when yer 15 anymair son" "when do yi turn 16?" When I told him, he asked me to write my name and address/D.O.B on a sheet of paper and thanked me for taking the time to apply in person.

Early life lesson learned of going getting something instead of waiting for it to turn up.

Two months later, a week before i turned 16, a letter arrived for me, could I attend for interview and aptitude test. Could I also bring a parent or guardian. Hadn't thought about telling my parents of my grand plans to circumnavigate the globe, had I! Yeh, they were shocked to say the least . My mum kept asking me, "are you sure you want to go away to sea?"

Took my mum to the interview which was basically a formality, as was the aptitude test. Pass a medical next week and you'll be off in three weeks time said the interviewer. Medical passed, there I was 16 years and 24 days about to embark on what turned out to be some of the best expierences in my entire life.

Going to sea certainly turned me into a man a long time before my friends at home.

And that is where the next 12 years of my life went, if I had the chance I'd certainly do the same again, obviously with some minor changes!!

Would highly recommend to any young man.

Travel the world in your own bedroom, all food and lodgings free AND they pay you a handsome wage with generous time off. What's not to like about that?

Post: #11

Bump. Anyone have more insight into this career? ( especially for US based jobs)

Highly considering this as I already have a TWIC and MMC from doing a Captain's License course.

Post: #12

(10-04-2016 03:35 AM)mickeyd Wrote:  Bump. Anyone have more insight into this career? ( especially for US based jobs)

Highly considering this as I already have a TWIC and MMC from doing a Captain's License course.

I would also love some more insight into this. Sounds like the perfect gig for someone who lives to travel

Post: #13

American Jesus Wrote:

mickeyd Wrote:Bump. Anyone have more insight into this career? ( especially for US based jobs) 

Highly considering this as I already have a TWIC and MMC from doing a Captain's License course.

I would also love some more insight into this. Sounds like the perfect gig for someone who lives to travel

OP (peterfoo22) pointed it out, the SIU route looks like the most solid way of joining up.

Once in the union and qualified the choice of ship is up to you. 

local ferries 7/7-14/14 days on/off,

supply boats/local coasters 4-6 weeks on/off, 

deep sea trips (container/cargo/tankers/military supply/cruise ships) 4-6 month trips.



http://www.seafarers.org/jobs/entry.asp

Quote:Entry Program

For instructions on how to apply and a link to the online application, click HERE
 
Free Training, Guaranteed 1st Job For Maritime School Graduates
 
At a time when schooling is more expensive than ever, one vocational training facility does not charge for tuition, room or board for entry-level students, and also assures initial employment for its graduates.
 
The Paul Hall Center for Maritime Training and Education, affiliated with the Seafarers International Union (SIU), prepares students for successful careers as U.S. Merchant Mariners. Based in Piney Point, Md., the school offers entry-level training; ongoing vocational classes; academic support and more.
 
Students are responsible for the cost of travel to the school, clothing and pre-entry medical screening. Classes, meals and lodging are free for those in the unlicensed apprentice program. Graduates of the entry-level training program are guaranteed a first job aboard one of the SIU's contracted vessels.
 
The merchant marine is composed of men and women who crew U.S.-flag commercial vessels on the deep seas, inland waterways and Great Lakes. Although referred to as the nation's "fourth arm of defense," America's mariners are civilians working for private companies, and are not members of the armed forces.
 
U.S. Merchant Mariners crew all types of vessels: containerships, tankers, bulkers, passengers vessels, tugs and much more. Some of these vessels are under contract to transport troops and military goods. Since the founding of the United States, merchant mariners have played a vital support role in the nation's conflicts.
 
The U.S. Merchant Marine also plays a crucial role in America's peacetime economy by crewing the many vessels involved in international trade. U.S.-flag ships can be seen regularly in the major ports of the world.
 
Many of the individuals who work aboard those vessels have trained at the Paul Hall Center. Established in 1967, the school emphasizes hands-on training and features top-notch educational equipment in a picturesque setting. In September 2002, the school opened an additional dormitory featuring more than 100 single-occupancy rooms.

