[QUOTE=tugsailor;76789]How does ECO get people to go to Brazil for only an extra $20 per day date rate, but no contribution to social security. That sounds like a net (pay and benefits) cut and less money than working in the Gulf.
Is it true that the Brazilian crew makes about double the pay of the American crew?[/QUOTE]
I don’t know about double but the Brazilian officers do make good money, for a third world country. I think it is very close to what some of our guys make. Double might be a stretch though.
Believe it or not there are a couple companies that don’t pay any extra for working down there. I don’t know why people continue to do crazy things as that, maybe the job market is tighter for them folks than it is for me, cuz I aint doin it.
I worked for a foriegn company while I was there, so they didn’t take out S.S. anyway, but they did give a little over 10% for foreign.
I know a guy that is down there with HOS and he went because they offered him 10% more than what he was making in the gulf. The day rate he was getting that comes out to way more than 20 bucks.
I thought ECO was giving 50, I agree 20 bucks aint squat for putting up with everything down there, heck 50 aint even enough.
I cant imagine ECO or HOS not paying into FICA. If you are on a US Flagged vessel or working in a country that has an agreement with the US, which Brazil I think does, then your company should pay into FICA (company contributions).
[QUOTE=ryanwood86;76818]HOS gives a 10% bonus, pays for all your travel and pays you door to door. That comes out to a little more than $20.[/QUOTE]
REPLY I don’t understand. If they are paying captains around $850 a day, a 10% bump for Brazil would be $85 per day ($85 is a lot more than $20), totaling $935 per day.
I’ve never heard of any company sending people overseas that did not pay door to door travel. That’s just normal, not a benefit. I suspect that it might even be required by law — Portal to Portal Act?
It’s a benefit vs working in the GoM. I pay a pretty good chunk out of pocket to get to work, as do other I work with. I have to fly in a day early and sometimes fly out a day late and I don’t get compensated for that neither. So if you add in the 10% plus travel and compare it to the GoM, it is a little bit of a benefit.
Been down here for a bit and I have to say I love Brazil, the people the food, the chicken hearts. Having said that the Brazilians can be some of the worst platform operators in the world. Working on the boats you pretty much need to be on top of the rig for cargo to be backloaded or delivered and they will abuse you like Mike Tysons girlfriends. I work up North in the smaller field and being the biggest boat to get int the port, we still wait for the high tide, we do go in alot. You will be frustrated even if you are lucky to have mates that actually can handle the boat. The deckhands are all scared of the cargo and they look at you like you are a martian if you give them maint. work to do on the boat. If you can get even time hitches I recommend it especially if you want to hang out down here in your off time the whole country rocks. But DO NOT WORK MORE THAN 30 DAYS AT A TIME, I have found thats the limit for my patience and I grew up overseas and worked in South America long before I came to the states. Its not just a job its an adventure and you can BELIEVE everything the coordinator tells you about the job. hahahahaha. And despite the best intentions don’t work a 3 month hitch you will loose your mind.
Thank you all. I’m still anxious to hear more about Brazil and Latin America.
I understand that Uruguay is also leasing oil exploration blocks and that there has been a significant oil find in offshore Uruguay. I know several people who love Argentina.
Closer to home, I know folks who really like Colombia. It seems that land drilling is accelerating there, but I have not heard much about offshore. It sounds like Tullow Oil has big oil find off French Guinea.
I always liked living in Chile, but our captains and engineers always found an urgent reason to go to Cartagena to visit the office or some such. Something about hair extensions and tatas…
I was the only american on the boat. I worked there 7 months as a brand new capt. on the crew boats, contracted TB. Cooks never used gloves to handle food. crew never washed their dishes after eating and drinking only rinsed. All food was taken off the boat at crewchange and waited several days for new groceries. I had to sign a “personal letter of responsibility” to client upon leaving dock with cargo. Could’nt get the crew to do anything, I had to chain the cargo down myself (all union). I could go on and on.