Reality Is Nothing Like The Dream
So you got it somewhere in your head that a life at sea is
for you. The constant adventure, interesting port calls, the mesmerizing
sunrise and sunsets on the water, the never-ending sea stories to tell those
back home are all you can think about.
You’ve watched too many movies. Those days, if they ever
really existed, are long dead.
The United States no longer has a robust blue water shipping
fleet. Military Sealift Command and NOAA are the closest one gets to blue water
shipping and the disadvantages far out way the advantages for most of us
mariners.
The majority of jobs are now on tugs and oil field vessels.
While these jobs offer their own challenges and rewards it’s not what you have
seen on TV. This is a serious business and we have no time for guys come out
here with romantic visions of shared hardships and gallant struggles.
We bust our ass to make it home to our families and the hope
for a better life for them and ourselves through our paychecks. At the end of
the day that’s all that counts too many of us.
If you really want to know what life is like on a work boat
visit the link below for a real run down of what life is like for a deckhand.
While it’s geared more for the navy, 95% of it holds true for the commercial
side. http://goatlocker.org/resources/nav/simulate.htm
Are You Sure You Want To Do This?
Still not scared off? Then sit down and ask yourself the
following questions and see if you are really ready to commit and make the
sacrifices needed to start working.
1- Can you go weeks if not months without talking to anybody
at home? I mean this, NOBODY, not your parents, not your friends, not your
wife, not your kids. If you are married can your family live without you for
the length of your hitch? Do you have small kids and can your wife handle being
essentially a single parent for 6 to 9 months out of the year?
Your world while
at work can consist of a very small boat for weeks at a time, with as few as 3
other guys onboard that you will more than likely have nothing in common with
and the only time you step on land is to take the garbage to the dumpster while
at the dock. There are no quick runs to the store, no nights on the town, just
the boat.
2- I don’t care how old you are, what your background is or
how educated you think you are. You know nothing the first year at sea. You are
now working in a heavy industrial environment with the added fun of inclement
weather and confined spaces. I don’t expect you to know everything, but I do
expect you ask questions and listen.
Good rule of thumb is if you don’t know what something is or
what it does ask about it, but until then do not touch. This means you are
going to have to put your ego in check and expect that you are going to be
chewed out over something eventually, multiply times actually. You are going to
be expected to do the tough dirty jobs that have to get done. Your days are
going to consist of long hours of boredom separated by tons of cleaning,
painting, and working on deck.
3- You need at minimum a Transportation Worker Identification
Cars (TWIC). This cost $150 plus the time to it takes to go to whatever office
is closest to you TWIC. Once to apply, once to pick it up. If you want a better
chanc, a Merchant Mariner Document (MMD)
with your Basic Safety Training (BST) as laid out by STCW can help. The MMD
along with physical and drug screen will be around $300 and your BST is another
$500 to $1000. This plus the cost needed to go find a job can add up so best to
have some money saved up.
4- Chances are if you found gCaptain then you have some
aspirations of being an officer. That’s fine, but realizes that it will take
years of sea time and weeks of classes to even get your Able Seaman (AB) or 100
ton master license. If you want 500/1600 ton mate or masters then even more
years of sea time and month of classes.
All of this outlined by the Coast Guard and they change the
rules all the time. You are never really done as every five years when you come
up for your license renewal you will have to take some refresher courses. Sadly
none of this will be done while you are at work but done while you are on your
off time.
It is expensive to take these classes and while sometimes
you can get your company to pay for the classes, room, and board, don’t count
on it. Also these classes are only held in certain parts of the country so
unless you are extremely lucky to live close to one of these schools count of more
time away from your family.
5- This industry is EXTREMELY cyclic. We go from boom to
bust literally overnight. If a steadfast job security is important to you look
somewhere else.
Look Mom I’m An Ordinary Seaman!
So you’ve taken some time and thought about it and are
still interested in starting a career at sea but don’t know quite how to start
let’s see if I can help.
Start here. Find your nearest enrollment center, make an
appointment and go get it. Takes about 6 weeks for it to come in. You cannot
apply for your MMD until you have applied for your TWIC,
2- Get a Psychical using Coat Guard Form CG-719ke. Print it
out and hand it to your doctor, make sure they sign it when they are through
filling it out. http://www.uscg.mil/nmc/medical/forms/cg719ke.pdf
3- Don’t forget your drug screen. Here is a list of CG
approved place to go along with the form that needs to be filled out when
submitting everything to the CG.
4- Find a BST class close that you that you can afford. Go
to the pull down menu and select Basic Safety Training and the approved course
throughout the country come up.
If you see a course being offered somewhere but
do not see them on this list ask to see their certificate from the Coast Guard.
It will have the name of the course on it with expiration date on it. Make sure
it’s for the class you want and that it hasn’t expired. http://www.uscg.mil/nmc/courses/appr...ses_course.asp
5- Ok now you’ve got everything together fill out the
application for you MMD get all your copies of forms and certificates and
submit everything to the nearest CG office and hopefully in 2-4 weeks you will
get a packet from Martinsville WV with your MMD in it.
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