Here's my plan...Right/wrong tree? [Navy to Merchant Marine]

Professional Mariner Forum
1

Greetings, Mariners!

I’ve spent quite a bit of time reading the Coast Guard pages, the mountain of information available here on these forums, and the military sea time evaluation section of the Marine Safety Manual. I have a plan, and just want to outline it here and see if professional sailors think I’m barking up the right tree or not.

Background: Ex-Navy nuke Electrician’s Mate, PO2. Only 10 months actual sea service, surface ship. Been out for 11 years. Subsequently completed a BS in Nuclear Engineering Technology, in 2004, which I don’t use. I currently operate a long-distance tax consulting practice that I can turn on or off at will, and a tiny data service company that only requires me to check in electronically once every couple weeks, together which provide me enough income to scrape by, travel the world, and do oddball crap. My most recent oddball idea is to go back to sea for a year or two, and see the world from the ocean, which the Navy did not provide me with, ironically. I am currently 34 years old.

The plan: I will be going in this week for TWIC enrollment. According to the Marine Safety Manual, as an Electrician’s Mate, my sea service is only creditable for demonstrated watchstanding time towards QMED qualifications, and I simply do not have records of that time. Also, my nuclear prototype time (6 months) is creditable at 25%. So, it looks like I get nothing for sea time, and only 6 weeks for prototype. Thus, I’m applying for a MMC from the very bottom: Wiper. No big deal, it’s not about the money, but the adventure. However, if I’ve missed something here and might be able to get a limited QMED ticket, I’m all ears!

The hope: With TWIC and MMC in hand, and Navy sea time, electrical training, and industrial plant SCADA plant control experience on the old resume, I hope to get an engineering slot on a ship going anywhere, and when we hit port every week or three, hopefully I can get online somewhere for a few hours to take care of my other business (which only makes me about $2k/month, like I said, just scraping by with it, but not bad for not having to really work).

I have no pets, no girlfriend, no wife, no house, very little debt, and nothing in storage. I am a permanent traveler, live out of one suitcase, and just got back from Europe to find the next adventure. As long as I have Internet every week or two, I can run my other business.

Soooo…does my plan have merit, or am I going to have a harder time finding a ship to crew on that I’m anticipating?

Thanks much, I look forward to soon joining your ranks!

-Jassen

1 Like
2

[QUOTE=Jassen;69389]Greetings, Mariners!

I’ve spent quite a bit of time reading the Coast Guard pages, the mountain of information available here on these forums, and the military sea time evaluation section of the Marine Safety Manual. I have a plan, and just want to outline it here and see if professional sailors think I’m barking up the right tree or not.

Background: Ex-Navy nuke Electrician’s Mate, PO2. Only 10 months actual sea service, surface ship. Been out for 11 years. Subsequently completed a BS in Nuclear Engineering Technology, in 2004, which I don’t use. I currently operate a long-distance tax consulting practice that I can turn on or off at will, and a tiny data service company that only requires me to check in electronically once every couple weeks, together which provide me enough income to scrape by, travel the world, and do oddball crap. My most recent oddball idea is to go back to sea for a year or two, and see the world from the ocean, which the Navy did not provide me with, ironically. I am currently 34 years old.

The plan: I will be going in this week for TWIC enrollment. According to the Marine Safety Manual, as an Electrician’s Mate, my sea service is only creditable for demonstrated watchstanding time towards QMED qualifications, and I simply do not have records of that time. Also, my nuclear prototype time (6 months) is creditable at 25%. So, it looks like I get nothing for sea time, and only 6 weeks for prototype. Thus, I’m applying for a MMC from the very bottom: Wiper. No big deal, it’s not about the money, but the adventure. However, if I’ve missed something here and might be able to get a limited QMED ticket, I’m all ears!

The hope: With TWIC and MMC in hand, and Navy sea time, electrical training, and industrial plant SCADA plant control experience on the old resume, I hope to get an engineering slot on a ship going anywhere, and when we hit port every week or three, hopefully I can get online somewhere for a few hours to take care of my other business (which only makes me about $2k/month, like I said, just scraping by with it, but not bad for not having to really work).

I have no pets, no girlfriend, no wife, no house, very little debt, and nothing in storage. I am a permanent traveler, live out of one suitcase, and just got back from Europe to find the next adventure. As long as I have Internet every week or two, I can run my other business.

Soooo…does my plan have merit, or am I going to have a harder time finding a ship to crew on that I’m anticipating?

Thanks much, I look forward to soon joining your ranks!

-Jassen[/QUOTE]

Don’t forget the STCW. Youll be hard pressed to find a job that doesn’t require that. Good luck.

