Diary of a PMI/Workboat Academy Cadet

Professional Mariner Forum
41

Haha! Not yet-knock on wood:D

Seriously? One word- discipline. I committed myself to doing this daily. So- unless I don’t have an internet connection, or have to work a 16 hour day- I write every school day.

The great thing from my perspective is that it benefits me tremendously. By writing- I’m reviewing everything I’ve learned in that day- and it solidifies what I’m learning in my mind. Plus- I like to write!

And- As an added bonus- I occasionally get to help someone- so it’s a win- win for me.

Met with my port captain today- and will be flying off to California for work manana. Hoping I can get a signal at the port- no aircard.

Until Next time-smooth sailng everyone.:slight_smile:

Anthony

42

That is great Anthony. You are focused like a laser…you will make an excellent Deck Officer and Captain. Keep enjoying your endeavor.

43

It’s the first day of my first seaphase! I had to fly out early- so I slept at the airport. Didn’t want to take any chances:)

I flew from Seattle to Oakland California this moning. My first impression? It’s a lot warmer here! Which is a plus:D

Harley was nice enough to have someone waiting for me at the airport- and he had already arranged for a shuttle to take me to Starlight Marine’s facility in Alameda.

Actually- I thought EVERYTHING went amazingly smoothly. We’ve all been on ships where the first day was a mess- not here.

The folks at the office were great:)

An hour after arrival- I was on my new boat- the “Z3” which is a dual zpod tractor tug. It’s a nice boat- the crew obviously works to keep her clean and painted.

Right now there are two captains, and engineer, and myself. Everyone is polite, professional- and seems happy to be here. That’s a BIG relief to me…

After getting unpacked I did some painting- then we were off to do ship assist for three ships. Joining us were two cadets from Cal Maritime. We all observed from the bridge and the captains were great about explaining things/answering questions.

Our first ship was the Matson Kauai- and everything went smoothly. I was amazed at how quickly everything went. And- we had a great view of the ship- and downtown San Francisco.

We had two more ships- then headed back to port. Everything went very smoothly- it was agood day!

Captain Mike served a great chicken dish- and refused to let me do any dishes. (I couldn’t believe it!)

The captains were also nice enough to let me use their internet- I don’t get a signal here.

Gotta run- grab some sleep- may have to be up in a few hours…will write more soon:)

Anthony

44

Would you recommend the Mitags\PMI route to a person with no prior maritime experience?

What type of work do you expect once you finish the program, And what type of earnings can be expected.

Also what type of wages can you expect as a Mitags\PMI cadet?

And would you choose this route as opposed to going to a Academy specially if you have half of a degree already earned. But you are 24 and cant afford to spend 4 years not making money.

Is it possible to get a commission in the Navy with the license received through PMI\Mitags.

Sorry one last question :)… Can you upgrade the limited license to unlimited in the future?

45

LeekyLeek-

Hi-

Absolutely-

The program I’m in is designed for those with no experience!:slight_smile:

When you graduate- you can work as a mate- on vessels 1600 tons or smaller- cruiseships, tugs, OSV’s- lots of stuff.

Pay? Depends on what you do, where you do it, and for whom…

I’ve known mates making anywhere from $240 a day to $500 a day.

I think the academies are a great option- and you come out with a degree.

You don’t get a degree through PMI- but then again- you don’t need one. You simply need a Coast Guard license.

I’m 29- I considered the academies- but am in the same boat as you- I wanted/needed to make money sooner. If I were 18- I would likely go to an academy- or the Job Corps AB program. Being 29- I felt PMI was the best fit for me.:slight_smile:

I have no idea about the question regarding a commission- but I’ll vet Jeffrox and many others here could help.:slight_smile:

Absolutely- many people start out with a lower tonnage license- and work there way up. There are several good threads on this in the forum.

Hope I’ve been of some help.

If you have more questions- you can PM “danzante”. Jill works at PMI and will answer your questions honestly- without trying to “sell” you on the program.

Have a blessed day-Anthony

46

Aloha!

Sorry for the delay in posting. My former captain left- I now have a new one. Nice guy- CMA graduate- but he hasn’t let me use the internet. Luckily- I found a Kinko’s a few miles walk away- so I’ll be posting a couple times a week. Will try to figure out a more affordable way so I can afford to post daily.

Doing good here.:slight_smile:

I was told it would be a minimum of a month before the captains here let me work on deck- but I was lucky enough to make it in 3 days. Some of the tug crews don’t have very high expectations for cadets- and were surprised to see me working hard all day long.

