Heard it through the punkinvine that starting on the April 16th payroll, Chouest was raising the bar on the officer pay for OSV’s. Would like to know if it is indeed true and, if so, are they hiring? 1600/3000 master here.
PM me if you don’t want to post in the open forum.
it is true.
Chouest doesn’t operate an even off/on rotation for officers though, or do they?
Not typically.
[QUOTE=Smooth Sailor;67395]Chouest doesn’t operate an even off/on rotation for officers though, or do they?[/QUOTE]
You are hired working a 2 for 1 schedule, but if you are patient you can work yourself into an even time rotation. It is up to the boat. There are several boats that I’m aware of that are even time.
[QUOTE=Smooth Sailor;67395]Chouest doesn’t operate an even off/on rotation for officers though, or do they?[/QUOTE]
As the guys pointed out, normally you’re hired 2-1 schedule. But if you wheel and deal, you can get it. 3/4 of my officers are 1-1. As long as the vessel is covered, it is normally all good.
While I have been at home enjoying my off time I have yet to be informed of this “big honking raise”. Anyone care to elaborate?
A bunch of us feel the same way…
[QUOTE=CaptKrunch;67403]While I have been at home enjoying my off time I have yet to be informed of this “big honking raise”. Anyone care to elaborate?[/QUOTE]
Contact your coordinator. It was “official” yesterday. Although some guys knew it prior. But the word came down to most of the fleet yesterday.
maybe time to head back offshore
I’ve heard up to $850 on OSV’s and $1000 on the big AHTS for guys with a 6000ITC endorsement. That’s captains…
Has anyone heard if its the same for engineers?
What about AB’s? Are they still at 250/270/day?
So… That would be $800 for second/ third officers with 1600/3000? And $950 for 6000itc?
[QUOTE=nolacapt;67407]I’ve heard up to $850 on OSV’s and $1000 on the big AHTS for guys with a 6000ITC endorsement. That’s captains…
Has anyone heard if its the same for engineers?
What about AB’s? Are they still at 250/270/day?[/QUOTE]
Not quite. OSV’s yes but not that Big AHTS pay. Thats a little off.
I’ll say that the large number came from someone at the office. Who knows what boats, and who knows if I just got fed BS.
No word on everyone else besides captains?
I hear that Chouest has instituted a pay system that is unique. The " lead captain" gets $100/day more than the “relief captain” until such time as the “relief captain” takes over from the “lead captain”. He then gets the full pay as “lead captain”. That is the silliest thing I have ever heard. There can be only one master of a vessel. What’s up with these false titles no one else in the maritime industry recognizes? There will be even more bickering and backstabbing than normal in order to be called “lead captain”. If you are a qualified master of the vessel you get paid as master end of story. There is no such thing as 1st capt, 2nd capt, 3rd capt. etc… It would appear that they want to keep their captains and chief engineers but don’t want to pay them full pay for retaining them so they bestow titles on them and pay them partial wages part of the time. What genius came up with this plan? I also hear the guys running the anchors won’t make any more than the guys running the mud boats unless they are doing anchor work. Why would anyone take on the stress of running a big anchor vessel when you could make the same running mud? I hope I am wrong about what I was told but if I am not Chouest just increased their retention problem, not decreased it.
I have always wondered what the heck they think in that navy down in the bayou, now I am sure they don’t think much at all.
What are the other companies paying in comparison? Hornbeck, GOL, etc.?
[QUOTE=tengineer;67434]I hear that Chouest has instituted a pay system that is unique. The " lead captain" gets $100/day more than the “relief captain” until such time as the “relief captain” takes over from the “lead captain”. He then gets the full pay as “lead captain”. That is the silliest thing I have ever heard. There can be only one master of a vessel. What’s up with these false titles no one else in the maritime industry recognizes? There will be even more bickering and backstabbing than normal in order to be called “lead captain”. If you are a qualified master of the vessel you get paid as master end of story. There is no such thing as 1st capt, 2nd capt, 3rd capt. etc… It would appear that they want to keep their captains and chief engineers but don’t want to pay them full pay for retaining them so they bestow titles on them and pay them partial wages part of the time. What genius came up with this plan? I also hear the guys running the anchors won’t make any more than the guys running the mud boats unless they are doing anchor work. Why would anyone take on the stress of running a big anchor vessel when you could make the same running mud? I hope I am wrong about what I was told but if I am not Chouest just increased their retention problem, not decreased it.
I have always wondered what the heck they think in that navy down in the bayou, now I am sure they don’t think much at all.[/QUOTE]
Master is only a job title. None of the vessels working in the GOM have a master listed on the vessels official documentation. The owner is the Master.
This has to be one of the more absurd statements I have read. So please tell me if I am wrong…regardless of the title bestowed on the man, you feel they should not be getting paid for the job they are performing at that moment? If this system is in fact true then I applaud it whole-heartedly and cannot for the life of me see how this will affect the industry in a negative way. I think that backstabbing will always be there as a human nature but that is relatively minor compared to the ones who never wanted to step up in the first place. Those boats are full of people glad to take the reduction just to be a watchstander and not take on as much responsibility.
Reread the COI, I promise you it calls for a master.
It makes sense to me. The master of the vessel gets paid more, why is that so controversial? The “relief captain” gets paid as chief mate when he is sailing as second and gets paid as master when he is sailing as master. Maybe the difference between the two is a bit high but the extra headache and liability needs to be compensated. (I thought it was a $25 difference but maybe that changed with this new raise.)
The second part of your complaint seems to disagree with the first. There is no such thing as “2nd captain”, “3rd captain”, etc. They are mates, regardless of what license they hold, so why should they be paid as much as the captain? The only person who should be paid as captain is the actual captain. Just because you are a “qualified master” does not mean you legally are the master so why would they be paid the same?