Hi all

well i had no idea there was a seafarers forum,i should have known tho ,wish i would have found this place months ago !!

the better half of my working life has been commercial fishing in Alaska,but the dam sport guides are fighting to get us out of the water,and they are making headway so its time to jump to another ship

younger brother got recruited right out of high school into the SIU at Piney Pt ,i have been a little envious of him since then too

enough of that jibber jabber

part of my application process requires me to write an essay with at least a minimum of 400 words about why i want to be a merchant marine,thats where i need help as i am only at 250 words and totally stumped on where to go it with now

so in short i am asking for some help ,reasons why to join the seafarers ???

Do your own homework?

I think that you answered your own question … . . oh, and it is merchant mariner. . . .

Recruited?

[QUOTE=exodus;168165]well i had no idea there was a seafarers forum,i should have known tho ,wish i would have found this place months ago !!

the better half of my working life has been commercial fishing in Alaska,but the dam sport guides are fighting to get us out of the water,and they are making headway so its time to jump to another ship

younger brother got recruited right out of high school into the SIU at Piney Pt ,i have been a little envious of him since then too

enough of that jibber jabber

part of my application process requires me to write an essay with at least a minimum of 400 words about why i want to be a merchant marine,thats where i need help as i am only at 250 words and totally stumped on where to go it with now

so in short i am asking for some help ,reasons why to join the seafarers ???[/QUOTE]

A basic outline might help. It doesn’t have to be as formal as what they were yapping about in English class, here is a sample.

An outline is an excellent place to start.

One of the first things you should do is write down your reasons for wanting to do it. Is it good pay and benefits? Is it because you are good at working on the water? Does your family have a history of working in the maritime industry? Do you like the flexibility to use your skills in different industries? You probably have lots of reasons… write each one out. Then, you can write a couple sentences on each one. Maybe you also have a story about some interesting boat trip? “I will never forget the first time grandpa took me out in his skiff. I couldn’t have been more than 5 years old. As we zipped around in the early morning fog checking his traps, I was in awe and just knew that I wanted to be just like him and work on the water. He’s gone now, but the memory of that day drives me forward and has made an indelible mark on my soul. I feel I was born for the water, just like him.”

Basically, you will have an intro paragraph (can include a little personal information you think is relevant… the interesting story about your own maritime past can fit in there)… some central paragraphs that detail each reason and then another summary paragraph that does just that, summarizes the points you just talked about.

Oh… and spell check… and don’t use abbreviated words like U or Tho etc… Just write it all out and if you get close to 400 words… go back and see where you can fit in a little more to flesh it out… maybe some more descriptive words or examples. Like if you say you are attracted to a career with good pay and benefits you can also include somthing like you have seen classmates of yours who graduated with out any skills and directions flipping burgers (if they are lucky) and you want more out of life than that etc…

It is not why you want to join the SIU (seafarers), it is why you want to go to sea. What is your desire to do this kind of work? Is it the compensation, education, the adventure, travel, independence, a way out of whatever place you are in now, or the chance to go as far as your ambition cares you?

alright the last 3 replies are very useful and helpful for me

2 biggest stumping blocks for me geting essay done are :

i have never been one to spew a bunch of BS ,short n sweet is my preference

i have never done an essay ,book reports were as close as i ever came

thanks to those that posted useful info

Paragraph one: state why, maybe 3 reasons. Paragraphs 2,3,4 explain each reason. Maybe one or two short paragraphs concluding it. To the point.

One word: Google

I want to become a Merchant Marine because: Someday I want to recount my journey on a tramp steamer across the Atlantic and the colorful members of the crew I worked with.

Perfect first line. Get them hooked buddy!

[QUOTE=Irish Pennant;168215]I want to become a Merchant Marine because: Someday I want to recount my journey on a tramp steamer across the Atlantic and the colorful members of the crew I worked with.

Perfect first line. Get them hooked buddy![/QUOTE]

FUCK THAT! What the SIU wants is for you to write how you’ll drink and whore yourself into poverty and then sign on to do it all over again!

Word your first sentence “I forgot the name of the port as it was just another third world shithole, but after escaping the insane captain’s asylum, I stumbled into what I discovered was paradise on earth…I never realized ladies knew such arts?..at least not ladies in the US! Later, I awoke back aboard with the bosun screaming for all hands to go fore and aft. My hangover was terrific but my mind reeled of the mysteries of the night before”

that’s damned near a hundred words right there and no more are needed…

That’s sounds like blatant plagiarism from Captain Max.

[QUOTE=Fraqrat;168220]That’s sounds like blatant plagiarism from Captain Max.[/QUOTE]

maybe Maximus Turdburger is my nom de plume? Maybe I am Max and Max is me! It is why I would not divulge my identity on Workboat.com during our little brouha there…I couldn’t without giving away that Max and I are one and the same.

have you ever noticed that you never see Max and I together in a room at the same time?

[QUOTE=c.captain;168222]
have you ever noticed that you never see Max and I together in a room at the same time?[/QUOTE]

Because it would be matter and antimatter?

If you are asking for help to write an essay on why YOU want to be a merchant mariner, you shouldn’t be out here. I love my job and wouldn’t change it for the world, only some people in it. I could go on for days as to why I want to be out here. You need to find what you love, and once you find it you will then be able to write for days why you want to do said career.

[QUOTE=josh.reid24;168239]If you are asking for help to write an essay on why YOU want to be a merchant mariner, you shouldn’t be out here…[/QUOTE]

reminds me of the dilemma :can’t get the job because of no experience,no experience so you can’t get the job

how do you write an essay about something that you have never actually done ? only seen from afar and read about

[QUOTE=exodus;168242]reminds me of the dilemma :can’t get the job because of no experience,no experience so you can’t get the job

how do you write an essay about something that you have never actually done ? only seen from afar and read about[/QUOTE]

Don’t write about deep-sea. Write what you know. Why do you like going to sea, fishing, working on a boat? Maybe you feel you thrive in that environment because you find the work rewarding and want to continue your professional development. Or you like the challenge of learning new things. Give examples.

Saltgrain at #6 wrote a good ans. They want to know if you are going to whimp out on them. You likely won’t, if you’re fishing in Alaska and like it sailing deep-sea is going to be a piece of cake.

Just include a few paragraphs about how you like being around raw sewage, and mucking out sewage plants, and how you like pretending you give a shit about the fact that the captains faucet is hard to turn, and you’d love to fix it for him. Oh you are going deck? Then maybe you should write a few lines about how you love to sit on your ass all day, and are amazed at how a few years of chipping paint and applying new paint can qualify you to hold a bridge watch, and ah fuck forget it. I lost my train of thought. Just Google that shit and copy stuff. You’ll be aaiigght.

hehe got some funny shit there ,google is what got me here .whats that saying ??