Has anybody ever pondered the thought of sailing foreign-flagged?

[QUOTE=btm;150204]A Chinese national I recently spoke to aboard a major container line’s ship told me he is paid $8,500 a month. I do not believe he is paid vacation money, Captains and Chiefs work 3 months on, 3 months off. They do not need to pay taxes so that is a full $8,500 cash. I believe this is a lot more the McDonalds and I’m guessing the cost of living is a lot less then most areas in the US.[/QUOTE]

The International Labour Organisation minimum wage for a master is about $3,500 per month for a Captain, paid on board only. But I guess as per the minimum requirement brought in by MLC you get 1 days leave for every 12 days worked on top of that.

That is the ILO minimum wage which companies are under no obligation to pay, it is totally voluntary most cargo ship companies do not follow this and pay crew much less.

You can check a vessels ILO wage compliance on the ILO website.

8500 a month is about right for lots of foreign flagged ships, tax free, but the vacation is often not equal time (4/2) but is paid.

No chance for American unlicensed.

about 2-4% chance for American officers, if westerners are employed at all.

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[QUOTE=lm1883;150280]Call them up, ask to talk to personnel, or even better yet, head over there. I would love to read the “Knocking on Doors – Dublin” thread.[/QUOTE]

I am an American who has been living in Ireland for the past 3 years. Hold a CM Unlimited Oceans license, DP Basic, and a UK Equivalent license. Since I live there I thought to myself “hey, I’ll see what I can find closer to home” and began my search. Unfortunately it has proved fruitless. No companies are hiring Americans (which is why I thought my UK license would help, but it doesn’t). It seems that the hinderance is due to work visas. Few companies are willing to get a work visa for non-EU nationals when they can hire someone else that already has the visa.

A friend of mine is Scottish and works for Polarcus as a 2M with DP. She’s making 4000 Euro a month, which is just under USD 5000, and that’s considered a very good salary. No vacation wages.

http://www.vships.com/careers/career-job-opportunities/sea.aspx

[QUOTE=trvlerjenn;150410]I am an American who has been living in Ireland for the past 3 years. Hold a CM Unlimited Oceans license, DP Basic, and a UK Equivalent license. Since I live there I thought to myself “hey, I’ll see what I can find closer to home” and began my search. Unfortunately it has proved fruitless. No companies are hiring Americans (which is why I thought my UK license would help, but it doesn’t). It seems that the hinderance is due to work visas. Few companies are willing to get a work visa for non-EU nationals when they can hire someone else that already has the visa.

A friend of mine is Scottish and works for Polarcus as a 2M with DP. She’s making 4000 Euro a month, which is just under USD 5000, and that’s considered a very good salary. No vacation wages.[/QUOTE]

This is exactly correct. Spot on for the money for that position too.

However UK residents do not pay tax on their at sea earnings if outside UK waters for 183 days total in the year. Very nice benefit, but of course if US citizen you would just get nailed for the US tax… when you filed the mandatory US return.

Some firms pay vacation, including on an even time basis, but 4/2 is much more common rotation.

If you are “living” in the EU as a legal resident, you are going to have a work visa (it is mandatory), unless you are a student or some special category. So I’m a little mystified by not having that - but yes, if working in the EU zone, you’ll need one.

Pondered it? That was my dream job when I was a Seaman in the USN during the 80’s. I loved the Med. and thought man, how cool would it be to drive one of them 280’ costal freighters from port to port.

I was young then and wanted to see the world and try everything new, being from the foothills of the Appalachians, and learn all the different languages be around people and see all the sights.

Now 35 years later, I just want to move back UP IN the Appalachian foothills away from everybody and grow my garden and hunt/raise my own food. No TV or phone until I come back to work.

[QUOTE=trvlerjenn;150410]I am an American who has been living in Ireland for the past 3 years. Hold a CM Unlimited Oceans license, DP Basic, and a UK Equivalent license. Since I live there I thought to myself “hey, I’ll see what I can find closer to home” and began my search. Unfortunately it has proved fruitless. No companies are hiring Americans (which is why I thought my UK license would help, but it doesn’t). It seems that the hinderance is due to work visas. Few companies are willing to get a work visa for non-EU nationals when they can hire someone else that already has the visa.

A friend of mine is Scottish and works for Polarcus as a 2M with DP. She’s making 4000 Euro a month, which is just under USD 5000, and that’s considered a very good salary. No vacation wages.[/QUOTE]

Most of the marine jobs for people from the UK and Ireland are on vessels that are involved in the North Sea oil field support, with most vessels operating out of Aberdeen in Scotland which is basically the Port Fuchon of the UK.

One OSV operator called Gulf Offshore, which is a subsidiary company of Gulfmark, hire a lot of Canadian crew to work on their UK flagged vessels, so given that it has an American parent company, they may hire Americans as well as Canadians as both countries are treated the same regards to work visas.

4000 Euro per month for a 2M with DP is pretty low if there is no vacation wage, most North Sea 2M with DP get something in the region of the equivalent of $55,000 - $65,000 per year, depending on ship type, working a 4 weeks on 4 weeks off rotation, that can potentially be all tax free if the right criteria are met, but it can be difficult to meet the criteria.

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[QUOTE=+A465B;150443]This is exactly correct. Spot on for the money for that position too.

However UK residents do not pay tax on their at sea earnings if outside UK waters for 183 days total in the year. Very nice benefit, but of course if US citizen you would just get nailed for the US tax… when you filed the mandatory US return.

Some firms pay vacation, including on an even time basis, but 4/2 is much more common rotation.

I[B]f you are “living” in the EU as a legal resident, you are going to have a work visa (it is mandatory), unless you are a student or some special category. So I’m a little mystified by not having that - but yes, if working in the EU zone, you’ll need one.[/QUOTE][/B]

I live there but am on a Stamp 3 visa that only allows me to live there, not work. I have to re-register every year with the Garda, prove I have money in the bank, prove that I have personal medical insurance, et cetera.

It is nice of them to issue that visa type.

Options are similar for me but I had to go whole hog and get the EU Blue Card and work visa.

It actually wasn’t so difficult, just some company papers and letters proving up … followed by the tax man.

Excepting the crap weather I kind of enjoy my time here.