ShooterMcGavin,
It was funny when you talked about running fix. That was the video i watching when you posted that.
1 Like
And all this time I thought you âMerchiesâ were the cracker-jacks! We had a couple on an LKA where I was Navigator. Fun job but one guy, Merle Richardson, was deck in both Merchant Marine and our ship. He told be that every watch stander took sights, worked the numbers and plotted the fixes. I thought that was outstanding! I loved that Navigator job! Fresh air (first job out of Engineering!), had an idea where the ship was, where it was going and why. New stuff to learn! Spent two weeks in Taipei City waiting for the ship and this new job so bought every book on Navigation I could find and read them all. The XO was merchant and put me on to âmid-latitude sailingsâ computing great circle distances. The QMâs would do the chart distances and I would compute to see if they were within 20nm for a Pacific crossing to be declared correct.
Computed PIM (Position of Intended Movement) for speed and stayed ahead of that for on tim
- List item
e arrival.
I am dismayed that anyone in Merchant service is so seemingly challenged by such a fun work.
1 Like
I need to clarify a couple of things here. Do not want to leave any impressions that are incorrect. I was trained by a very competent QM1 in sight reduction, plotting and the works. I was blessed by a 6 to 7 man group of QMâs who were very mature and professional who were not reluctant to point out things to a crusty Mustang things I needed to know. I did get two weeks of Nav School at Naval Station San Diego before chasing the ship but it was so limited to be criminal. No fault of the QM1 teaching but a typical surface Navy half-a$$ed effort.
It was my blessing to have QM1 Felkins as my real world instructor. H.O. 229, Air Almanac and even Aviation Sight Reduction Tables to speed things up. He knew the job well enough to have been an excellent Navigator. Well, he was until he got me up to speed enough!
1 Like
Only impression I got is that based off one personâs post and one personâs experience with a pretty dumb Third Mate you arrived at the conclusion that the merchant marine is full of idiots.
2 Likes
No way! Looky at all the help I received from the XO. I did not even know the term until he asked the question! Merle pointed that EACH merchant watch officer does his own navigation. 95 percent of Naval officers have not a clue and only a glancing exposure to the subject!
Thatâs exactly why they got the question bank exempted from FOIA then changed the questions. So people have to actually know the material as opposed to just memorizing answers.
2 Likes
At the risk of sounding âharshâ, maybe being a deck officer ainât for you. . .ifân you canât navigate.
1 Like
Not harsh at all. But to be fair I have not honestly tried to learn chart plot. I just looked at the questions and it seems like it will be difficult but it might turn out i over reacted. My stepdad is building a chart table so if really need be I can do charts at home on my time off for up to 4 or 5 hours a day every day
1 Like
Do you even know how to plot a position on a chart? You were honestly going to attempt to take license without even attempting to have an understanding of the most basic of navigation skills? You fully expected to cheat your way through license?? Have you taken any nav classes at all?
This is terrifying.
1 Like
Just finished a chart plot in my kitchen while studying for C/M unlimited. Coincidence that this thread was created.
Anyways, it had been several years until just now that I did one of these; I would like to underscore the importance of accuracy, precision, and reading the questions thoroughly.
New questions vs old questionsâŚjust learn the material. Theyâre not going to reinvent the wheel here, just change up the numbers.
2 Likes
Dude no. I was not going to memorize 250 chart plot questions for the three charts I could get I was just going to memorize Chesapeake Bay as that seems to be the one most people get often but I was going to know how to do the problems Iâm not going in blind not knowing how to do any chart ploting thatâs just dumb but what I may do is learn everything and study a little bit on running fixes and if I get a running fix question have a good shot at solving it but if not hopefully I can figure the other 14 questions out so that the one I miss is the running fix one but I am going to learn how to do chart plot Iâm not going into it blind and that was never the plan
Sounds a lot like that break bulk outfit out of Washington State. My pal worked there for a bit and definitely had a good cry over it. Hahaha fantastic.
I know it sounds too good to be true but I improved my chart plot results tremendously by sharpening my pencil after each plot. Sounds nuts but it works.
6 Likes
From what I understand from a true professional who was at the USCG meeting on the issue the problem is that if you miss the very first part of the chart plot problem you cannot recover, the questions are chained together and dependent on the preceding being right. In essence you must get 100% on the first 9 out 10 to pass.
2 Likes
The other bad thing is that the NMC asks for âvolunteersâ to come to WV four times a year at YOUR expense and help them massage the question banks. They, unlike other USCG Mariner Committees, are not serious about wanting real help since they do not offer, like other committees do, any reimbursement for your travel expenses. With trillions floating around in government circles the USCG could at least buy dinner for professionals helping them out.
4 Likes
There may be trillions floating around in Government circles, but that doesnât mean it ends up being available for the NMC.
Same here⌠they changed up some of the incorrect answers and the order of the answers is all I think. Didnât even realize I got the new modules until I was looking over my score sheet afterwards. If there were any major changes I didnât even notice them when I tested.
Thatâs one of the things they changed, now each test is generated with the answers in random order.
1 Like
For chief mate, some relatively minor subjects were removed, no new subjects were added. Not really changes anyone would have noticed.
1 Like