100 ton Mom & Pops + other job

background: started fishing as a kid (12 yrs old) in FL panhandle, long lined GOM out of high school before going over to standby vessels out of Cameron and Intracoastal City, late 70’s. Did 3 years as deckhand & unlicensed engineer for one company out of Patterson, LA. Transitioned into sport (plastic) boats and have pretty much been @ this until present. Hold 100ton NC, approval letter from NMC to test for 200/Mate, MROP, BST, HUET w/water survival, RFPNW. Will take 200 ton upgrade, Radar unlimited, rigging, crane safety & safe gulf in August and may add BRM. I also have a cert from an ASE school for diesel repair program (never did the internship to be ASE certified). 55 years old, and have read the numerous posts/threads on old farts and going back/starting out in the industry. I have sent some PM’s to some that were in similar circumstance and received very good info and would like to see if anyone can add to this. Due to many factors, I believe I will start my job search with small supply boats and crew boat captain training positions. I am not adverse to going overseas for 2-3 years. I plan to test for 500/1600 mate NC within a year. However, if I find a company that I’m compatible with I would be more than happy to stay put for 10+ years to finish my career. I live within 5 hours of AL to Lafayette, single and absolutely willing to work over in the next 2 years. All that being said I have compiled a list and would like all input as to:

#1: if this company listed is still a company or has been bought out and by whom?

#2: what would you rank as the top 5 Mom & Pops of my list?

#3: can you add a company that I have not listed?

#4: do the smaller crew boat companies pay come close to larger crew boat companies pay, example Bud’s Boat Rentals?

GRMI
Graham Gulf
Barry Graham
C and G boat rentals
GOL
Gulf Mark
Borderlon
Aries
L&M Bo Truc
LaBorde Marine
Aries Marine
Alliance
International marine
Iberia Marine
New Iberia Crewboats
COMAR
Offshore Oil Services
Adriatic
Odyssey
Jackson
Fleet Operators
Kevin Gros offshore
Cheramie Brothers
Seahorse
Y&S Marine
Bud’s Boat Rentals
Diamond Services
Coastal Crewboats
Tobias
Candy

based on this info I will head down to the coast in September and introduce my charming self to see if I can get started back in the industry.

Thanks in advance for any and all input.

stay thirsty my friends…

International does not exists any more, they got bought out. Iberia and Comar merged together.

If you want crew boats then focus on:

Allaince
Barry Graham
Graham Gulf
GOL
C&G
Laborde
Chouest and Harvey, if you get your DP Basic.

Mini Supply

Alliance
Adriatic, that would be my #1
Odyssea
GRMI

Jackson marine is another really good company to work for but very hard to get in with. Gulfmark, Aries, Botruc have boats that require 500/3000 license and bigger

Those would probably be your best bet for good jobs that pay on the higher side. The rest in my opinion I would stay away from

Bordelon has a series of 265’s coming out, 1 is already in service, but they really haven’t always been the best, from what I hear around the GOM

Hope this helps and good luck

[QUOTE=MassCap;138234]International does not exists any more, they got bought out. Iberia and Comar merged together.

If you want crew boats then focus on:

Allaince
Barry Graham
Graham Gulf
GOL
C&G
Laborde
Chouest and Harvey, if you get your DP Basic.

Mini Supply

Alliance
Adriatic, that would be my #1
Odyssea
GRMI

Jackson marine is another really good company to work for but very hard to get in with. Gulfmark, Aries, Botruc have boats that require 500/3000 license and bigger

Those would probably be your best bet for good jobs that pay on the higher side. The rest in my opinion I would stay away from

Bordelon has a series of 265’s coming out, 1 is already in service, but they really haven’t always been the best, from what I hear around the GOM

Hope this helps and good luck[/QUOTE]

Helps a lot and much appreciated MassCap. I should have thought to make the basic DP a question, lots of opinions already discussed on this, I have thought I may have it in hand also when job hunting.
Both the Grahams have mini supply as well and are up at the top for me, actually thought I might start in Alabama and work west when looking. May even do some classes in AL as the room & board though not fancy makes a more feasible place to spend 3 weeks straight in class, and I have friends and family in the area.

I have heard the same exact thing as you say about Jackson from 2 others, wonder what that’s all about?

Thanks again Sir.

