Apprenticeship Alternatives/General Questions/Career Advice

As someone in the SIU program, let me tell you, there is very little glamour in this industry and there are no shortcuts to success. You either go through a maritime school or you work your way up from the bottom. And maybe that’s a good thing, because that’s the way it should be! The best things in life are earned, not given. You make the same sacrifices everyone else did to get to where you want to go.

There is a whole lot of “suck” in this job, but I don’t mind. Why? Because a) Its all pretty easy compared to a lot of other things out there; b) You get paid well above average wages to do easy work; c) There are few things as cool as working on a ship; d) You get to travel a lot; e) Advancement is entirely what you make of it. Its not like other jobs where there are a gazillion different directions you can go, but there are just enough to keep you interested. If you ever become an officer or work on a tugboat, you can expect to become a very wealthy man and do a job nobody else seems to do.

But you have to work for it and bust your rear to do it. Again, that’s the way it ought to be. Somebody who has no interest in doing the hard work that comes with sailing merchant vessels has no business being anywhere near the water. Except on a private yacht, maybe.

I noted your use of mood stabilizers. No, don’t wanna know specifics however you may want to review Coast Guard medical requirements (the forms and policy letters are on the NMC website) to get an idea as to what they want. Many psychiatric conditions/medications are a red flag. You don’t want to spend a lot of time/money only to find out you’ll need waivers or are not qualified.

As to shortcuts, there are really none. Whether you come up via the “hawsepipe” or go the Academy route, advancement takes time and that is for a reason.

What the others have recommended regarding work as a deckhand, that’s a good idea because you will learn quickly if this is your cup of tea, without expending a lot of $$ for additional schools etc.

Don’t think you are somehow above it all because you have a degree or two. Success in a classroom does not predict success on the water.

[QUOTE=tugsailor;163872]Listen to Fraqrat. With your background, engineering or ETO make the most sense, but first just go get any seagoing job and get a taste of the seagoing life. Also consider offshore oil drilling

There are many seagoing job employers who prefer to hire guys with a college degree[/QUOTE]

The engineers have voted. We don’t want him.

[QUOTE=Louisd75;163897]The engineers have voted. We don’t want him.[/QUOTE]

He can work for me. I have lots of mentally engaging tasks for him.

They will involve the creative use of complex tools such as rags, mops, buckets, a shop vac, trash bags, and a bottle of Simple Green.

You asked about a shortcut officer route similar to OCS for the academically qualified. The fact of the matter is that going to a State Maritime Academy, like SUNY, is the academic route! Unlike a naval officer you can’t learn to stand a bridge watch in a matter of months. The exception of course being WWII where they did push out kids in 90 days to be USMS officers. It takes time to learn the material you need to. Even after learning all the academic things that an Unlimited Mate would do, if you have any kind of idea that in the USMM being some kind of officer-dandy who doesn’t get his hands dirty is a thing, then you are WRONG. We all work hard. As a Mate I’m expected to do the same work any OS would do, the difference is that I ALSO stand watch on the bridge and oversee cargo operations etc. If you think you’re above moping floors or cleaning toilets, you’ll never make it in this world.

[QUOTE=LI_Domer;163900]You asked about a shortcut officer route similar to OCS for the academically qualified. The fact of the matter is that going to a State Maritime Academy, like SUNY, is the academic route! Unlike a naval officer you can’t learn to stand a bridge watch in a matter of months. The exception of course being WWII where they did push out kids in 90 days to be USMS officers. It takes time to learn the material you need to. Even after learning all the academic things that an Unlimited Mate would do, if you have any kind of idea that in the USMM being some kind of officer-dandy who doesn’t get his hands dirty is a thing, then you are WRONG. We all work hard. As a Mate I’m expected to do the same work any OS would do, the difference is that I ALSO stand watch on the bridge and oversee cargo operations etc. If you think you’re above moping floors or cleaning toilets, you’ll never make it in this world.[/QUOTE]

That’s something I learned as well. Everyone does the dirty work.

