I apologize if this is not in the correct area of the forum, and for starting yet another noob thread.
I was accepted into the Unlicensed Apprenticeship program at Piney Point. Due to some circumstances related to my current job, I had to ask to be rescheduled for a later class, which is looking like it will be May at the earliest. The school rep said that I may even have to re-apply to the school, which would probably cause a 6-8 month delay. I have been lurking on this forum for a while, and have seen the posts about going down to Louisiana and knocking on doors at OSV companies. At this point, I am wondering if I should take my chances and head down to LA in a couple of months and try to find an entry level OS position.
I currently have my MMD (OS, Wiper, Steward), TWIC, and Passport. My only experience is a two-week hitch aboard a NYC tug a few years back (been sitting around since then hoping a spot would open up down there under UMD, but to no avail). I could afford to go to school to acquire the STCW Basic Safety Training in March, and I could afford to pack my bags and head down to LA in April. I could probably afford to hold out down there and knock on doors for at least a few weeks in order to find a position if need be. I don’t have a family to support, which makes things easier overall.
My question is…
Given my position, lack of experience, and the current job market in the Gulf, what would you choose to do? Stick it out and go for Piney Point, or make the investment in the BST classes and take your chances on finding an entry level position on an OSV?
If you already got into piney point, I think you should go. Especially with your lack of experience. That’s just my opinion, and I’m new to this as well so take this with a grain of salt.
If you have never shipped or even if you have and lack qualified endorsements, the SIU program @Piney Point is a good deal. Cost is minimal and the training is approved by the USCG so you will come out as either an AB-special or a QMED-FOWT. You also get Lifeboat & Tankerman.
Deep-sea and the oil patch are like night & day. Deep sea is mostly union. The crews are 22-24. There are seperate messes for ossifers and crew. Most officers graduated from the maritime academies. Hawespiping can be done but is rarer than before. Ships either run near-coastal/Jones-Act or go international. Mostly container ships, RO/RO’s, tankers and a few bulkers. Jobs are shipped off the board from SIU hiring halls. A job can be anywhere from 30-120 or even 180 days at a time. When you are finished you can take off as much time as you want and register to work again when you want. There is a senority system in place. The SIU provides free education to active members and you can hawespipe all the way to 3rd mate or 3rd A/E.
Gulf of Mexico is non-union. You are looking at smaller vessels with much smaller crews, although there are some bigger vessels coming online now. Not really any seperation between officers and crew, there isn’t the same feel as deep-sea. Most of the officers are hawespipers. However, Training expenses are often out of the mariners pocket. You will most likely run on a boat going out to rigs and be on-board for a 28 day on, 14 day off fixed rotation. Advancement is quicker as you do get 1.5 days of sea-time for each day worked and there are special endorsements for OSV’s, so that you only need 180 days to serve as an AB. On the other hand, lower level endorsements and licenses will be an issue should you want to work on larger tonnage/horsepower vessels in the future.
It would be easier to go deep-sea and then “step-down” to an OSV later than to work up from OSV’s to deep-sea or other larger vessels.
I have been working in the maritime industry for a while and have worked both union and non-union. Things just seemed to dry up there for a while but the SIU still had jobs for it’s members (A & B books that is) while many non-unions guys were hard aground on the beach.
I am currently finishing the UA program @Piney Point, so I can answer some questions, just send me a PM.
[QUOTE=SaltySailor;61811]If you have never shipped or even if you have and lack qualified endorsements, the SIU program @Piney Point is a good deal. Cost is minimal and the training is approved by the USCG so you will come out as either an AB-special or a QMED-FOWT. You also get Lifeboat & Tankerman.
Deep-sea and the oil patch are like night & day. Deep sea is mostly union. The crews are 22-24. There are seperate messes for ossifers and crew. Most officers graduated from the maritime academies. Hawespiping can be done but is rarer than before. Ships either run near-coastal/Jones-Act or go international. Mostly container ships, RO/RO’s, tankers and a few bulkers. Jobs are shipped off the board from SIU hiring halls. A job can be anywhere from 30-120 or even 180 days at a time. When you are finished you can take off as much time as you want and register to work again when you want. There is a senority system in place. The SIU provides free education to active members and you can hawespipe all the way to 3rd mate or 3rd A/E.