GulfMark, Aries, Botruc have boats that require 500/3000 license and bigger

Hope this helps and good luck[/QUOTE]

terrible website as far as GulfMark and what they have available goes, so thanks for that. However Aries has 200ton liftboat jobs and Botruc if they haven’t added any new vessels would all be 100 ton mini supply, utility vessels I believe.

Stay away from comar / Iberia, shitty pay and benefits. Graham Gulf does not have mini supply’s. Barry Graham has some old utility boats but no mini supply’s. Candy Fleet lays off every fall and hires drunks. Alliance is a good company with mini supply’s and crew boats. GRMI is a good company.

[QUOTE=Dawn patrol;138272]Stay away from comar / Iberia, shitty pay and benefits. Graham Gulf does not have mini supply’s. Barry Graham has some old utility boats but no mini supply’s. Candy Fleet lays off every fall and hires drunks. Alliance is a good company with mini supply’s and crew boats. GRMI is a good company.[/QUOTE]

Good info thank you much.

Botruc is all supply boats. 500 Ton or better.

Look you essentially have no experience running an oil field boat. Find any place that will take you, stop at every little outfit with a boat on it’s sign and see if they are hiring.

Fine to start at the top, you can get lucky, but expect to end up working with a less desirable company for bit to gain experience and learn the lay of the land.

Jackson marine is still a start up company. The owner Lee Jackson is/was a Mississippi River pilot and the guy that owned Rigdon Marine is also part of that company, the money man. They pay very well, crew boat Capts with dp start around 450/day and they also have employee profit shares. I know a couple guys there and say it’s a really good company but hard to get into. They also have 4 PSV’s being built at BAE in Jacksonville. The first some should be launched in the next couple months and they also have 2 210’ c ultra deep water crew boats. The first should be launch in the next month

[QUOTE=Jemplayer;138281]Botruc is all supply boats. 500 Ton or better.

Look you essentially have no experience running an oil field boat. Find any place that will take you, stop at every little outfit with a boat on it’s sign and see if they are hiring.

Fine to start at the top, you can get lucky, but expect to end up working with a less desirable company for bit to gain experience and learn the lay of the land.[/QUOTE]

stand corrected and informed on the Botruc vessels. Thanks Skippy

as a deckhand and more so as an engineer, albeit many years ago, running w/a crew of 3 on 110’ - 89-98 ton standby vessels there was lots of wheel time on fresh water bayou, the Atchafalaya, and Sabine as well as under the crane. I was fortunate to have an old Cajun Captain from Franklin, LA that nobody other than me wanted to work with between his Jehovah pamphlets and hard ass old school ways, he gave me drive, taught me navigation & radar and brought out my love of seafaring as a youngster. God bless you Captain Calvin, RIP my friend. In addition my last 2 years on a single screw 103 foot Expedition Yacht (a 245 ton steel hull) converted from a tuna seiner, berthing/fueling in roadsteads that make the GOM look calm give me a bit more experience than essentially none IMO, if only I can convince HR of this. As far as the lay of the land, I’m very familiar with every block in the gulf, along with ALL of the passes and waterways having lived and worked from Port Mansfield, TX to Naples, FL. Granted I have no, none, zilch experience running oilfield vessels as a master and need to get some under my belt for sure.

I will indeed take the first job that comes along as you and others have advised, and of course I would welcome your input as to my questions as I can see you came along the same route sir.

thanks again,

[QUOTE=Dawn patrol;138272]Candy Fleet lays off every fall and hires drunks. [/QUOTE]

Yes, Candy Fleet does lay off. But drinking wasn’t a problem on any of the boats I was on, and it was never a topic of conversation/rumor. 80% of the captains were good to work with.

They aren’t the highest paying outfit and there is a bit of turnover, which creates opportunities for anyone looking to get their foot in the door in the oil patch. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend them to anyone looking to do so. Of course, things may have changed. But Steve Markrum was always good to work for, although I understand he is no longer in HR.

[QUOTE=water;138400]Yes, Candy Fleet does lay off. But drinking wasn’t a problem on any of the boats I was on, and it was never a topic of conversation/rumor. 80% of the captains were good to work with.

They aren’t the highest paying outfit and there is a bit of turnover, which creates opportunities for anyone looking to get their foot in the door in the oil patch. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend them to anyone looking to do so. Of course, things may have changed. But Steve Markrum was always good to work for, although I understand he is no longer in HR.[/QUOTE]

Thanks for this water. I guess if I am looking in late summer, early fall it would be a good time to see if they are hiring when they are supposedly laying off as more than one have indicated. Or maybe just get my drink on and apply in the fall?