Current Job Opportunities:


http://seafarers.org/jobs/jobs.asp

Quote:Jobs

SIU-contracted companies offer plentiful opportunities for employment aboard all types of vessels, including (but not limited to) deep sea cargo vessels, tankers, military support ships, Great Lakes vessels, cable ships, tugboats, passenger ferries and more.
If you already are a member of the SIU and are ready to ship, please register at one of the union halls. Click here for a list of SIU halls.
 
If you already have your merchant mariner credential/z-card and TWIC – and are not currently an SIU member – and are interested in joining the SIU, please contact the nearest SIU hall. For a list of halls, click here
 
If you are interested in applying for the unlicensed apprentice program at the union-affiliated Paul Hall Center and its Seafarers Harry Lundeberg School in Piney Point, Md., click HERE for information on how to apply.
 
Both the SIU and the Paul Hall Center appreciate your interest.
 
Currently seeking:
 
For the veterans program at the Paul Hall Center, military veterans with Deck and Engine ratings in a watch-standing capacity who have sea time within the last seven years, honorably discharged.
 
Culinary specialists with food preparation experience and at least eight years of military service.
 
Through the school, you will have opportunities to obtain Basic Safety, Able Seafarer Deck or Able Seafarer Engine, and VPDSD endorsements.
 
Upon successful completion of the program, graduates are guaranteed a first job on board a U.S.-flag merchant vessel manned by the SIU.
 
Registered Nurses with emergency room experience (for MDR jobs)
 
Independent Duty Corpsmen
 
Storekeepers
 
Cooks to work aboard U.S.-flag merchant vessels. Must have at least 5 years of food preparation experience or equivalent education from a two-year culinary college or program, plus two years of work experience in the food preparation field.
 
Note that applicants for the school’s entry level program must qualify for a Transportation Worker Identification Credential, U.S. Coast Guard Merchant Mariner Credential, and U.S. Passport. No experience required. Must be at least 18 years old.
 
Engineering ratings:
 
QMED-Electrician
 
QMED-Pumpman
 
Please contact Bart Rogers at 1-800-732-2739
 
For information about sailing as an MDR or Storekeeper specifically with Crowley Maritime, click HERE to open a 2-page PDF file that includes detailed information and additional links.
 
 
Career Opportunities with Norwegian Cruise Line

SIU members are invited to check out shipboard opportunities with Norwegian Cruise Line for positions on board the M/S Pride of America in Hawaii.

 
Recruiters are currently seeking experienced candidates for a variety of positions in the Hotel Departmentt.
 
For more information, visit http://www.ncl.com. Click the CAREERS section and go to SHIPBOARD EMPLOYMENT.
 
Follow Norwegian’s Shipboard Careers Page on Facebook to stay updated on the latest opportunities! The next step in your professional career could be right around the corner!
 

Go grab it by the pussy......

Post: #14

Are any of you guys still working in this field? I'm currently doing an engineer cadetship in the UK which will give me a ticket to work on ship as 4th/3rd engineer. Anyone familiar with green card policies etc; seems US flag ships pay over double the $ of UK flagged boats.

Post: #15

Hey guys,

Hoping that someone knew of any options like this for Canadians?

I have been working in the oilfield camps for the last 5 years, currently managing one and am so tired of having no life lol (21/6 rotations)

If anyone has any information on how a Canadian (without Rig experience) can get onto a 28/28 or even 28/14 schedule it would be greatly greatly appreciated

Post: #16

^Offshore Newfoundland rigs work on a 21/21 rotation, just go onto Indeed.ca and type in offshore. Northern Alberta, where I work has many 7/7 rotations with flights to Edmonton and Calgary. The Coast Guard has 28/28 rotations on ships as do the ships in the Great Lakes.

I’m currently working 24/4, it sucks but I like making my money in a short period of time then taking a long period off.

Post: #17

(10-27-2018 08:18 PM)scotian Wrote:  ^Offshore Newfoundland rigs work on a 21/21 rotation, just go onto Indeed.ca and type in offshore. Northern Alberta, where I work has many 7/7 rotations with flights to Edmonton and Calgary. The Coast Guard has 28/28 rotations on ships as do the ships in the Great Lakes.

