Different companies in different places handle hiring and “offers” very differently. Some companies send an offer letter that spells everything out in great detail. Some offer letters refer to details in the employee handbook and other documents, which of course one has not yet seen. Some companies just make offers over the phone, but often the person making the offer may not have final say in hiring or the rate. Some companies only make offers when you are sitting in their office.
At some companies everyone doing the same job gets the same pay. At other companies, everyone has their own pay rate depending upon position, licenses, other certifications, known ability, and negotiating skills. I prefer that method.
Now I remember hearing that at Bouchard, Morty personally decides the pay rate for each employee. Undoubtedly he makes all final hiring decisions.
Some companies have such convoluted pay scales that you really cannot tell what the job pays, someone just tells you that it depends, but that it usually works out within an approximate range. Things like bar crossing pay, revenue days, cargo time, ot, ato, travel pay and paid travel, lay days, in port work, shipyard work, per diem, the value of benefits, and the exceptions that employers have to screw you out of some or all of those things can be impossible to figure out, until you have actually done the job for awhile.
There is however a big difference between an offer and an inquiry. I get at least one “offer” per week that is not really an offer, just an ---- are you available and willing to consider this? That covers most so called “offers” from recruiters, temp agencies, or company HR staffers.
I’ve met some really hard working ABs in the Gulf. Not a single on of them knows the proper way to tie a sheet bend or safely launch a boat. Seamanship just isn’t part of the job in the GOM. Not bashing on these guys, like I said, really hard workers, just an observation.
[QUOTE=z-drive;139900]I don’t see the need to shit on this guy because he would rather work at a northeast tug/barge company than join everyone in their brother in the gulf. There are many many many deckhands in trades other than the oilfield that are just as skilled as anyone in another. I personally would prefer a deckhand with experience working on a POS stone boat or container ship over your “super” deckhand who’s done nothing other than get 180 days and sit through a class for that AB card.
Updated - - -
Unfortunately, that’s how it goes a lot of the time up this way. Not this guys fault.[/QUOTE]
Actually, Irish was the first one to bring up the gulf and not wanting to get down on his knees there… in a manner of speaking. I don’t think anyone would have given a crap that he wasn’t going to the gulf… and certainly no-one was downing him for not wanting/doing it. At least not at that point in the thread. He seems to be more worried about the “precious Gulf” than anyone was about whether he had any desire to work there. He came on here admittedly knowing that the board is fully primed to give people a ration of shit and then proceeded to say that he was too lazy to go back and look at posts that may be irrelevant. He got the typical razzing for an attitude… He also seems to have an inferiority complex himself over the gulf thing since he was the one to bring it up on multiple occasions. Anyway, he’s a little thin skinned and reactive for the board’s typical responses. Here’s to hoping his skin is a little thicker and his mouth has a better filter than his keyboard so he can keep his job (if he passes the drug test and physicals).
[QUOTE=Bloodyshitcakes;139905]I’ve met some really hard working ABs in the Gulf. Not a single on of them knows the proper way to tie a sheet bend or safely launch a boat. Seamanship just isn’t part of the job in the GOM. Not bashing on these guys, like I said, really hard workers, just an observation.[/QUOTE]
[QUOTE=KrustySalt;139913]Please do explain. I can’t wait to hear.[/QUOTE]
I told the supposed AB on my watch when I was with Seabulk in the late '90’s to “soogee the windows on the wheelhouse once we get into the river”. He copped an attitude and told me (and I remember this quote like he told me this morning), “What the hell is soogee. You’ll have to speak English to me”. That’s when I learned the difference between an AB and a Maybe.
Did I say that? I’m saying the man with experience on a few types of vessels including making/braking tow, landing a barge over the radio, maybe mooring a ship etc will often be the better seaman. The “do nothing” means they only need 180 days to become an AB, which is nonsense. Do nothing in regards to their minimum experience level.
You are right, some of the best ab’s were the ones @ Mac Ny who had to make up push gear with 4parts, do shipwork, land barges, & do whatever else. Worst I ever had were the ones @ Crowley.
Poser without credentials. Obviously has never worked in the industry. Seems mentally unstable, narcissistic and desperate for attention.
This Poser will be borrowing Mommies Lexus to drive to Starbucks as he plans his next fantasy. “Maybe I can be a contestant on survivor.” “Maybe I can join Capt Paul on Whale Wars, that would be Radical.”
The good news is, there are many fine young military veterans returning from deployments and returning to civilian life. We are lucky that many are choosing to join us in the maritime field. I look forward to their maturity and professionalism.
