“Port captain” means widely different things in different companies. I’m a port captain, and I’m management…
Maybe as an example each port captain oversees (use that word loosely) a few vessels. Those port captains have a manager or lead, and that person in turn reports to a director of technical/ops/etc. (depends on the organization) Likely the only one in the chain that would call himself management is the latter. The first level port captain is certainly not a management position.
1 Like
Is it an entry level position?
@oakley23, just curious, but did you or do you work ashore in some capacity?
My suggestion is to get your MMC, apply for ETO rating and get to work as an ET on a drillship.
Start accruing seatime and you can become an Unlimited AB quickly, especially with the new reduced requirements.
From there, ask whichever company you’re working for to pay for classes. Unlimited 3rd to DPO in a few years.
Just in time for the market to crash again and THEN you can go work shoreside without any student debt.
Thank you to all who responded. I should have been more clear in my original post. Perhaps I can offer some clarity for those who view this thread in the future.
My interest is in a Naval Arch/Marine Engineering career. My interest is in fishing, tugs and other workboats. My only sea time now is on fishing boats under 100t as an unlicensed deck hand. I also work p/t installing and servicing radar, radios, NAV, plotters and etc., and have all the licenses and credentials for that. I also have some training and experience as a diesel mechanic. My f/t job now is totally unrelated to the maritime industry. My extended family includes 3 merchant mariners of my grandfathers generation, all hausepipers. 1 deck officer, 2 engine officers, and 2 academy engineering graduates of my fathers and my generation who never went to sea. The engineering officers of my grandfathers generation all moved to very good land jobs like chief engineer of a ConEd power plant. The deck officer died at sea. The academy grads all went into the construction business. My father was a commercial fisherman before taking a land job to be with family.
I’m told that the best option for my interests is in working in yards and dockside during construction, outfitting, trials, repairs, upgrades and etc. in addition to design studio work This generally requires a great deal of practical experience; but many of the most experienced people are older and either physically can’t do it anymore or simply don’t want to, and there is a growing shortage of qualified people.
I’m trying to decide between a program like Stevens, where as a transfer student I could complete the BEng program in 2 years or an accelerated combined BEng & M$Eng program in 2-1/2 years, and perhaps add a project management focused MBA in another year, or go an academy route and get some experience and some relevant licenses. New Orleans is very similar to Stevens in options and cost.
Getting a PE license at some point is a career must.
As others mentioned, the option to do a 4 year academy program and come out with both deck and engineering licenses was abolished decades ago. Today you must be approved for a double or triple major and complete all of the requirements of all the programs. For an incoming freshman this generally is a 6-1/2-7 year process including 6 student cruises. Almost nobody does that today, and all the schools I’ve talked to have policies on how to do that, but front line school staff rarely even knew that option existed. My understanding is that about the only people today who pursue dual licenses are either NA students or Legacy students intending to move quickly into the C-Suite of family businesses; and most of the time their academy time will include completing a masters degree as well.
As others mentioned, transfer students face the issue of what will transfer, and it varies widely. I’ve visited Mich and its a fantastic program, but in my case almost nothing would transfer.
There are academy programs where as a transfer I could complete dual licenses in 3-1/2 to 4-1/2 tears. Basically, a dual license academy program adds 2 years to Stevens. The total costs are fairly close; Stevens is expensive, but the academy route still costs more.
The lowest cost option seems to be the non-license NA track at a few of the academies where as a transfer student you may be able to finish in 21 months with a non-license BEng. I’m in state and commutable to SUNY, so that is the lowest cost option, but I’m told because of class scheduling expect SUNY to be more like 3-4 years of p/t.
I could pursue 50t master, AB, STCW and etc. fairly easily and quickly, but I’m told its a complete waste of time and money if I decide to go an academy route
Academy grads seem to have a unique path to limited licenses.
Deck grads finish with a 3d Mate and can get towing signed off as a student. 1 year of sea time under that license and some extra courses and you can test for 2d mate and 1600t master; essentially going to 1600t master of a towing vessel with 1 year of post graduation sea time. If the time was on the right vessels, 3,000t is possible.
Engine grads graduate with 3d AE, and with appropriate course work, 4000hp DDE. 6 months of sea time under that license can get unlimited DDE; another 6 months and some additional courses and go to 2d AE and limited chief.
The same 90 days of sea time can be used for both deck and engine upgrade with minimal limitations.
There are a few options to gain sea time quickly. Most attractive are some large fishing vessels where you stand 12 hr watches and get 1.5 days credit per day. These vessels are often at sea for months at a time. I know of a hand full of jobs on coastal tugs with very small crew where you stand 12 hr watches, are home about every week, and at least 1 person is expected to function as DDE, deckhand, and navigation watch interchangeably. My understanding is that these jobs can be applied separately as 1.5 days of engine time and 1.5 days of deck time for license upgrade. Also, certain kinds of work routinely done by NAs can be counted as sea time on a 3 for 1 basis.
As some have mentioned, such jobs are very limited and it can be very difficult to get the jobs you would need to progress quickly.
To get to that same 1600t master and limited chief without the academy pathway is, as some have pointed out, a practical impossibility.
In recent years, many NAs work remotely to 1 degree or another, and many design firms hire contract “gig workers” rather than full time with benefits people who work in their studio/office like they once did. By the time I graduate, the technology may be such that I could work remotely in my off time when at sea.
My question is, is the experience and etc. gained from the academy route and some sea time worth everything that that pathway requires. My NA mentor says absolutely yes, but his early career was going to an academy as a freshman when he was 15 years younger than I am, when it was free, and the 4 year dual pathway still existed, and going to sea when he had no family; very different than mine.
I appreciate all the thoughts and insights everyone has shared.
You are obviously a smart well educated guy, but the multiplicity of things you are talking about doing sound crazy.
If you want be a Naval Architect, then just go to a good Naval Architecture program. Thats all you need to do.
If you want to be a professional student, then go for a PhD.
Don’t waste your time chasing USCG licenses.
3 Likes
I remember vividly when I first started working in the industry looking at the checklists and thinking to myself “man I can get to where I want to go in no time.” After almost 2x the time I thought it would take, I’ve gotten to the level I originally hoped for. I consider myself an above avg person in terms of ambition but to put it simply, life gets in the way. What looks like a clear path on paper almost certainly has twists and turns that you can’t foresee.
You’re obviously smart and have done your homework, but tugsailor is right. Don’t bother chasing a license if you don’t plan to sail. Your entire plans screams of, “I need as many credentials as possible in order to be successful and marketable.” Sure, you’ll get some exposure but you’ll hardly be an expert, let alone proficient in the things you’re hoping to gain knowledge in with the time you’ve allotted. Focus on being an architect, engineer, or whatever you want. Put your focus on one thing. What you stated above has to have so many things line up perfectly for you that it’s borderline absurd. The reality is that there just aren’t enough hours in the day for what you’re trying to do imo. Maybe approach it more gradually.
I seriously doubt there are a lot of manager types working at Conrad, or Eastern or NAs at Robert Allan that are absolute stud boat handlers or could round up blindfolded, yet they still manage to churn out boats. The maritime industry is filled with a lot of diverse people with one thing in common, most have never sailed.
Hopefully the posts in this thread aren’t viewed as a negative, rather a realistic approach to reaching your goals. Remember, the license is just the start of your learning, sort of like a learners permit. Bailing after a few years because you already knew you wanted a shoreside job is just a waste of your time and energy for no significant gain. Good luck to you if you go down this road and hope it works out.
4 Likes