I’m currently working 24/4, it sucks but I like making my money in a short period of time then taking a long period off.

Thanks Scotian,

The problem that I usually come up with is that they want experience, do you think any of those places would hire someone with basically 0 labour experience?

I make decent money managing a camp (not compared to you guys but decent enough for me) but I want more of a life 21/7 all year long with no vacations is rough.

I was looking mostly for a similar job on the water like working for the catering companies but from what I found it seems like they usually only hire low paid workers from different countries?

Post: #18

When I worked on an offshore rig off of Nova Scotia a couple of years ago, all of the rig cleaners and kitchen staff were locals and worked a 21/21 rotation. I forget the name ofthe company but a prerequisite would be the offshore survival course, if you took that you’d stand a better chance of getting a gig. It was a really fun course, you can take it in Halifax or St John’s at Falck Safety or SST: https://www.sstl.com/training-sectors/ca...-training/

Post: #19

I'm looking into doing this as it seems like a great way to travel and make money at the same time. Could anyone who has done this chime in on how to best climb the ladder? From what I see here you want to get started on any unit that will take you, get a bunch of credentials, then transfer over to a more desirable ship.

What are the easiest credentials to get that would increase the amount you can earn?
Is there a way to increase your earnings outside of these credentials? Taking online classes, college degree, language proficiency, etc?
Can you arbitrage skills or legitimacy across borders? Say by starting out in the US, then gaining an officers ranking on a ship in Africa, using those credentials to come back to the US and get a higher pay grade?

Any knowledge would be greatly appreciated.

Post: #20

It looks like you are able to do some online coursework for some of these certifications. A school in San Diego offers an Able Seaman upgrade, which from what I was seeing on some of these websites is a qualification you would need in order to get a higher pay grade in some places.
http://www.maritimeinstitute.com/Commerc...amanOnLine

The thing that bugs me about this whole Merchant Marine deal is that it seems like you have to pay around $1200 for the basic certifications, then another $935 for the Able Seaman. I'm surprised there aren't companies out there that will pay you to get these kinds of certifications. That SIU academy doesn't seem realistic for some people, spending 9 months in training, as if you're some 17 year old kid who doesn't know shit.

I want to find a company that will let me get to work right away, make 10 grand as quickly as possible, and walk away with a bunch of certifications that ensure that the next time I head out to see I'll be paid at a much higher rate.

Post: #21

(11-04-2018 02:06 PM)cholula Wrote:  The thing that bugs me about this whole Merchant Marine deal is that it seems like you have to pay around $1200 for the basic certifications, then another $935 for the Able Seaman. I'm surprised there aren't companies out there that will pay you to get these kinds of certifications. That SIU academy doesn't seem realistic for some people, spending 9 months in training, as if you're some 17 year old kid who doesn't know shit.

I'm not sure how it works for those in the states. But in the UK theres a fair few companies who will sponsor cadet training. Either as a bridge navigator, mechanical engineer or electrical engineer. Depending on the discipline you need 8+ months of sea time before being granted a cert that qualifies you to work at the lowest rank. During training all the STCW certs are provided as well, which would otherwise cost close to £1000 if going the able bodied route.

Its some form of corporate tax loop hole as to why companies in the UK are offering it. But I have seen some adverts stateside as well. Most of the big oil and freight bodies offer programmes directly through their careers pages. BP, Shell, Maersk, Exxon etc.

Post: #22

I just looked through some of the OP's information for about an hour here's what I think:

* Programs are out there that take anywhere from 9 months to 3 years to train to be [xyz]. For anyone young this is definitely a better option than college, because it's cheaper, but still do your research.
* Isolated life style with room and board. Appeals to me since I'm not part of the low IQ liberal "orange man bad" crowd.
* I come from a culinary background and just based on what Norwegian Crew Lines states in its job boards for its food related jobs I'm not too impressed. No mention of salary is ringing bells. Not even the usual "competitive" wages line (HAHA).
* Related to prior point at least there are confirmed (supposedly) background checks in place. Have to have TWIC card, therefore no serious criminal record. I've worked with a lot of excons it doesn't get any better than this, trust me on this one. I say supposedly because I'm sure there are some employers that will risk getting fined for hiring their drinking buddy from college, their son, etc.
* Online program looks appealing, even though it's expensive af. This is probably the route you may want to take. However, will some employers recognize online training is another question altogether. Ties back to another poster saying Able Seafmen can make $300 transporting food to oil rigs. Not bad scratch!