I don’t have a minimum number or required hours. I decided i would work at least as long of a shift as everyone else- and I think it’s gone a long way to win people’s confidence here. I kept getting up before everyone else- and having fruit, cereal, etc. out for breakfast. The guys here couldn’t believe it. I learned to do this from Marjah (thanks) at PMI. They OVER- prepare you- so you can hit the ground running once you’re on the boats…

I’m working like crazy- and learning a lot. You learn to take naps wherever you can- because the schedule can change fast. If you don’t sleep when things are slow- and you get a call- you may not sleep for a while!:smiley:

I’ve been on 2 boats- both z-drive “tractor tugs” owned by Harley Marines “Starlight” division. The Z3 and Z4 are identical- and both very nice inside and out. Both sport dual caterpillar engines and Ulstein Z drives. And- they are freshly painted- they look good!

I’m also happy as this is the first time I’ve EVER gotten my own stateroom!

What do we do? Basically- we help large (up to 1000 foot) ships onto and off the docks in Oakland and the surrounding areas. Usually we work in concert with one other tug- although sometimes there will be 3 of us in total.

We approach the ships… they drop a line down to me… I tie their line onto our towing line- and they haul it back up onto their ship.

Once secured we follow the commands of the pilot aboard the vessel.

I don’t have a fixed schedule- I’ve worked between 13 and 20 hours a day since getting here- and I LOVE it:)

The guys are great- and happy to teach me.

My highlight so far- I was lucky enough to drive the tug “Z4” back from Pittsburg CA to Alameda CA. It was cool! I got to see CMA, Alcatraz, the Golden Gate Bridge- and I steered the tug under the Oakland Bay Bridge. :slight_smile:

I’ve never steered anywhere with so much traffic- there were dozens of sailboats, other tugs, container ships, and high speed ferries all around. I was a little nervous- but had the captain in the wheelhouse in case I need help.

The company pulled me off my regular boat the “Z3” just so i could get some extra training. This is a major advatage, in my eyes, to the program. It was a real confidence booster.

Last night we were assisting a cargo ship off the dock- when we got a call that a cargo container had fallen into the water…

We sailed out looking for it but couldn’t find it.

Turns out it sank in the channel:eek: It is now marked with a buoy- I’m curious to see how they get it out …

Gotta run- long walk back to the dock.

Will post again as soon as I’m able.:slight_smile:

Smooth sailing-Anthony

47

Anthony good to hear you are enjoying the gig. I also enjoy reading about it. Might be a good idea to not post your daily working hours. :wink:

48

So you are working on a tug with 2 wheelhouse people & an engineer?? Did they take the deckhand off to give you a spot or are they running around with a 3 man crew working long hours?? Why not throw the heaving line up to the ship??

49

[QUOTE=10talents;30120]Might be a good idea to not post your daily working hours. ;)[/QUOTE]

Why not? If he’s not steering his workday isn’t regulated is it?

50

[QUOTE=10talents;30120]Might be a good idea to not post your daily working hours. ;)[/QUOTE]

Why not? If he’s not steering his workday isn’t regulated is it?

51

Anthony!,
Congrat’s on getting into the program, and thanks for the blog. Sounds like Jill has really ramped up the program with some great additional material. You’re positive attitude and super work ethic will not only put you in good standing with Harley but continue to improve the reputation of the PMI program. I’m very happy that you have taken the leap!
Safe Travels!
MTSKIER
PMI '07-'09

52

[I][QUOTE=Capt. Fran;29179]Hey Anthony, your instructor probably filled you in, but AB sail/fishing/MODU no longer exist. As per 46 CFR 12.05.[/QUOTE][/I]

AB-Sail and Fishing do exist, just not in the CFR. See 46 U.S. Code 7311 and 7311a. Apparently no one bothered to implement them by regulation. AB-MODU exists only in the Marine Safety Manual, See Volume III, Chapter 16, Section 10 (page 16-4).

53

[QUOTE=jdcavo;30216][I][/I]

AB-Sail and Fishing do exist, just not in the CFR. See 46 U.S. Code 7311 and 7311a. Apparently no one bothered to implement them by regulation. AB-MODU exists only in the Marine Safety Manual, See Volume III, Chapter 16, Section 10 (page 16-4).[/QUOTE]

Great info, Mr. Cavo, thanks!

54

Anthony - Great posts! And it is nice to get an insight into another part of the marine industry.

You are doing great work :slight_smile:

55

[QUOTE=Azimuth;29186]I just renewed and my MMC still has my AB Sail listed on it. If you have it I guess you get to keep it.[/QUOTE]

AB-Sail and AB-FIV are in the U.S. Code (46 USC 7311 and 7311a), but the Coast Guard does not have them in regulation. AB-MOU is neitrher in the CFR or the U.S. Code, it only exists in the Marine Safety Manual (Volume III, Chapter 16, page 16-4).

56

Howdy Ted-A single crewed boat here is 1 captain and and 1 deck/engineer. Some of the boats are double crewed. I don’t think I’ve displaced anyone- I hope not. Why not throw the line up? Sometimes we do. Depends on the freeboard of the vessel, whether we’re at the stern or bow,the degree of flare on the vessel, etc. My assumption is that the line is dropped- because it’s easier. Also less risk of a line ending up in the water- and fouling a propeller. :slight_smile:

Do they usually throw the lines up on your tug Ted?

