There is a powerful belief these days that you absolutely must have an advanced higher (formal) education to be of any real value in the workplace, unless you are functionally serving only as a draft animal doing the “unskilled” grunt work that no one else wants to do. The justification for this is usually made along the lines of “today’s complex work environment demands more technical training and skills, blah, blah, blah.” To be sure, virtually all of our systems appear to be caught up in the death-grip of ever-increasing complexity that just keeps feeding off itself: we struggle to solve problems caused by today’s over-complexity by, you guessed it, adding even more of it tomorrow, ad infinitum. Even worse, the pace of this continual transformation steadily increases as well and we’re expected to regularly “upgrade” our knowledge and skills in a vain attempt to keep up. We’re perpetually behind that curve, always outrun by the increasing rate of change, and there are human limits to our ability to keep up that aren’t being acknowledged, let alone allowed for.
In the U.S. Merchant Marine, and elsewhere, this has had serious ramifications. The powers-that-be at the International Maritime Organization (IMO) have continuously ramped up the training and education requirements for virtually all licenses to impractical levels, apparently without much if any regard for the practical, economic and social impacts that come with it. Manning standards, in contrast, remain flat or are reduced to make the bean counters happy. This has made the traditional hawsepiper an endangered species on a long skid towards extinction. It has become extremely difficult, if not impossible, to pursue a career as an officer by your own efforts and resources alone. This, along with a long-standing disregard for the quality of life of working mariners, has caused serious shortages of younger seafarers. While there have been some uneven improvements in living and working conditions in recent years it still has not checked the decline. Inertia can be very tough to overcome……
But this isn’t really about fairness and equal opportunity, because it’s clear that no one cares much about that. It’s about the cold, hard fact that the Merchant Marine is greatly diminished without a large percentage of hawsepipers in the ranks to ensure that the educated technicians from the academies, who possess little practical experience upon graduation, are not left to their own devices and wind up having to learn everything the hard way. Translation: increased damage, injury and accident rates. In support of my argument I offer the wise words of none other than an academy-graduate deck officer (read: non-hawsepiper) who actually sails for a living and has avoided drinking the Kool-Aid. He clearly sees the value in having hawsepipers around in more than token numbers.
I am continually impressed by the younger mates I have worked with that began sailing as apprentice seaman and took the initiative to study and test for a third mate’s license. Their education at sea brings a set of skills unattainable at maritime academies into the workplace. Any lacking knowledge in the theory of nautical sciences is amply made up for by a zeal to learn that theory while being able to run circles around academy grads on deck.
I couldn’t agree more, and I would also say that this applies doubly so when it comes to towing vessels. The paragraph above was excerpted from the post Human Resources on the Deep Water Writing blog. Clear vision like this is uncommon amongst academy graduates and I hope that it spreads and sinks in.
Can you hear this, IMO? Are you paying attention, U.S. Coast Guard? Are you capable of understanding the great damage you’re doing while continuing on the current course? It’s long past the time to alter that course substantially to avoid a collision with reality. The 2010 STCW International Diplomatic Conference is being held this month in Manila, and they’ll be deciding where we go from here. While the U.S. Coast Guard has temporarily backed off from implementing the latest round of changes to fully implement STCW ’95, largely due to industry and possibly even mariner’s objections, it is unknown if they truly get it yet and are willing and able to advise Congress that maybe this international treaty we signed wasn’t such a great idea after all. So we’re still very concerned about what may come out of STCW ’10. Stay tuned……
Coincidentally, the afore-mentioned blogging seafarer also just commented on my last post about Transocean’s moronic no-knife rule:
When I was in college everyone on campus in a marine licensing program carried a knife. I remember thinking to myself “This must be one of the only schools that doesn’t prohibit students from carrying blades”. That wasn’t just tradition, it was a safety measure when half of the school week was on, in or near the water.
I’m not sure if that policy has changed with all the new security measures in place around collge campuses but if I am ever restricted from carrying my Spyderco at sea I’ll start sending my resume to Starbucks.
Half a dozen of my friends work for Transocean and are entrusted with operating multi-million dollar exploratory drill ships but are not allowed to carry knives? That is absolutely asinine.
I think a lot of good things could come out of the intense scrutiny the O&G industry in the GOM will undergo in the next few months. I pray that one result will be the realization that when you try and take all the risk out of seafaring with robust and voluminous safety managment systems you may actually end up endangering those that have to live with the system.
Writing, delgating, enforcing and auditing SMS policies has created a lot of jobs ashore but let us not forget who pays the price when the system becomes unreasonable in the name of risk reduction.