3

When you submit your application be sure to include as much of your service record as you can get your hands on. You can request a disk (CD) from the DON that has most everything. Most important are your evals. Include every single one with no break in dates. You will be surprised at how much sea time you can get from just your evals. I was a SWO and got more than 60% of my seatime. Also include every qualification and school certificate that you can document. I even sent them my shellback, bluenose, and order of the ditch certificates. In addition, I was fortunate enough to still have a copy of my SWO PQS book and sent that in as well. Just flood them with any little piece of documentation that you have and let them decide what is relevant. It takes a little longer than normal for the evaluation but for me was well worth it. Good luck.

4

EFF THE GODDAMNED ADVENTURE…THERE IS NO ADVENTURE AT SEA ANYMORE! IT IS PUSHING LOTS AND LOTS OF BUTTONS OR IN THE CASE OF A WIPER, MOPPING LOTS AND LOTS OF DECKS. AS A MAN ONCE SAID “THE CANNONS DON"T THUNDER…THERE’S NOTHING TO PLUNDER…”

MY ADVICE TO YOU SON IS TO KEEP YOUR DAY JOB AND FORGET ALL THE REST OF THIS NONSENSE.

Btw, why aren’t you working in a nuke plant anyway? Anybody with lot’s of very high level process systems automation training has got to be worth $$$ in this world…

5

I will toss this football out to you to kick around. Get the TWIC and your BST then apply for an unlicensed engineer position on a small subchapter K or T passenger vessel in Alaska. If you are the shit with doing all kinds of engineering work including fixing the toilets plugged up by female passengers tossing old lipstick and tampon tubes down (this shit really happens) then you might have a shot at something that would interest you with a sense of sailing in some pretty beautiful waters with lots of young ladies in the crew (definitely not the passengers…yeach!) The money however will suck and the hours long. There’ll be no SCADA controllers aboard but the life of living out of your seabag will be very real. I can put you in touch with one company in particular…they might have opening still even though their season has already begun.

The other thought is to go engineer on yachts out of Florida. A ton of crewing agents in Ft Liquerdale on 17th Street. Deck types are typically in vast oversupply but those who can maintain the engines and all other systems (including aforementioned toilets) might have a chance. You’ll likely have to start on a smaller yacht not making much but work your way up to the mega yachts and you can make bank without ever having to sit for a license! Lots of similarly mentioned young ladies working on those vessels as well.

As far as commercial ships go however regarding finding the life of adventure at sea…you are pissing up the wrong rope I am afraid. You should know all of this already son…I mean you were in the Navy and all. This one is a classic from the way-way back machine…

//youtu.be/SL-OtsN9VdM

Oh, how true…how very, very true!

1 Like
6

If money is no object, then why limit yourself to US flag.

7

How about getting on a deepwater rig as an ET or electrician, work a 21/21 or 28/28 schedule for 6 figures, and travel on your time off? You can set your itinerary that way and you’re guaranteed to see nicer places than you would on a tramp vessel.

1 Like
8

I like Capt mrb’s suggestion about an IT or ET position on a rig or drillship. You do not need the license or mmc and make great money. Plus you will most likely have all the internet you can handle. I know three people with a similar background as yours and they are doing great in this positions and higher. Someone like you will do very well on the rigs.

9

Our Chief Electrician worked on houses before going offshore. He got hired because his last name was ‘Watt’…how can you go wrong with that?

10

C.Captian…The vid brought back a lot of memories. lol lol

11

[QUOTE=captmrb;69444]How about getting on a deepwater rig as an ET or electrician, work a 21/21 or 28/28 schedule for 6 figures, and travel on your time off? You can set your itinerary that way and you’re guaranteed to see nicer places than you would on a tramp vessel.[/QUOTE]

Indeed, this is a very good option for you to explore and one which might well provide you with the excellent means to seek adventures when not offshore. Your actual time aboard though will be pretty much adventuresless and will be much like your Navy experiences but without the port calls in exotic destinations. Still flying into Brazil to work might alone be very quite interesting itself.or being on e rig undergoing repair in a place like Singapore.

12

[QUOTE=bc9930;69452]C.Captian…The vid brought back a lot of memories. lol lol[/QUOTE]

I know, this one was a big laugh for me when I first saw in on SNL way, way back in the 70’s when the show really rocked!

13

I was a non-nuke electrician in the Navy for 13years. I had 6 years seatime plus engine room time. In your case, you need to sail as a wiper first to get seatime, atleast 180 days before you can take the electrician test endorsement. Once you get the STCW, TWIC, and MMC…get registered with the SIU(Seafarers International Union). There’s a one time registration fee, then union dues every quarter. It’s better if you can get a job as an assistant electrician(equivalent to wiper seatime) with the Norwegian Cruise Line based in Hawaii to get your feet wet. NCL has contract with SIU. You can call Carol Johnson of SIU, ask if they have a slot, at 301-994-0010 . She won’t talk to u if you’re not a union member yet.