Spring to early summer is the best time for a job, that’s when all the companies get there boats back on jobs. The fall is when boats start getting let to for the winter time.

Just go in and ask and apply, don’t do the online applications!

[QUOTE=roundabout;138403]Thanks for this water. I guess if I am looking in late summer, early fall it would be a good time to see if they are hiring when they are supposedly laying off as more than one have indicated. Or maybe just get my drink on and apply in the fall?[/QUOTE]

I was hired in the late fall. Happened to apply the day a captain had to get off for medical reasons. The classic situation of being at the right place at the right time with bags packed and paperwork in order.

[QUOTE=water;138409]I was hired in the late fall. Happened to apply the day a captain had to get off for medical reasons. The classic situation of being at the right place at the right time with bags packed and paperwork in order.[/QUOTE]

Definitely a right place @ the right time deal. Fortunately I live close enough (4 hrs.) to drive down, apply and be ready to go. Also close enough that maybe they keep my app close to the top? I will have all documents, with extra copies for each office along with any application I can fill out beforehand, my own ink pens, khakis & confidence along with a firm handshake, with bags packed and ready to go.
Luckily, it looks like I have secured a decent part time gig in Venice, LA filling in as a charter captain which will have me even closer and with pay and off time to get my Radar, 200 ton mate, Safe Gulf, and I guess from what I’m reading VSO (is this necessary?) in the meantime. I will probably bump it up to start searching by mid July early August. Will post as I get started as so many have done, it has been and continues to benefit me the postings of others in the asme situation and I hope I can pay it forward.

Thanks water & MassCap

Update. headed home sunday, taking my SafeGulf & SEMS on tuesday in McComb MS ($200), Rigging on Thursday &FCC MRO on friday, taking Radar on July 7th @ Young in Morgan City ($537) can’t seem to get a 200ton course within a reasonable time period so will seek work 1st.

Anyone have any advice on where to take the FCC MRO’s test that is known to get license in hand within 2 weeks between Lafayette & Mobile?

Anyone familiar with Laborde Marine, how are they to work for and which of their 4 offices does the hiring?

Any insight on who’s hiring 100ton currently?

Hopefully my thread want have 13 pages and I get lucky when I start looking on July 14th, but I will update on a regular basis.

Thanks in advance for any input.

Laborde does their hiring out of the Bayou Vista office. Ask for Donna. They’re a decent company to work for. There is a lot of turnover on the <100ton boats, so there might be some hiring going on.

Ok, put in my app for VPDSD w/letter from ex employer this afternoon @ 1630 NOLA time with NOLA REC, fingers crossed this one goes as well as the last 3. Countdown started.

My Radar original class in Morgan city is set for the 7th of July (I had said 11th earlier), there is a week off between it and PSC then the next week AB.

I now have a set schedule,

flying home sunday!

next week I am doing SafeGulf w/SEMS in McComb MS then spending the night in NOLA and get my Radio Op the next morning @ Houston/Faulk, unless someone can advise me as to a school down the bayou where I can do both Safe Gulf and rigger the same day? May knock on a couple of doors while down that way for a day or two.

Go back home clean up the home place (I haven’t been home since January), sell my 2005 Ford F-150 cheap so I can pay to be out of work for a couple of months. (PM me it’s a deal, loaded XLT, 115k miles, a few whiskey/deer dents but interior is excellent).

Head down on the 6th of July to get ready for Radar class week,

July 14-18th week to knock on doors to see if my 100 ton, plus Safe/Gulf, BST, TWIC, Radio Op, RFPNW, VPDSD, newly acquired radar cert. & approval letter to test for 200ton get me a job anywhere, as in the first one that offers.

If no luck I will take PSC the following week in Morgan City w/Young then AB the following week

1st week of august back on the job hunt and waiting on NMC for Radar & AB unlimited sticker. I will be more than happy at this point to chip paint during dawg days of summer if it means I have a job!

So there ya’ go, will keep all informed of my journey, wish me luck!

All input/advice appreciated.

4 hour or 8 hour for rigger class?

[QUOTE=roundabout;139639]4 hour or 8 hour for rigger class?[/QUOTE]

4 is probably enough, but for a few dollars more why not do 8.

Given all the individual classes you are planning, you might consider PEC Core which covers a lot of material in a 3 day $500 class. It covers SafeGulf, SEMS and a lot more, but not rigging.