I repeat, the various authorities need to pay much more attention to what the knowledgeable grunts in the field are trying desperately to alert them to.
Editor’s Note: this seafarer’s writing just keeps getting better and better, and I’ve had him on our blogroll almost from the beginning of this blog. I encourage any mariner who has something to say to consider starting their own blog and share their ideas with a wider audience. Our Working Mariners blogroll, located in the 4th section down on the right-hand bar, has grown to include international coverage from a variety of sectors of the marine transportation industry. I’ll be happy to add to it, all you have to do is write.
Very well written, and worded piece.
However, until and unless BOTH sides of the equation can professionally discuss and come to some consensus this is for naught.
Where is the lions share of employment these days? Unfortunately the academy’s are more concerned with enrollment, and 100% hiring rates, than actual performance, and competence in the towing industry. It would appear to the educated eye that the “elitism” of the academy is more important that actually teaching ‘real skills’ to accommodate the towing industry. ([I]How many times have we all heard the rivalry between academy’s?) [/I] If the academy’s were to put as much emphasis on relevant towing education (not book learning) then maybe some new hires would not look like sheep being led to the slaughter when making and breaking tow. But these same individuals think they are qualified to go into the WH and take a watch!
This blog is an excellent example of empowerment. When the hawsepipers start to write their Congressman and Senator to let them know of these problems then (and only then) will something get done. Now is the time to write. Not just on this blog, but to people who actually matter.
This reminds me of one of the quotes on another blog here. A recent graduate was criticizing a poster who was a recent graduate, for considering taking a A.B.s job since work is so hard to find. His advice: ‘We worked so hard for our license, take nothing less than a wheelhouse job!’ I am chuckling at ‘how much’ was done. This little tadpole is just starting out, and thinks he’s at the end of his learning and advancement! Those 4 years (or more) in school pale in comparison to the real world of job, professionalism, advancement, performance, career, and family. (And juggling all of it to keep the balls in the air) STS.
A recent graduate was criticizing a poster who was a recent graduate, for considering taking a A.B.s job since work is so hard to find. His advice: ‘We worked so hard for our license, take nothing less than a wheelhouse job!’ I am chuckling at ‘how much’ was done. This little tadpole is just starting out, and thinks he’s at the end of his learning and advancement! Those 4 years (or more) in school pale in comparison to the real world of job, professionalism, advancement, performance, career, and family. (And juggling all of it to keep the balls in the air) STS.[/QUOTE]
There are some tanker companies that require their freshly papered 3rd mates to sail as AB. Also, I believe the lookout on the Valdez was one.
[QUOTE=RkyMtn Paul;35967] Also, I believe the lookout on the Valdez was one.[/QUOTE]
No, the AB was just an AB.
As an academy guy, I feel I have to put in my two cents, for what it’s worth.
I went to school with a lot of people that, to be honest, would scare me whether they were in the wheelhouse of a tug, on the bridge of a ship, or at the console of their 21’ Boston Whaler. I understand the look I get from the hawespipers when I show up to a ship, and then when I hear stories of my previous reliefs, I can see why.
But, to be fair, there are some pretty dumb hawespipers out there as well. When I signed onto the last ship I was on, (after a contract turnover with an entirely new set of officers), myself and the Captain were the only academy guys onboard (and to make matters worse, he was from Kings Point!). Turns out he was a pretty good guy. My C/M was a hawespiper, and I would gladly sail anything with him again, and certainly hope to. He was a pleasure to work for, and we had a lot of fun. The 2/M was another story - a Navy guy (I’m not sure if that counts as a hawespiper or not) - absolutely useless - he spent 31 years in, and thought he still was in, until some people had to set him straight. The entire engineering side were hawespipers, and (minus the First), were a great bunch of people.
So, I’m not convinced that one way or the other is better. There are academy guys that are pretty good on deck, and I’ve watched ABs who have absolutely no idea how to use a chipping hammer or a wirewheel. The opposite is also true.
The other person on the bridge that night was Maureen Jones, the lookout, who was licensed as an officer but sailing as a regular crew member. She was the first to sound an alarm when she noticed a buoy light in the wrong position. http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=19990314&slug=2949434
One of the first things I was told on my first ship, Coastal Eagle Point, was to “forget all that navy crap”. Best advice I ever had from an old timer.
Coastal Eagle Point, I was on the Coastal Corpus Christi and the Coastal Houston a lot for a couple of years. I am a hawsepiper and the Coastal Corpus Christi was my first real 3rd mates job after I worked one summer on there as an AB. I am so glad I had good deck crew to help me out!