I’ll take him also. Put his mind to work and figure out what he’s gonna cook. I’m tired of cooking for these assholes… And as cleaning goes, don’t forget the bleach…

[QUOTE=josh.reid24;163918]I’ll take him also. Put his mind to work and figure out what he’s gonna cook. I’m tired of cooking for these assholes… And as cleaning goes, don’t forget the bleach…[/QUOTE]

Not too much bleach. It wreaks havoc on the MSD.

[QUOTE=catherder;163921]Not too much bleach. It wreaks havoc on the MSD.[/QUOTE]
Bleach is bad but pine oil is the worst.

Well I don’t use straight bleach… My favorite, and by my favorite I mean my capt favorite is 2 caps bleach to 1 bottle mr clean… An he CAN tell the difference… Don’t eye ball the shit…

No ,the best is when the newbies use papers towels, then throw them in the toilet, And then they learn how to use the shit tongs in the MSD tank, Now that’s a FAST TRACK system

[QUOTE=josh.reid24;163923]Well I don’t use straight bleach… My favorite, and by my favorite I mean my capt favorite is 2 caps bleach to 1 bottle mr clean… An he CAN tell the difference… Don’t eye ball the shit…[/QUOTE]
Anyone that puts ANY bleach or cleaning chemicals other than approved cleaners in a MSD is a complete idiot. It’s spelled out in block letters in the manuals and placards.

Trust me I know… But as a deckhand all I can say is yes sir and do as I’m told… As far as I work my boat, I get paid from the neck down…

[QUOTE=josh.reid24;163927]Trust me I know… But as a deckhand all I can say is yes sir and do as I’m told… As far as I work my boat, I get paid from the neck down…[/QUOTE]

Where I work now, same here. For all of us. I feel your pain; I really do.

[QUOTE=josh.reid24;163923]Well I don’t use straight bleach… My favorite, and by my favorite I mean my capt favorite is 2 caps bleach to 1 bottle mr clean… An he CAN tell the difference… Don’t eye ball the shit…[/QUOTE]

Don’t mix cleaning products, it’s hazardous. If your captain is having you do it he’s a moron.

[QUOTE=DaveahamLincoln;163835]I feel that the possibility of additional endorsements/qualifications to work towards would help alleviate some of the boredom and frustration that would necessarily come with 3 years of what amounts to heavy hard labor.

  1. There is absolutely nothing wrong with wanting to advance quickly- that desire does not represent a moral failing. There is also nothing wrong with not enjoying moving heavy objects as much as more mentally engaging tasks.

If nothing else, you’ve given me a lot to think about.

Best,

-Dave[/QUOTE]

You should consider becoming a DPO. You can sit on your ass all day.

This has been a fun read.

1 Like

[QUOTE=Kennebec Captain;163935]Don’t mix cleaning products, it’s hazardous. If your captain is having you do it he’s a moron.[/QUOTE]

Couldn’t agree more. This can produce chlorine gas, very dangerous.

People reacted badly here because you sound like a snob. You claim you’re an intellectual, but you haven’t managed to do the research to figure out what the officer jobs you aspire to are really like, otherwise you wouldn’t have this illusion that there’s anything “intellectual” about running a ship. Intelligent, yes, but not “intellectual”. You say you have a degree in Naval History, I don’t understand how you wouldn’t know this.

Oh, and haven’t you heard the latest hipster news? Manual labor is cool…

“Believe me, the man who earns his bread by the sweat of his brow, eats oftener a sweeter morsel, however coarse, than he who procures it by the labor of his brains.” ~Washington Irving, letter to Pierre Paris Irving (nephew), 1824 December 7th

“There are moments when art attains almost to the dignity of manual labor.” ~Oscar Wilde

Keep in mind that with two bachelor’s degrees you may be able to finish an Academy program in three years. But don’t think that means you won’t work hard, you’ll probably have to work harder and squeeze in a lot of information and cadet time into three years. And then you are really only equipped with theoretical knowledge of how a ship works, how to run a watch, etc. You’ll be learning every day, especially being new.

And a little hint: Even if you know something already, just smile and say thanks when someone offers up information and advice, no matter how brusque or rude you think it.