[FONT=Helvetica][COLOR=#222222][FONT=Helvetica]Just got a call from American Marine Corp,they are looking for a Third Mate for a contract tow next week. I was notavailable to take the job but said I would pass it along to the community. I don’thave all the details but the last time they offered me this job i think the paywas 270/day w/travel. It seems like a good gig with your looking for work orwant to add some towing experience to your resume.
They need someone with an Mate of Towing, Oceans Endorsement.
That why I turned them down. It could be more if you stay with the company for awhile. I think they just want a Third mate for sea buoy-sea buoy. But being only a year out of school, I would take it for the experience (If I was unemployed). The first job they offered me was going through the Panama Canal, would have been nice to see that again.
When i was running 2nd mate for “bottom of the barrel” McAllister i was getting paid substantially more that $270 a day. So you all can cease all of that talk.
I think they are (or were) a commercial diving company based in LA and Honolulu that also operates a couple of tugs. They have been around for quite awhile and have been through some ups and downs. The only consistent thing I have heard about their towing operation is LOW pay. $270 for a mate speaks for itself.
It is almost funny how you try to do the community members here at gcaptain a service by posting a job, and then members make comments about the daily rates…and tear them apart…, I guess the Europeans were right about us, we are all a bunch of over paid, & fat, whiney Americans…
They probably have half a dozen experienced guys who have been with them for quite a while that make more money, but its probably still LOW pay compared to most others.
This reminds me of a one boat gippo outfit that use to get new CMA 3rd mates to work as ABs for FREE in exchange for tug training. If he liked them he would later give them trips at LOW pay. He used the carrot that they would eventually get to sail mate if they proved themselves. On long trips he would hire one of them as a second mate for LOW pay.
It sounds like this outfit is also providing recent CMA grads with similar LOW pay “opportunities.” $270 is a lot better than free, but its still a long way from a reasonable wage, especially in California where half of a crappy apartment costs $1500 a month.
The sad thing is that decent tug companies that pay a living wage lose out when they bid for the towing contracts against these guys exploiting naive new grads as cheap labor.
How else to inform others of a substandard wage, with an inferior treatment at a CHEAP company?
Wasn’t it you who referred to relatives down south who make chickenscratch for the same job? But you think working for Morty is the greatest thing since sliced bread!? Believe it (or not) there IS life after Morty! And other people need to know the truth about other companies. There is a larger view out there that should be openly shown.
P.S. I do the same when someone asks about Bouchard!
[QUOTE=tugsailor;72544]They probably have half a dozen experienced guys who have been with them for quite a while that make more money, but its probably still LOW pay compared to most others.
This reminds me of a one boat gippo outfit that use to get new CMA 3rd mates to work as ABs for FREE in exchange for tug training. If he liked them he would later give them trips at LOW pay. He used the carrot that they would eventually get to sail mate if they proved themselves. On long trips he would hire one of them as a second mate for LOW pay.
It sounds like this outfit is also providing recent CMA grads with similar LOW pay “opportunities.” $270 is a lot better than free, but its still a long way from a reasonable wage, especially in California where half of a crappy apartment costs $1500 a month.
The sad thing is that decent tug companies that pay a living wage lose out when they bid for the towing contracts against these guys exploiting naive new grads as cheap labor.[/QUOTE]
I can realate, I’m approaching that point. I actually thought of this, willing to work a week for free, for a shot.
We were doing most of the James River dead fleet tows to brownsville but now dann ocean and some of the other low ballers are getting most of them. The same thing with the suisun bay tows. Dann and tradewinds took them from under us.
I really liked those 3-5 days at Rodman waiting our turn to head through the canal. Panama City is a great place for a sailor on shore leave!!
I don’t know how many times (years ago) that I took low pay jobs with half-ass companies for cash and seatime, only to find out that much better companies had called the house with decent job offers a few days after I’d left.
I worked for them for a couple years and I can say it was an adventure. My pay as mate was better tan that without a doubt. It does sound like its just a trip mate they are looking for and if its for the tug I worked on then I have nothing but good things to say about the Captain and the Chief Engineer. Both guys I would sail with anytime. The vessel is in good shape for an old Zapata/Tidewater tug. Fair warning they used to be quasi-union, means you paid the dues but were sailing in a grey area. I was let go due to lack of work a few years back with no notice so ther is that too. But I went some cool places and did some interesting work. True gypsy tug style.