Not to hijack the thread but the post’s from people who used to work for Coastal Tankship’s caught my eye, I worked for Coastal for ten years on the Corpus, the New York, the Manatee, the Eagle Point and the Houston. My first time sailing 3AE was on the Houston, I spent most of my time as Pumpman on the Eagle Point. Had a lot of fun working for Coastal, good mix of Academy and Hawsepipesr there.
Jerry White
[QUOTE=RkyMtn Paul;36346]The other person on the bridge that night was Maureen Jones, the lookout, who was licensed as an officer but sailing as a regular crew member. She was the first to sound an alarm when she noticed [B]a buoy light in the wrong position[/B]. http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=19990314&slug=2949434
One of the first things I was told on my first ship, Coastal Eagle Point, was to “forget all that navy crap”. Best advice I ever had from an old timer.[/QUOTE]
Are you sure it was the buoy light in the wrong position??
Buoy light not where it should be in relation to the ship. ie, ship was where it shouldn’t be.
[QUOTE=anchorman;38119]Are you sure it was the buoy light in the wrong position??[/QUOTE]
Relative position.
[QUOTE=RkyMtn Paul;36346]One of the first things I was told on my first ship, Coastal Eagle Point, was to “forget all that navy crap”. Best advice I ever had from an old timer.[/QUOTE]
What “Navy crap” exactly?
I think what he was referring to is: unlimited budgets, wasteful expenditures of time manpower and effort, ridiculously large crew size, the need to have EVERYTHING in a manual, so 'Idiots guide to XXXXX" is covered for seaman Jones to be able to do his job (with little or no self initiative, or independence)
and last but not least, the phrase “If it moves, salute it… if it doesn’t, paint it.”
Just curious. When is the last time on your vessel you had a fully suited 20 man damage control team show up for a fire drill? On the boat you currently are on how many full fire suits and OBAs (and spare bottles) are aboard? Nothing like realistic expectations in a commercial merchant marine world!
[QUOTE=Jeffrox;38479]What “Navy crap” exactly?[/QUOTE]
How about things like expecting everyone to bow down to you simply because you WERE a Master Chief in the Navy. You’re still an idiot of a 2/M, and you will be treated as such.
Jeffrox, no slight on the Navy. I proudly served 6 yrs, 3 1/2 on the best Spruance DD on the east coast, Caron DD 970. And I would do it again. As cappy208 suggested, a lot less to do a lot more. Things run a good deal faster in the merchants than in the navy.
I gotta jump in on this one. Now, I haven’t sailed for some time, but I still board vessels from time to time (although rarely US flag). I have to say it has been my experience both when I was sailing and afterward, that where and how a person got their license/position had less of an impact than their attitude. When I was sailing as Chief, I am pretty sure that I fired as many Academy grads as hawsepipers. Some of the best engineers and mates/captains I have sailed with have been from an academy. I have sailed with some absolute losers, too. Some of the best engineers and mates/captains I have sailed with have been hawsepipers. Some of those also have been absolute losers. What an academy offers, at least from my experience (and I am a Kings Pointer-that won’t win me any popularity contests here), is an opportunity to accelerate the hands on approach to learning. I can say that on all the ships where I was a cadet, the chief and the first were glad to have an extra hand. I don’t ever recall being turned down if I wanted to do a job. I also got some of those nasty jobs to do, too. I have seen the inside of may a heat exchanger and boiler; was very much at home in the bilges and fighting the exhaust leaks in the fidley. To be honest, I preferred to be a day worker over standing watch. That is just the way I am. It came in real handy when I moved to ocean tugs and ITBs. I don’t automatically assume that a mate/captain/engineer can do his job just because he is a Kings Pointer or other academy grad, just like I don’t assume that a hawsepiper will have lesser abilities.
But I do kinda agree with what most folks think about Kings Pointers. They can get on my nerves, too.
[QUOTE=cmakin;38972]I gotta jump in on this one. Now, I haven’t sailed for some time, but I still board vessels from time to time (although rarely US flag). I have to say it has been my experience both when I was sailing and afterward, that where and how a person got their license/position had less of an impact than their attitude. When I was sailing as Chief, I am pretty sure that I fired as many Academy grads as hawsepipers. Some of the best engineers and mates/captains I have sailed with have been from an academy. I have sailed with some absolute losers, too. Some of the best engineers and mates/captains I have sailed with have been hawsepipers. Some of those also have been absolute losers. What an academy offers, at least from my experience (and I am a Kings Pointer-that won’t win me any popularity contests here), is an opportunity to accelerate the hands on approach to learning. I can say that on all the ships where I was a cadet, the chief and the first were glad to have an extra hand. I don’t ever recall being turned down if I wanted to do a job. I also got some of those nasty jobs to do, too. I have seen the inside of may a heat exchanger and boiler; was very much at home in the bilges and fighting the exhaust leaks in the fidley. To be honest, I preferred to be a day worker over standing watch. That is just the way I am. It came in real handy when I moved to ocean tugs and ITBs. I don’t automatically assume that a mate/captain/engineer can do his job just because he is a Kings Pointer or other academy grad, just like I don’t assume that a hawsepiper will have lesser abilities.