I'm coming at a point where I not only want to make more money but am pretty fed up with how America is operating. I could see me doing this where I'm on on-off rotations and on my offs I rent out an AirBnB for a couple weeks since where I currently live living costs are reaching prohibitive levels.

(11-04-2018 02:06 PM)cholula Wrote:  It looks like you are able to do some online coursework for some of these certifications. A school in San Diego offers an Able Seaman upgrade, which from what I was seeing on some of these websites is a qualification you would need in order to get a higher pay grade in some places.
http://www.maritimeinstitute.com/Commerc...amanOnLine

The thing that bugs me about this whole Merchant Marine deal is that it seems like you have to pay around $1200 for the basic certifications, then another $935 for the Able Seaman. I'm surprised there aren't companies out there that will pay you to get these kinds of certifications. That SIU academy doesn't seem realistic for some people, spending 9 months in training, as if you're some 17 year old kid who doesn't know shit.

I want to find a company that will let me get to work right away, make 10 grand as quickly as possible, and walk away with a bunch of certifications that ensure that the next time I head out to see I'll be paid at a much higher rate.

Post: #23

(11-04-2018 02:06 PM)cholula Wrote:  I want to find a company that will let me get to work right away, make 10 grand as quickly as possible, and walk away with a bunch of certifications that ensure that the next time I head out to see I'll be paid at a much higher rate.

Your thinking is EXACTLY the reason why many companies don't do this.

Post: #24

My advice is if you're going to do this, go to a maritime academy. If you already have a degree, you can get your masters from SUNY Maritime in 2 years and come out with that plus a license to sail as an officer.

If you go the SIU apprentice program route, it'll take you about a 1.5-2 years all said and done. It's shitty, bottom of the totem pole work until you have the sea time to get your license. For deck or engine department, that's 3 years of sea time - which usually at best is 6 years of real time if you sail 6 months a year. Add classes and other unexpected events, and you're looking at about 8+ years actual time before you become an officer.

The last thing you want to do is pay for classes out of pocket, such as the STCW courses or the AB (Able Seafarer) courses. First, virtually all the companies operating the large, sea going ships are unionized whether that's SIU or SUP. Both these unions are seniority based. Good luck getting a job with SIU if you didn't go through their program. Second, let's say you want to sail deck department. To become an AB-Special (minimum required limitation to sail on the ships as an AB) you need 360 sea days as an Ordinary Seaman (OS) in addition to courses and passing a test. Where are you going to get an OS job that's not already unionized? Brings us back to point 1, you're not.

That is unless you want to work offshore Gulf of Mexico supply boats or non-union harbor tugs. By all means, get your MMC, TWIC, take your STCW/Basic Safety Training, and start applying to companies such as Edison Chouest, Harvey Gulf, or Moran Towing. First two rely on the oil industry, as they mostly supply the rigs and do that sort of work. You're at the mercy of oil prices whether or not you have a job. Be aware, these are limited tonnage boats - so your sea time won't count if you're looking to go deep sea one day.

tldr; go to one of the 6 maritime academies. Get a degree while also getting your license to sail deck or engine officer. Part of the program is going on 'cruises.' Many of the university training ships go to cool, exotic places anyways. It's not 4 years stuck in a classroom. You'll make the money back you spent on school in no time.

Will be around to answer questions, don't want to say too much at risk of uncovering identity - small world out here.

Post: #25

(11-09-2018 09:12 PM)Jnx Wrote:  Will be around to answer questions, don't want to say too much at risk of uncovering identity - small world out here.

Jnx, you have any info on foreign qualified officers working on US flagged boats? From what I've found you need a green card, but not sure if the tickets are transferable?