Hey guys,
I’m in my second year at CMA, and will be doing my commercial cruise this year. I will be sailing with MSC, shipping out around June 1st for 60 some odd days. Out of the group of cadets sailing with MSC this year, I get second pick. Was wondering if anyone had any recommendations on what type of ship to try and sail on? At first I was going to go with a tanker to get my PIC, but I can’t do the 90 days.
Thanks.
Jeremy
You didn’t say if you were deck or engine. If you are in deck:
Go to ammo ships, Lewis & Clark class (T-AKE). Ammo experience is hard to get. Plus those ships do enough fuel that getting your PIC signed off is no problem. Modern plant and propulsion, lots of arrivals/ departures to load cargo, usually a pair of helos on a deployment and those are modern and comfortable, unlike the old Navy T-AEs.
Don’t go to an oiler. Those do no ammo, some cargo, and are so outdated what you learn there about bunkering would make for a good historical book. Tanker trash.
The other classes of ships at MSC are pidgin holes - except for general navigation what you learn on those have little application to other ships.
Sorry, I’m a deck cadet. I’ll see if any T-AKE ships are available. Even I go with a ship that’d I be able to get my loads and discharges, don’t I also need 90 days? Because of the late ship out date, I don’t think I’d be able to do 90 days.
Yes you will have to do 90days to get your PIC unless things have changed.
Yep need 90 days on a tanker for PIC. You will regret not doing that. I know a few mates who regret not getting their PIC when they had the chance. It makes you that much more valuable, and in today’s world you can not afford to not have every endorsement available.
If the AKE’s turn out to be no go, the Supply-class AOE’s would be good experience. They do ammo, fuel and cargo and they tend to steam a good bit with task and battle groups.
here is just a little update.
I will be sailing on the USS MOUNT WHITNEY this summer. I can’t do 90 days, so a PIC doesn’t really matter to me.
Any one have any insight on this vessel?
Thanks.
What do you want know? It’s one of two of the Navy’s Command & Control ships.
I was just wondering what a command and control vessel does exactly. I’m still new to all this. I tried looking online, but couldn’t find any specifics about it.
A C&C takes multi-national stars and bars from golf course to golf course while showing the flag. A good class of ship if you want to rub elbows with brass.
On a C&C you might sit in port a lot of the time. http://www.mtwhitney.navy.mil/
[QUOTE=Jeffrox;67059]On a C&C you might sit in port a lot of the time. http://www.mtwhitney.navy.mil/[/QUOTE]
You hit the nail RIGHT on the head.
The other side of that coin is should anything TRULY heat up in the Mid-East/Persian Gulf, you can bet yer bottom DOLLAR that LCC20 MOUNT WHITNEY or LCC19 BLUE RIDGE will be placed on station to coordinate. Then yer ANCHORED forever or pier side with restricted Liberty. Underway? Hardly
Sorry, I’m a deck cadet. I’ll see if any T-AKE ships are available. Even I go with a ship that’d I be able to get my loads and discharges, don’t I also need 90 days? Because of the late ship out date, I don’t think I’d be able to do 90 days.
[QUOTE=Randall173;67118]Sorry, I’m a deck cadet. I’ll see if any T-AKE ships are available. Even I go with a ship that’d I be able to get my loads and discharges, don’t I also need 90 days? Because of the late ship out date, I don’t think I’d be able to do 90 days.[/QUOTE]
If you want a deep sea ship after graduation it would behoove you to get the PIC. Go down to the MMP and ask the container mates how shipping is. Then ask the tanker counter parts how shipping is. Tanker guys are working right now. But you need the PIC to get the tanker job. Unless a company is desperate they wont hire you unless you already have it
I’d stay as far away from a c/c ship as possible. That would be true for a deck cadet or a seasoned mariner of any rank. You won’t get any sea time, or experience in anything other than USN and Msc BS. Dealing with the navy CO and the typical USN inability to do anything simple would make the trip seem longer than normal. Generally deck cadets don’t pick what ship type and or location they get assigned, I’d say do your best when you are sent. I doubt Msc would send a deck cadet to a c/c, but odder things have happened. This abortion of c/c came about when COMSC Brewer stated to the Secnav he could operate them for less than the USN. ( that’s simple, the USN wasted money on a daily basis). It should be ( and may well be ) illegal to place merchant mariners under the command of a navy CO, but that’s what they did sometime back and called it a " hybrid". Nothing could be further from the truth. From the time Brewer came and went Msc moved far away from the norm. The trend was to employ retired failed USN officers like the present deputy and others that had no idea how to run a ship or a shipping company. Hence the current trend of bs within Msc so bad that now they are having problems evens locating enough masters for the ships. Not long ago a master was overdue by 35 days. Unheard of in years past. Stay away from the c/c. Normal Msc these days is bad enough when dealing with the USN, but to be in bed with them day in and day out would be another matter.