14

He should steer clear of the SIU. He shouldn’t have to pay anyone to just talk about the possibility of a job. He also shouldn’t have to pay a headhunter, which is what the unions are with some benefits thrown in. If he spends a dime it should be on more training. Once he has his documents in order he should be able to find some work. These ETO positions are becoming more common as each new gen of vessels is delivered. Island hopping all week in Hawaii sounds fun but gets boring after a month. I did my wiper time on the SS Independence in 91-92 for AHC. What a shitty contract too even MSC ships paid more at that time.

15

Another path might be as ROV technician. My son was a nuke MM, got out after 6 years then got on as an ROV tech w/ no real experience. As an electrician I would think that would give you a leg up. Try C-Innovation, Oceaneering, Canyon Offshore. There are many others that I’m not aware of so just do a search and start pulling threads. Pay is decent, schedule is great for a traveler, work can be interesting, and the $$$ are pretty good.

16

Sonsub-Saipem is another

17

Have you looked at 46 CFR 11.213 “Sea service as a member of the Armed Forces of the United States and on vessels owned by the United States as qualifying experience”? I think the key word you should be looking for is “equivalent service”. Applications requesting consideration of equivalent service are decided on a case-by-case basis. Definitely get as much paperwork together as you can find. Back in the good ole days when everything was decided at the local REC, there was room for negotiation. (You could pitch your case to the evaluator and maybe get a little extra.) But now that everything has disappeared into that sinkhole NMC in West Virginia, there’s no telling what will happen. It might be worth a trip (in person) to your local REC with everything you’ve got; some of them have some pretty good guys who can help you out.

18

What happened to our ex Navy newquelar guy? One post here and poof! A veritable vanishing act he was…

I will say that reading his story again makes me shmell shomthink shtinky. I mean, a couple of hundred thousands of high level process control system training paid for by Uncle Shug and a BS degree but he lives out of a suitcase with some mysterious internet only based businesses that “only makes me about $2k/month” yet he just got back from Europe chasing adventures? Those numbers just don’t add up with my steampowered calculator!

I wonder what this guy’s real story is? Can’t be what he claims…not in my book at least.

19

[QUOTE=highseasharry;70154]Have you looked at 46 CFR 11.213 “Sea service as a member of the Armed Forces of the United States and on vessels owned by the United States as qualifying experience”? I think the key word you should be looking for is “equivalent service”. Applications requesting consideration of equivalent service are decided on a case-by-case basis. Definitely get as much paperwork together as you can find. Back in the good ole days when everything was decided at the local REC, there was room for negotiation. (You could pitch your case to the evaluator and maybe get a little extra.) But now that everything has disappeared into that sinkhole NMC in West Virginia, there’s no telling what will happen. It might be worth a trip (in person) to your local REC with everything you’ve got; some of them have some pretty good guys who can help you out.[/QUOTE]

It’s not entirely case by case. See Chapter 2 of Volume III of the “Marine Safety Manual” (http://www.uscg.mil/directives/cim/16000-16999/CIM_16000_8B.pdf) It lists military billets and whether they are acceptable for mariner endorsements. The case by case review typically comes up when someone had equivalent duties, but was assigned in a buillet that isn’t on the table. Or for positions that are broad and may or may not include equivalent duties.

20

Holy smokes… Thanks for the replies, everybody. I have been out of communication for several weeks, so sorry delay in getting back on here. I can’t thank everybody enough for the advice. Newbie posts on most forums don’t get this kind of attention. I’ll be reading through each of these and shaking down the possibilities, will keep you updated on the progress. I will definitely look at the non-MMC techie gigs mentioned

To c.captain: To answer your “WTF” question – Basically, it has to do with the “screw working in a cubicle” mindset, and I just take it a bit overboard.

As for how I finance my travels, here’s how: I am an IRS-licensed Enrolled Agent, and I defend small businesses that owe back payroll tax liabilities to the IRS. In other words, I negotiate with the government on their behalf in order to prevent the IRS from taking everything they have and shutting down the business. I did this full time for several years, and have done so “as needed” when I need to supplement my Internet income. The fees I can charge for this are quite high, and a single case can bring me in a significant amount of capital that I can set aside and draw from, in addition to my Internet income. Why don’t I just do this work full time? Because it’s boring, and I don’t feel like doing it anymore, ready for a change of scenery.

Thanks again, eveybody!