Here ya go, be all you can be! (I did)
http://www.sealiftcommand.com/nPDF/2Officer011408.pdf
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Well, this is a touchy subject and I comment with a bit of hesitation. I understand that Choest has their fingers in a lot of pies and I actually admire their business prowess in being able to diversify into so many markets, especially for a company that is privately held. Also, they have a lot of new equipment, so no more working on the old rust-buckets that comprise the majority of Tidewater equipment. Having said that, over the years I’ve heard a lot of negative things about Choest. I understand that most ex-employees probably wouldn’t have many positive things to say, so you have to take it with a grain of salt. But I can say this: I had a friend who was an engineer and went to work on the Amy Choest about 7 years ago. He was from Pennsylvania. The rest of the crew were from “Down da bayou”. They didn’t give him a fair chance and he couldn’t do anything to please the captain or anyone else. He eventually left Choest after his experience there. My company has quite a few ex-Choest employees and virtually none of them have a positive opinion. Again, I understand the trend of ex-employees to denegrate their former company, but when you hear the same horror stories from several different perspectives, you have to start thinking about the possiblity that some of it may be true.<br><br>I will add the disclaimer here that I, myself, have never worked for them and probably wouldn’t unless I had exhausted a lot of other options. But, to each his own. We’re all adults here and it’s up to you to choose a company that you feel is the right fit for your goals. Good luck in the future!
" I had a friend who was an engineer and went to work on the Amy Choest about 7 years ago.He eventually left Choest after his experience there."<br><br>Some of the OSV companies, including Chouest, are hard for engineers to adapt to if they come from another maritime field. Engineers on the OSVs have little real authority when compared to that of engineers on ships or even ITBs. For instance, I have a company credit card with a generous limit for purchasing needed parts and supplies. I contact qualified engineering support staff on shore directly without going thru any manager or coordinator when I need assistance though I do keep them informed as time permits. I have the authority to call in any factory rep I need. Of course, we have to justify any expense but in general the Chief isn’t questioned as his judgment is respected until proven otherwise [then they fire him]. The Chief certainly does not clear everything with the captain though he does keep him informed. <br> Way back when I worked briefly in the OSV field I found that I was pretty much expected to be little more than an oiler with anything beyond oil/filter changes being performed by company shore side support who were themselves minimally qualified. Engineers have recently told me this has changed little. I could not adapt to that so I moved on.<br>That all being said one can make a good living on the OSVs without having to know a whole lot other than keeping things clean and lubricated on the oil field boats. They let you pump mud too ! The USCG OSV Chief engineer exam is pretty basic, nobody is going to expect the engineer to rebuild an engine underway or troubleshoot the radar . Lot of guys are happy there.
<P>tengineer,<br> If an engineer is sent to my vessel (in the oil field), “without having to know a whole lot other than keeping things clean and lubricated on the oil field boats”, like you said. I can see how Achiever hears all of these horror stories, because I would fire the engineer that you described within a week. Horror story number 5001.</P>
“I can see how Achiever hears all of these horror stories, because I would fire the engineer that you described within a week.”<br><br>Anchorman,<br>It’s interesting that a captain at Chouest can fire a Chief Engineer. <br>Another horror story. When I was working in the oil field there were captains who had never taken a USCG exam, they were given a license because they had been around so long.A few of these guys were incapable of reading and writing. I had “oilers” who were not QMED rated but were called “oilers” though they had only a AB OSV rating. They should not have been even allowed to continue to work in the engine room. I recently spoke with a guy who worked on an anchor boat that was about a year old and he said over 50 people in both the deck and engineering department had either quit or been transfered due to the captain. So, there are some real horror stories from the past and the present in the OSV business. <br>On the other hand there are people I have talked to who work with Chouest and other companies who are very happy with their manager and coordinator. Maybe it’s a “luck of the draw” kind of thing.<br>God knows I’ve got some horror stories from some ships I’ve worked on but at least the oilers were not ABs and everyone with a license was literate.<br><br>
I think there’s plenty of “horror stories” to be told in the oil patch, and in the deep sea fleets.<br><br>Anchorman makes some valid points, as does Tengineer, but neither side of the industry is without it’s problems, or growing/shrinking pains.<br><br>Much of the time, you have to deal with who the hall, or the office sends you, both licensed, and not, in the deep sea world, and in the OSV world. Not for one minute can you tell me that you’ve gotten the cream of the crop out of the hall, are you Tengineer? Just like not every boat is going to be a Utopia to work/coexist on.<br><br>I think we should really abstain from flinging poo on one segment of the industry or another, and each other individually for that matter, and work on being a bit more pragmatic, proactive, and informative. The “luck of the draw” scenario extends to both sides of the street, and those of us that have worked both sides of the street are all too well aware of it. Deep Sea has it’s problems, and so does the Oil Patch.