I recently posted about a job I was offered with NY Waterway, although I have not heard about pay yet everywhere I have read or talked to seem to lead me to believe it’s nto going to be enough for me to meet my current financial obligations (rent and bills and food)
Anyway, I was an Engineman in the US Navy, I was converted from Machinist Mate which I went to school for. I never went to sea and only worked shore side for about 2 years. I was later given an general under honorable discharge 2 years early because I was with someone who got a DUI but I was also pretty fried and they were doing an RIF, long story I got out without formally being charged, didn’t really realize what I was giving up.
Fast forward to today I have been in the marine world around yachts, dockside managing a successful marine bussiness and I really want to go back to sea.
My question is, do all tugs have engineers, am I screwing myself out of jobs if I were to persue an engineering career over deck.
I would venture to say all have engineers to some degree, wether it be a guy who does the oil in the mornings(day boat jobs) or the real deal, one who an actually fix things. A liscense doesnt mean everything, but it says a lot. It says that atleast you were motivated enough to earn them.
The real deal is some what hard to find these days. People with the paperwork, but no experiance a relatively easy to find.
An experianced, unliscensed guy can find jobs up to $300-400 a day, but most will in the 250-300 a day range.
An experianced guy with a liscense can find really nice money,(often equal to the captains pay) it just depends on how long he wants to be gone from home.
One more thing I will pass along, its fundamentals like deck work that will make you a more valuable crewman. You need to know the basics before you can learn the advanced stuff. Not saying you dont know about the machinery, but a engineer(non DDE) who can not make a line fast or tie a bowline is pretty useless on a tug( especially with a small crew). My last guy one of those types. Just expect to spend some time on deck, bust your ass, do a good job, and it will not be long if the right folks take notice.