Just passing this on. There’s also a maintenance job in Galveston listed.
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Does anyone have any experience or info about the Port Aransas and Galveston ferries? This seems like a good opportunity.
At $12 per hour, only a kid still living with mom and desperate for seatime could afford to do that “job”
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I have money saved up, so the initial low pay is doable. I’m also willing to work 50-60 hours a week if possible, and Texas is not very expensive, at least compared to where I’m from.
It doesn’t seem like a bad gig to build sea time and move on to something better. But if would help to hear from people that have experience with the ferries.
I haven’t been down that way since before Harvey, but my understanding is that Port Aransas was hit hard and the area is still in bad shape.
Even before Harvey I wouldn’t recommend living there.
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Mr Jangles, I agree with everyone here. It won’t be the best job and little room for advancement I would imagine but it can you give an idea for if you want a career on the water. I would look for one with better advancement opportunities, ie inland tugboat/pushboats, but you have to start somewhere. Best of luck.
I can’t see why anyone would consider that job at that pay unless they had some family obligation near Port A. I guess the state insurance benefit is something to consider, but I can tell you that it ain’t what it used to be. Good luck, whatever you do.
I’ve never worked at a Wal-Mart or a Burger King but if I was considering any of those type places to keep me out of the house & stilled married in my retirement years I guess I would go with a ferry job first. Probably like working one of those MSRC oil spill response retirement gigs, something that pays the insurance & a few rounds of golf.
Thank you all for the information. I have a couple of offers from seasonal deckhand jobs, and will go with one of those. They pay more, offer more than 40 hours a week and have incredibly cheap employee housing. Good way to save money and build sea time for the next six months.
I have about 100 days of deck experience, so after the season I’ll have more than enough sea time for an AB OSV, but will be a few months short of an AB Special. Would you recommend getting the OSV and trying to find work, or waiting until I have 360 days for an AB Special?
Depends on where you want to be in 5 years.
Get the AB OSV as fast as you can. You can upgrade from there with just seatime. No more exams.
Even though you may still be sailing as OS, having AB OSV will make you a bit more employable than the guys who only have OS.
It would not surprise me if a few smaller companies don’t know or don’t care about the OSV restriction.
Thanks for the feedback. I’ll plan on going for my AB OSV after this season, so some time in October or November. Excited to start working again!