<br><br>All of us are in the same boat so to speak…whether it’s working for Hornbeck, Maersk, MSC, Chouest, Tidewater, Matson, NCL, Noble, Seacor, Transocean, Harvey Gulf…the list goes on. What are we going to accomplish bitching about it, or flinging crap at EACH OTHER. Compare notes, tell a sea story, share experiences, talk about that job that went easier because of that tool you used. Let’s rise above the fray, and start acting like the professionals we all think we are, should be, or are. ALL OF US know people that work at “the other company”, or have gone “deep sea” or decided to try the “oil patch”. We all know the things to look out for, because we’ve been around the block long enough to know. The ones that don’t, are the ones that are asking the questions like Aero-Nautical, Argo, Dickinson, and the guys that are just getting started. Let’s not promulgate the problem(s), by continuing the bashing here, lets work on giving them the tools that they asked for, and give it to them straight - the good, the bad, and the ugly. Don’t invent things, and don’t promote hearsay. They don’t want to hear all the peripheral noise, nor should we send out another generation of mariners tainted, and closed minded about their opportunities whether they be inland, brown water, or blue water. Sailing for a living is already tough enough, and attracting your relief is getting harder by the day. Don’t make it any harder.<br><br>Is Chouest a good company to work for? Yes. Do they have their problems? Yes. Are they poison ivy, and you should stay away from them? No.<br><br>JMHFC (just my humble five cents), take it for what it’s worth.<br><br><strong>"Sometimes the only reason the grass is greener on the other side, is because they use a better fertilizer…</strong>"
“Flinging Poo”<br><br>Deep Sea or Oil Patch Technical term, Cap?<br><br>(Couldn’t help myself…)<br><br>John sends from NY Harbor
Re: Flinging Poo<br>I was not flinging poo just passing along my experience. Some of my experience has been poo and some has been not so poo-full, pooie or whatever the technical term is. The idea behind any forum is that each individual passes along their take on things and the reader can take it or leave it.<br>There is no perfect working world for any of us. We each decide own poo level we are comfortable with.<br>Poo-fully yours,<br>Tengineer
TEngineer - I didn’t say you were<br><br>Jolly - Actually, neither, it was an attempt at maintaining some level of decorum, through a conversation that I knew was going to raise some hackles with a few people.<br><br>Apparently, it did.<br>
No worries Cap, made me chuckle, don’t find a lot of decorum up thisaway
Yeah, I hear ya Jolly! I was trying to turn over a new f@#$&n’ leaf, though! 
Hello!
IS there anybody out there who knows the best way to contact the Edison Chouest HR? been trying to call -but no luck. Been trying to email but no response.
THanks~
[QUOTE=Mike;30479]Hello!
IS there anybody out there who knows the best way to contact the Edison Chouest HR? been trying to call -but no luck. Been trying to email but no response.
THanks~[/QUOTE]
Your best bet is to put a face behind the voice. Drive down the bayou and go knocking on the door. Just imagine how many emails and phone calls those people get a day. If you do go down, be prepared to go to work, not saying they will hire you, but better to be ready then not and possibly loose out on a position.
Aero,
I started at Chouest 16 months ago as an AB rigger with a 100 ton license. Last month I finished testing for my 1600 ton and now I’m in the wheel house on a 240 ft supply vessel. I worked for 32 year, in my past life, in the commercial fishing industry on the east coast and I have seen good crew members and bad. In the past 16 months I have seen my share of them here too. It always seems the people who know how to work and take pride in their work have no problem geting along and the opposite is true for the ones who don’t care and come to work with an attitude and I have even met some who have no idea how to work or even clean. I laugh at some of the things I have read in these posts. I heard the same things before I came down here and I was a little concerned, but just like everything else in life, don’t believe every thing you hear or read. I’m sure there are some people here in this company and others for that matter that would fit the “horror stories”. I have worked for a couple captains here that people have warned me that I should stay away from as it turns out the people ,for the most part, who did not like it on those boats were lazy and didn’t know how to finish a job. I think Chouest is a great company and like anything else if you have a good attitude and good work ethic then good things happen no matter where you are.
Congrats skkpjackmac on passing the test. Feels good does it not?
Thanks. Yes It feels great!
[QUOTE=Mike;30479]Hello!
IS there anybody out there who knows the best way to contact the Edison Chouest HR? been trying to call -but no luck. Been trying to email but no response.
THanks~[/QUOTE]
Justin Getzinger - 985-677-9516 - justin.getzinger@chouest.com ! What ever information you are seeking, make sure all your ducks are in a row prior to calling.
[QUOTE=skipjackmac;30487]Aero,
I started at Chouest 16 months ago as an AB rigger with a 100 ton license. Last month I finished testing for my 1600 ton and now I’m in the wheel house on a 240 ft supply vessel. I worked for 32 year, in my past life, in the commercial fishing industry on the east coast and I have seen good crew members and bad. In the past 16 months I have seen my share of them here too. It always seems the people who know how to work and take pride in their work have no problem geting along and the opposite is true for the ones who don’t care and come to work with an attitude and I have even met some who have no idea how to work or even clean. I laugh at some of the things I have read in these posts. I heard the same things before I came down here and I was a little concerned, but just like everything else in life, don’t believe every thing you hear or read. I’m sure there are some people here in this company and others for that matter that would fit the “horror stories”. I have worked for a couple captains here that people have warned me that I should stay away from as it turns out the people ,for the most part, who did not like it on those boats were lazy and didn’t know how to finish a job. I think Chouest is a great company and like anything else if you have a good attitude and good work ethic then good things happen no matter where you are.[/QUOTE]
Very true post. You will go far with Chouest. Nothing special other than doing your job, being personable, concentrate on your own performance, and put in a little time - equals success. I wish all people would figure it out as easy as you.
I hate firing people, but you have no choice at times, and sometimes those people are the source of the horror stories. Of course, I’m the asshole to those individuals.
What I expect, at the very most is what you described, and at the very least progress in that direction - that is surprisingly hard to find at times.