[QUOTE=Tugted;30146]So you are working on a tug with 2 wheelhouse people & an engineer?? Did they take the deckhand off to give you a spot or are they running around with a 3 man crew working long hours?? Why not throw the heaving line up to the ship??[/QUOTE]

57

Thanks Dave! How’s everything going for you?

58

[QUOTE=Jolly Tar;30186]Why not? If he’s not steering his workday isn’t regulated is it?[/QUOTE]

Regulated? I suppose you could say so.
Enforced? Not necessarily.
Abused? Absolutely, all the time. (Especially Tugs)

[B]MARINE SAFETY MANUAL VOL. II [/B]

[B]CHAPTER 20: GENERAL PROVISIONS FOR VESSEL MANNING [/B]

[U]Introduction. [/U]This chapter contains guidance for correct, uniform application of the statutes and regulations that relate to the manning of inspected and uninspected vessels. This material is used by Coast Guard marine safety personnel to determine vessel manning scales, in conjunction with the applicable manning laws and regulations and official directives.

[U]B. Authority. [/U]

  1. [U]Statutes And Implementing Regulations. [/U]

a. Division of crew into watches: 46 U.S.C. 8104; 46 CFR 15.705.
b. Workhours and rest periods: 46 U.S.C. 8104; 46 CFR 15.1111; 46 CFR 15.710. A.

C through G (intentionally left off)
[U][/U]
[U]H. Workhour Limits. [/U]

  1. [U]Tankers [/U]………(intentionally left off)

  2. [U]Other Vessels. [/U]

Various sections of 46 U.S.C. 8104 limit the number of hours that licensed individuals and/or crewmembers may be required to work on certain classes of vessels. This does not preclude seamen from voluntarily working beyond those limits and possibly becoming fatigued from excessive hours of overtime. OCMIs should consider all relevant information described in 20.C in establishing required manning levels. While there may be no definitive, scientific basis for a maximum workhour limit for vessel crewmembers, the OCMI has the discretion to impose manning levels based on a specified reasonable workhour limit taking into account fatigue and other human factors. A twelve hour work day, applied in a manner similar to the above workhour limit for tankers, is considered a reasonable workhour limit for other classes of vessels. It is recommended that the OCMI consider this workhour limit in establishing manning levels for non-tankers, adjusting for vessel specific factors that might either alleviate or exacerbate fatigue. Likewise, the OCMI may appropriately consider working conditions and workhour limits established through a collective bargaining agreement in arriving at a final manning determination. (See chapter 24 of this volume for additional discussion regarding working conditions.)

59

[QUOTE=Jolly Tar;30187]Why not? If he’s not steering his workday isn’t regulated is it?[/QUOTE]

[B]There is lots of wiggle room and lots of wiggling being done.[/B]
[B][/B]
[B]Title 46: Shipping[/B]
PART 15—MANNING REQUIREMENTS
Subpart F—Limitations and Qualifying Factors
[B]§ 15.710 Working hours.[/B]
In addition to prescribing watch requirements, 46 U.S.C. 8104 sets limitations on the working hours of credentialed officers and crew members, prescribes certain rest periods, and prohibits unnecessary work on Sundays and certain holidays when the vessel is in a safe harbor. It is the responsibility of the master or person in charge to ensure that these limitations are met. However, under 46 U.S.C. 8104(f), the master or other credentialed officer can require any part of the crew to work when, in his or her judgment, they are needed for:
(a) Maneuvering, shifting berth, mooring, unmooring;
(b) Performing work necessary for the safety of the vessel, or the vessel’s passengers, crew, or cargo;
© Saving of life on board another vessel in jeopardy; or,
(d) Performing fire, lifeboat, or other drills in port or at sea.
[CGD 81–059, 52 FR 38652, Oct. 16, 1987, as amended by USCG-2004–18884, 69 FR 58343, Sept. 30, 2004; USCG–2006–24371, 74 FR 11261, Mar. 16, 2009]

60

Several years ago I calculated the pay of the average licensed engineer working at sea compared to one working on land and subject to the wage and hours law. After all there are no enforced wage and hour laws at sea unless one is represented by a union. [The “wiggle room” is more like a blank check for work hours and I’ve never heard of the USCG prosecuting anyone for violating them unless it was after an accident] Anyway, after calculating I discovered that contrary to what many believe the sea going engineer wasn’t over paid and as a matter of fact he was under paid when compared to a licensed plumber or electrician who received overtime over 40 hours a week or 8 hours a day. Considering that the engineer must be an electrician, mechanic, machinist and plumber I figured the shipping companies are getting one heck of a bargain for the wage they pay.