If you send resume to most tug companies with a cover letter saying that you are looking for a position as an OICNW, they won’t know what you are talking about, and your resume will go straight in the circular file.
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“As usual, the thread has wandered”. Well said and par for the course. SeaEagle, I have garnered some good info on this place from this board. Thank you. Seems to me as if they used to be at or near the “Bouchard” level…and that maybe they have come up a lot since that time. Ive got a solid idea of what to do now. Thanks again.
You are probably right, even if the term is used in IMO’s STCW Code and by USCG:
STCW II/1 - OICNW 500 GT or More Operational Level
https://www.dco.uscg.mil › NMC › pdfs › checklists
(https://www.dco.uscg.mil/Portals/9/NMC/pdfs/checklists/mcp_fm_nmc5_204_web.pdf)
At least 95% of US tugs are under 200 GRT, or inland of any tonnage, and therefore exempt from STCW.
Most tug companies do not need officers with OICNW, but a handful prefer it.
Tug companies must hire “Mates” that hold the USCG endorsement Mate of Towing.
Mate anything else does not meet USCG requirements for tugs. Neither does OICNW
If you hold Second Mate Unlimited and OICNW “unlimited,” you are not qualified to sail as a Mate or OICNW on a tug. You specifically need Mate of Towing.
If you want to get hired by a tug company, tell them about your Mate of Towing endorsement.
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Yes I’m fully aware that most US tugs are below 200 GRT (500 GT) and operate within US baseline.
I have seen some pretty large US flag OSVs that was 199 GRT or 299 GRT.
Back before STCW they were operating overseas with Masters that had a so called “300 GRT License” but was unable to read and write, or navigate in open waters. (No “platform jumping” possible)
In fact my first involvement with the Offshore industry was as “Navigator” on such OSVs in S.E.Asia. (1970)
Once upon a time I worked in the oil patch. I remember a couple of boats where I was an OS, but had to keep the log and do all the paper because I was the only one onboard that could read and write.
I also remember a couple of boats down in the bayou where some of the crew could not speak English, and no one would speak English unless they absolutely had to.
Those were not the good old days.
Dann Marine out of Chesapeake City seemed to be the better of the two when I was still working tugs. Like someone said above, Dann Marine did a lot of Ches/Del Bay work and general tramping, whereas Dann Ocean did the long tows and lots of miserable dredge work.
The Dann Marine boats I see here locally seem to be doing work for Vane Bros, pushing grain, or a few boats have their own oil barge run moving jet fuel for the govt.
Agree in some respects. Kudos to their operations/sales department for finding work no matter what it entailed. Those fellows will tow/push anything and everything.
I was told by a prospective employer on a fairly big job, that their “marine coordinator” said I was not qualified, I needed to have 100 tons and master of towing on my license and a MROP “radio license”. My 1600 Tons, TOAR, and GMDSS license were not good enough. They couldn’t understand that I had larger qualifications than they required.
I was told by another prospective employer that all I needed was 200 tons and a TOAR and I would be good to go steering their tug. I even had a tug captain who was a DE tell me this at my own company.
Most shoreside people and a few mariners have limited knowledge of the actual requirements. It’s only been 22 years now.
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So I can’t give any first hand experience since I never worked there personally.
I had a colleague who went there as an engineer, Dann ocean and said something along the lines it was reliving his days at Bouchard. So take that for what it’s worth. Now he told me this when he left Harley out of frustration and called me looking for a job when he heard I had taken on a role at another company.
My experience tends to be they have a lot of people that burnt bridges that end up there and, in New York harbor at least, it is basically looked at on the same level as Harley / centerline which is pretty much the bottom of the industry here.
That being said I stress this is just an outside view looking in. But the reputation stands to be pretty bad.
You reap what you sow.Granted, I was a teenager starting out. My pay was probationary. Once the different outfits I worked for realized I was all in, raised my pay. Even the so called “Shitty outfits”. Have no regrets. The different outfits and unions paid for my upgrades. Am happily retired and grateful to all the companiies that gave me a shot., Worked for a premier outfit for many years before retirement., would not have got there without paying my dues with the less than stellar places that gave me a chance.You young folks, it don’t come easy.
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This is a good point. For every negative comment about less than stellar companies they serve a purpose and provide much needed work to many. Not every company can be an absolute winner.
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It’s good to have experience working for different types of companies, both good and bad.
One of the good things about working for a “bad” company is that a good man can often move up very fast.
Do you want to be a deckhand with a license for three years and a mate for 10 years at a great company before becoming captain?
Or would you rather be a deckhand for three months before becoming a mate, and a mate two years before becoming captain at a bottom of the barrel company?
There can be advantages to working for a “bad”company that has a lot of turnover. You can become “senior” and move up fairly quickly.
An other thing, you’ll get more barge handling experience in one year of pushing aggregate barges and dump scows than in 10 years of watching pilots and assist tugs handle a big ATB.
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I’d say it there is quite a bit of dated information in this thread regarding DMT. They have cleaned up their image significantly over the last decade and are continuing to do so.
As stated previously they are in fact using an ISM system for their SubM system and have several officious ex-coast guard guys working in their compliance side of the office. None of their vessels are new but, every one that I have been aboard has been well taken care of. Most of their work is Mid-Atlantic but they are branching out from that as well, and they have a lot of really gravy contracts where you will spend more time dockside than you will underway. They have a big focus on bulk cargoes, including their fleet of cement barges, occasional dredge work, and a good deal of overflow work for Vane. They hustle for work and will not be laying you off.
They’ve stepped up quite a bit on safety consciousness in their fleet and from a wheelhouse perspective they are more than happy to get you an assist for most jobs if you request. They’ve got a zero tolerance policy on alcohol that is actually enforced as well.
Money has come up quite a bit for all positions and is at the top end for the mid Atlantic and not far off from average NY pay.
The majority of East Coast tug companies want guys who can stand their own watch for the most part as you can be landing/sailing, making/breaking tow, and maneuvering in narrow rivers/canals/high traffic areas several times a watch.
That being said if your little red book doesn’t have any mention of Master or Mate of Towing Vessels a page or two before it gets into fancy hyphenated roman numerals and acronyms then you should probably be applying to tug companies as an RFPNW or what is colloquially known as an AB
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Well said Jucy ,Tugsailor, and Eastcoasttug.You’ve been there. My callouses are gone.but the the guys that worked for it under me were promoted at every chance, regardless where we worked. PS, I did my own work, with or without a pilot and trained my mates to do as well. Some are pilots now. Gosh darn proud of that fact.
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They have run those ads for years as the Tampa Danns have a pretty high turn over or did when I worked there, I only had problems with a couple Capts falling asleep or the lack of decent food
My normal boat and Capt was a good gig but a couple times I got sent out on help me out ( office) relief jobs the boats were junk.
I never had a problem with any office people I was always able to get off when I needed too
There are far worse places to work
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