I’ve witnessed the same scenario with deck and engine guys while sailing deep sea. Plenty of people go to sea and have no idea of all the definitions and origins of nautical terms.
And to say AB’s are dime a dozen is like saying captains are a dime for 2 dozen. Ever seen a boat tied up because they couldn’t find a captain. Never have because they are in abundance also
[QUOTE=Bloodyshitcakes;139905]I’ve met some really hard working ABs in the Gulf. Not a single on of them knows the proper way to tie a sheet bend or safely launch a boat. Seamanship just isn’t part of the job in the GOM. Not bashing on these guys, like I said, really hard workers, just an observation.[/QUOTE]
No matter what trade one works in, the vast majority of people develop a fairly trade specific skill set. Unless a guy a makes a point of job hopping to try out different trades and geographic areas, he isn’t likely to develop a broad set of transferable seamanship skills.
Very few guys have good, if any, small boat launching and operating skills. Very few officers can actually do celestial on a small vessel. Far too many “ABs” cannot tie basic knots, lash gear, or rig a staging plank. The fishermen are the only mariners left that know how to splice wire. I am amazed that the majority of limited “engineers” do not know how to weld and fabricate.
I have a high school kid (a fisherman’s son) onboard as an OS. By the end of the summer, he will have better skills than most ABs with three years of experience.
[QUOTE=Bamatug;139930]And to say AB’s are dime a dozen is like saying captains are a dime for 2 dozen. Ever seen a boat tied up because they couldn’t find a captain. Never have because they are in abundance also[/QUOTE]
Supply and demand are much closer to being in balance than I have ever seen before, but there are still plenty of mariners available. That’s why wages have stayed so low outside the Gulf. Employers do not need to raise wages to fill jobs or compete with the Gulf. They just have to work a little harder and reach a little lower in the barrel to hire.
The days of 10 captains for every job are behind us. Now its more like 3 captains for every job and 10 ABs for every job. It takes awhile to get a captain licensed, and longer before you want to turn him lose. It only takes four months to turn a green OS into an AB. No company has ever hesitated to send a green AB to a boat and tell the captain to train him. We will never be more than four months away from having too many ABs.
I have never seen AB pay so high. Relative to each other, ABs are now way overpaid and captains are way underpaid.
By the way I have never seen a vessel sail short without a captain, but I have seen vessels sail short of an AB many times.
Hey ABs. Hate to burst your bubble, but with four deck officers, we don’t need popeye the sailor man. We need someone who can keep the bridge fridge stocked up, and who knows which end of a needle gun busts rust, when the weather allows. Sorry if that doesn’t give you all the gold stars and sparkly ponies for your Trapper Keeper. Just do your job without me having to direct you with a boot up the ass, and I and most of my comrades in the GOM will always ask for you to come back. Oh, and if you can fill out your daily quotas of JSAs and BBS cards, that would be great. Don’t forget. Coke zero and V8 juice. Chief told me to remind you that he wants Folgers AND REAL Coffee Mate. Not that Best Choice crap.
A lot of rhetoric from 2nd thru 15th Captains (Just exactly how many of you are captains now on a crew?) By the way, The MASTER left night orders for your a$$es to do chart corrections, scan and send in those JSA and Pre-Job sheets and after you’re done, go ahead and do safety checks! Oh wait, go ahead and scan the crews documents and get those in to the office as well. Maybe if you do a real good job of following orders, the Master will recommend you to another Captain level? ja ja ja ja ja Now that is funny right there!
Lol I applied for Bouchard a long time ago when I was job searching and they have called me about 7-8 times in the last 2 months asking me if I’m still interested. And btw if you ask them what the pay is they will tell you. It’s 285 a day plus 45 a day for travel for a non tankerman AB.
I illustrated one of my pet peeves with the “soojee” incident above. Every job on the planet has a vocabulary specific to it. Learn the vocabulary of your job, AB’s. You don’t go “up front” to get something,. Its “up forward”. You are handling a “line” not a rope. Etc…You sound unprofessional when you can’t use the proper shipboard terminology. and yes, different segments of the industry have different skillsets and names for things.
[QUOTE=Enarubin;139962]Lol I applied for Bouchard a long time ago when I was job searching and they have called me about 7-8 times in the last 2 months asking me if I’m still interested. And btw if you ask them what the pay is they will tell you. It’s 285 a day plus 45 a day for travel for a non tankerman AB.[/QUOTE]
$285 + $45 = $330 a day sounds like big money to me for a typical AB with less than 5 years experience in that trade…
If an AB on a vessel is making $330, then the Master should be making about $990, but he’s not.