Greenhorn with questions. thank you contributers!

Professional Mariner Forum
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i entered the maritime career for a short time some years ago. i got lucky with a great job in the gulf on a 105" supply ship with no rating mmc stcw nothing not even an i.d., pissed in a cup and hopped on board. spent a few days looking at the engines and a few days learning the intracasies of my responsibilitys on deck.we headed out for a coastal tour of 3 months straight time. just me and captain and then i kept traveling…
7 years and 1 wild hair later im no longer a stone mason. i am from seattle (hub city) so i says hey i’ll see whats on the water and i find schools galore each one is the best and costs 20k …my foot in the door’s got a gold boot on it . Am I still looking at a 30k year salary as an ab after school…or can i earn more as a qmed in the same time. i was lucky to make about 90k in a year as an independent high-end mason and finish carpenter at 26yr/o 3 years ago. maybe im just spoiled now but the salary averages that i have seen on the net don’t look that appealing for for a 20 to 30k education and 2 yrs deep in a job. On the other hand i talked to a union rep today and was surprised when i heard him say that if i finished the 9 month course and got qmed i would get paid 15k per month right out of school. i came a little oops. so i am confused because the monkey on my left says well give you 30k per year and the monkey on my right says 150k+. thats a weerd lukin hull, something is missing.
is any body out there willing to disclose alittle info on how the union pay scales are set? who gets paid what for what? and does anybody really take you “right outa school”?
I’m tempted to go get my stcw done and just go sit in the union hall for a couple months and go it alone. screw the school? i don’t know both plans seem ok it just seams a little more natural to go straight in. but whos hiring an os just to pay him? i can’t sit and tread water it’s been to long without work.

    thanky guys and gals  2 grand to the first person gets me lucrative employment on a vessel any where in the continental us for now. thats how i roll.
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i found a good web book lots of stats but id still love the feedback copy and paste and check it out http://books.google.com/books?id=_iJLO7gtveAC&lpg=PA159&ots=sBStIhvJE5&dq=overtime%20aboard&pg=PA153#v=onepage&q=overtime%20aboard&f=false

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The largest grossing unlicensed rating I have seen is a MFOW Reefer on a container ship off the west coast. With wages and also earning a minimum of 125% OT it is probably in the neighborhood of $15K/month.

That is not to say you are going to
a) be able to get one of these jobs when you initially join the union.
b) be able to ship out for 12 months a year
c) have the skills required to perform and keep the position once you get it.

Right now I believe MFOW is short on both Electricians and Reefer Mechanics so it may be possible to get you foot in the door.

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QMED is the highest paid unlicensed. The above post is right MFOW reefer makes more than some 3rds out there. Forget about port time though as you will be plugging in boxes in every port. I think whoever is promising you 15k a month just wants your dues money. However 30k a little low for a total income. One thing to remember is in our industry most of our income comes from OT. My boat everyone gets 40+ hours a week OT. Those numbers usually aren’t included in salary numbers. 30K a year may be a base wage, but you can earn that again in OT. So when someone is getting 15k a month, its with base, OT, and vacation.<O:p</O:p

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There are other companies around the coasts, and some are good, some are bad, and some are just plain ugly. Unfortunately right now is not a really good time to be looking for a job!

You are seeing and pondering the differences between GOM, Northeast US, West Coast, and inland wages. Throw into that mix the difference between Union and non union jobs. In the Northeast a deckhand can earn between 36K to 52K, depending on company, union (or not.) Most all of the Northeast jobs are even time; two weeks on/off, 3 weeks on/off, 4 weeks on/off.

The GOM pays different too, since most of the jobs are 2 for 1, meaning you will be at work for a total of 8 months a year, and home for 4. For example two weeks on, one week off; 4 weeks on, 2 off; 2 months on, 1 off; 4 months on, 2 months off etc etc etc. So a GOM job may appear to pay really well, but having to be gone 2/3rds of the year ain’t so hot for some. I get a kick out of talking to a sailor who is bragging to me that we make the same money. That works until I realize that the guy doesn’t have a clue that he works 2 months a year more than me for the same money! There are some GOM companies that pay well and are even time, but they usually only take experienced, trained crew. You typically have to work first and have a good reputation to ‘get up’ into a good company. Also the GOM is heavily dependent on the oil companies drilling schedules. If the oil drilling stops the service companies (who do all the contracted boat work) just ties up the boats and lays off crews. No notice, or explanation. That’s the way it works in the oil patch!

Usually the small mom and pop companies are a good place to get into, and if you have a good rapport with them, you can usually work, work up, and get promoted. Sometimes at a large company you get lost in the shuffle, and usually once you get a negative remark from a captain, you don’t move up anymore.( IMHO) You’re from the west coast. I don’t know the names, but there are several towing companies out there, specializing in river, logging, and mineral work. Have you called them?

I have not worked on the west coast, maybe some others on here would share that info.

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Shut it down

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[QUOTE=podaboo;45631]Shut it down[/QUOTE]

Shut WHAT down