Gulf of Mexico is non-union. You are looking at smaller vessels with much smaller crews, although there are some bigger vessels coming online now. Not really any seperation between officers and crew, there isn’t the same feel as deep-sea. Most of the officers are hawespipers. However, Training expenses are often out of the mariners pocket. You will most likely run on a boat going out to rigs and be on-board for a 28 day on, 14 day off fixed rotation. Advancement is quicker as you do get 1.5 days of sea-time for each day worked and there are special endorsements for OSV’s, so that you only need 180 days to serve as an AB. On the other hand, lower level endorsements and licenses will be an issue should you want to work on larger tonnage/horsepower vessels in the future.
It would be easier to go deep-sea and then “step-down” to an OSV later than to work up from OSV’s to deep-sea or other larger vessels.
I have been working in the maritime industry for a while and have worked both union and non-union. Things just seemed to dry up there for a while but the SIU still had jobs for it’s members (A & B books that is) while many non-unions guys were hard aground on the beach.
I am currently finishing the UA program @Piney Point, so I can answer some questions, just send me a PM.[/QUOTE]
Fireman Oiler Water Tender. QMED (Qualified Man Engine Department). Basically the equivalent of AB Unlimited but in the engine department. Allows sailing as Junior Unlicensed Engineer/Electrician/Fireman/Oiler, any unlicensed rating in the engine department.
I was in the trainee program at Piney Point in class 488. Sailed deep sea 4 years with the union until the jobs dried up. I had a full B book sat on the beach for 9 months. I registered in three different halls in consecutive 90 day cycles with no luck. A friend of mine who was fortunate enough to get a permanent job on a tanker told me about the mud boats. I came down to the bayou with a packed bag and have been here every since 1995. Like the earlier post said going through the trainee program has its advantages. Although it is not as hard as it seems to hawsepipe to an unlimited license. Couple that with the fact the boats keep getting bigger and it is even getting easier to upgrade those upper level licenses. In the end I say it’s a personal choice. How bad are you chomping at the bit to get out to sea. All the bayou boat companies are in a hiring blitz right now and the $ is getting crazy.
My interest actually lies in the workboats due to their crew schedules, as opposed to deep ocean, so I don’t know if the tonnage restrictions would bother me too much down the road, or if I would even aspire to the wheelhouse. My initial thinking was to use the Piney Point program to get the training, AB ticket, and a couple of years of experience under me, then look back to tug and OSV jobs. Since the OSV’s seem to be hiring, I was just wondering if I had any chance of getting hired as an OS if I knock on enough doors (simply trying to save myself the overall financial devastation that Piney Point will cost me, and get right into the workboat side of the business). However, if PP seems to be my best bet, I have no problem taking the hit and paying my dues that way.
I had a great deal of interest in the Workboat Academy program initially, but with no student loans available, I don’t see how I could possibly afford it.
I guess at this point I will wait to hear back from PP on whether or not I have to start the application process over again due to my need to reschedule. If that’s the case, I’ll probably re-apply, but give the Gulf a shot anyway. At this point I simply would give almost anything to get the hell out of the trucking industry and out on the water.
Thank you again for the info. I have found this site very useful in my quest for more career info.
ECO has there own training center. You can take STCW, Basic & Advanced fire fighting, ARPA, GMDSS, Dynamic Positioning, Life boat, & A/B. I think they have more, just not sure exactly. If you hire on with ECO the training is free. ECO mostly works 28 & 14, there are some that do work even time. Good Luck EJP19.
You don’t earn anything for the two years you’re there, maybe enough to cover the costs associated with the program, so those people with families to support can’t afford to attend.
Because of the required DMV hearing created by my work situation (long story short, an elderly gentleman decided to commit suicide by pulling out in front of my tractor trailer), I was forced to put in a second delay request for Piney Point. They informed me that one delay was all that I was allowed, and that I would no longer be eligible for the program. They mailed back my entire application packet with a letter stating that I was also not eligible to reapply, which I thought to be pretty ludicrous considering the situation was beyond my control.
I lost sight of my goals for a while and let my MMD go, but I am currently working on getting it back and either trying the oil patch route or the Workboat Academy. Thank you to all who took the time to offer me advice on this thread.