Any recommendations for a place to take a training on ASD?
I am triyng to make a switch back to tug boats, specifically Harbour Assist. The experience I had was in conventional tugs and not much handling experience on my own. Individual or if I can be included in a group it would be better.
Trying to be home more and raise my kids.
I will be paying this out of my pocket, so any help here is appreciated!
Northeast maritime does a basic and advanced class
While traitor knows his stuff, I can’t recommend that class. You may learn some theory, but nothing that will make you more hire-able without actually beating on a boat.
MITAGs or PMI. Pretty pricy.
Good to know!
True, I feel for someone that’s trying to break into the wheelhouse side of ship docking, I was fortunate to get all the experience I was able to get. Now that I look back at my ham and egging days. Everyone is so scared of policy you can’t step on now without company letterhead and a call from the boss. Captains are so scared to train folks because of the fear of paperwork a demotions that loom over your head if God forbid a trainee bends a handrail or a visor. The men that trained and learned Z-drives were single and twin screw operators of days long gone. We need to continue the hunt for new gifted natural boat handlers that can get opportunities to learn all the equipment so it can be shared throughout the industry, I for one don’t have any problems training others. That’s the captains job I believe and if you don’t wanna train others it’s time to demote yourself to mate. I know there are some of you still doing the right thing. I salute you and pray rules want get in your way of bettering our USMM.
I’m pretty sure Delgado in New Orleans offers it. Saw their setup, when I did my radar recert there, last month.
The handful of guys I know that run ship assist z drive boats rode along as an observer for a few months, in some cases longer before they got checked off and got a spot. Probably varies from company to company and location, etc…
Thanks to all of you guys for the imput.
I have contacted a couple of places and still waiting for answers.
Any other opinions will be appreciated!
[QUOTE=0rion;148052]Any recommendations for a place to take a training on ASD?
I am triyng to make a switch back to tug boats, specifically Harbour Assist. The experience I had was in conventional tugs and not much handling experience on my own. Individual or if I can be included in a group it would be better.
Trying to be home more and raise my kids.
I will be paying this out of my pocket, so any help here is appreciated![/QUOTE]
I ran Z-drives tugs for Moran and Mcallister for 5 years, and prior to that I ran all their singles and twins docking ships, towing, and moving barges. Having this on my resume, the fundamentals and experience for graduating to the latest technology (Z-drive tugs) made the transition easier to be a "“good” boat operator with the Z-drive. As you may know, there are many intangibles/dynamics that are happening during the aforementioned evolutions, which NO school or training center can ever teach you in a week or even in a month. It takes 20 years to get twenty years experience.
I was one of the few fortunate guys that were able to learn how to operate a Z-drive boat by Crowley’s senior Z-drive Tug Captain. Moran chartered the Tug Z-One from a company and used it as the “training boat” for all its future Captains. We spent a lot of time in close proximity of various docks and piers learning what I call “vector logic.” Running these boats is all about learning the different vectors or as most guys call it, the angles. You literally are re-mapping your brain (which takes weeks) to associate your hand movements with your brain, so you can subconsciously run the boat, just like running the conventional boats. The schools are a joke, DO NOT waste your money and time. I went to one major school roughly 8 years ago for my GMDSS endorsement, and got to know a few of the various instructors there. Their level of knowledge is sub-standard and most are not competent in running one, let alone teaching someone on how to operate a Z-drive. Here is a good analogy for you. How can you conduct an orchestra when you have not played an instrument??? Most of them learned on the simulator with very little or no practical application.
My final thought is, if you want to learn how to run a Z-drive, get with a company that has a few, and express your interest in running one. You may have to get on a conventional boat within the company, but at least your foot is in the door. The next step is to go get on a Z-drive and meet the Captain and Mate and feel them out. Ask them if they would be willing to allow you on the boat for a few hours a day during your time off for training. I had one guy do this at Mcallister, a real nice guy, and trained him during his off time. He then became my Mate a year later…damn good boat operator tooooo. Guess where he is now??? On the ladder - a Docking Pilot for Mcallister now. Hope this helps. Good luck to you !!!
You need to forget the classes… go find a company that will let you ride along. Ride until it sucks then ride some more, once the company see’s that your determined to learn they will begin to teach you. Only after you earn some trust will they give you hands on training. When I started out I was a deck hand who rode in the wheelhouse on my off time for almost a year.
Some of the UNOLS research ships have z drives. I just got off of one. They often need people. They do a lot of precision tracking and hovering around in DP. Check it out.
Heres one way, alcohol, a sawzall and sort of a plan… Might be fun w/the kids. The hard part is forgetting most of your boat handling instincts. http://youtu.be/7lzzcYG0NJY. Good luck!
[QUOTE=catherder;148179]Some of the UNOLS research ships have z drives. I just got off of one. They often need people. They do a lot of precision tracking and hovering around in DP. Check it out.[/QUOTE]
Apples to Oranges but it might give the operator an understanding of how the systems and opposing forces work with the drives. Conventional tug experience is worth 100 times the experience of an offshore DP z-drive when it comes time to run an ASD tug.
King Tug is right about riding along and observing. We’ve had 20 year conventional Captains that watch for a day and think they can show you how it’s done. They fail miserably. There is little more dangerous than a tug that maneuvers that fast in the hands of someone arrogant that doesn’t execute your every instruction because they want to show you how much better the old timers are. I’ve served up more than one slice of humble pie kicking guys out of the seat. But I ate mine more than once while I was learning too. With a proper Captain to train you most big mistakes will be made in an environment that you can shrug it off and try again. No good Captain that cares about the safety of his crew and tug will put you on the sticks during difficult maneuvers until you both agree you are ready to try. Jeff Slesinger wrote a book called [U]ASD Tugs: Learning to Drive a Z-Drive[/U]. I believe he is currently working for Western Towboat according to their website. Anyway, it’s a pretty good book. We had a few copies changing hands here at the dock that I was having all the green mates read. It won’t make up for doing it, but it might help speed things up by getting you in the right mindset for why things happen the way they do.
Best way to explain driving a z-drive is like driving a tiller outboard. It’s not that hard, if you remember the basics.
Jeff does & he teaches the z-drive training class at PMI seattle quite frequently.
Thanks to all the input, decided to not take any course.
Currently working as Harbor Tug Captain.
NMI is a messed up place - I would go elsewhere. I’ve had so many problems at getting approved and so many other people. I will never step foot in that corrupt place.
Are they as bad as an outboard with being a rudder when the prop isn’t turning?
Pretty much, can always turn them outboard and just push the stern whichever way you want if your still making headway.