But I do kinda agree with what most folks think about Kings Pointers. They can get on my nerves, too.[/QUOTE]
Very true. Not about the Kings Pointers though. We have an old Valedictorian at Chouest, believe it or not, and he’s one of the nicest guys I ever met. In fact, he was an accountant for a family owned stevedore company, let his license go, but when the old man died and the family split up the company, he decided to go back offshore after 20 years and started over as an AB. Now he’s a Master again. It always come down to the person’s attitude and will power - of which neither is issued by the Coast Guard.
[QUOTE=cmakin;38972]I gotta jump in on this one. Now, I haven’t sailed for some time, but I still board vessels from time to time (although rarely US flag). I have to say it has been my experience both when I was sailing and afterward, that where and how a person got their license/position had less of an impact than their attitude. When I was sailing as Chief, I am pretty sure that I fired as many Academy grads as hawsepipers. Some of the best engineers and mates/captains I have sailed with have been from an academy. I have sailed with some absolute losers, too. Some of the best engineers and mates/captains I have sailed with have been hawsepipers. Some of those also have been absolute losers. What an academy offers, at least from my experience (and I am a Kings Pointer-that won’t win me any popularity contests here), is an opportunity to accelerate the hands on approach to learning. I can say that on all the ships where I was a cadet, the chief and the first were glad to have an extra hand. I don’t ever recall being turned down if I wanted to do a job. I also got some of those nasty jobs to do, too. I have seen the inside of may a heat exchanger and boiler; was very much at home in the bilges and fighting the exhaust leaks in the fidley. To be honest, I preferred to be a day worker over standing watch. That is just the way I am. It came in real handy when I moved to ocean tugs and ITBs. I don’t automatically assume that a mate/captain/engineer can do his job just because he is a Kings Pointer or other academy grad, just like I don’t assume that a hawsepiper will have lesser abilities.
But I do kinda agree with what most folks think about Kings Pointers. They can get on my nerves, too.[/QUOTE]
Very true. Not about the Kings Pointers though. We have an old Valedictorian at Chouest, believe it or not, and he’s one of the nicest guys I ever met. In fact, he was an accountant for a family owned stevedore company, let his license go, but when the old man died and the family split up the company, he decided to go back offshore after 20 years and started over as an AB. Now he’s a Master again. It always come down to the person’s attitude and will power - of which neither is issued by the Coast Guard.
[QUOTE=New3M;38542]How about things like expecting everyone to bow down to you simply because you WERE a Master Chief in the Navy. You’re still an idiot of a 2/M, and you will be treated as such.[/QUOTE]
Hmm…did you just call me an idiot?! The reason I asked the question, [U]([/U]to RkyMnt Paul, not sure why you answered New3M),is because there was a lot of crap in the Navy and so I was trying to discern which crap he was referring to. Rest assured I ate a lot of shit sandwiches in the Navy and I’ve eaten a few in the commercial ship world as well. I’ve sailed commercial with many former Navy folks and I’ve never met one, including myself, that expected anyone to bow down to them because they were former Navy—I have heard sea-stories about such individuals though. If there are fomer Navy egotistical asses around, I submit it’s because they’re egotistical asses, not because they’re former Navy. My first day as a commercial mariner was spent gripping down equipment with chain binders and sweeping decks, the only one bowing down was me–to reach the dustpan; and you know, I was right where I wanted to be!
[QUOTE=cappy208;38516]Just curious. When is the last time on your vessel you had a fully suited 20 man damage control team show up for a fire drill? On the boat you currently are on how many full fire suits and OBAs (and spare bottles) are aboard? Nothing like realistic expectations in a commercial merchant marine world![/QUOTE]
I never have seen a 20 man DC team, or anything close to it…
[QUOTE=RkyMtn Paul;38644]Jeffrox, no slight on the Navy. I proudly served 6 yrs, 3 1/2 on the best Spruance DD on the east coast, Caron DD 970. And I would do it again. As cappy208 suggested, a lot less to do a lot more. Things run a good deal faster in the merchants than in the navy.[/QUOTE]
;)!!!