How can I begin a career as a merchant marine?

Professional Mariner Forum
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Hello,

The short version is: I have no experience working on vessels-- what steps must I take to become a merchant mariner?

The long version: I am a college graduate (business) that is seeking a career change, and as someone who is single (and thus not tied down to anyone or anything) and has an affinity for oceans and travel, I have begun entertaining the idea of becoming a merchant mariner. Unfortunately, I know very little about the process, and by searching for information on the internet, I stumbled upon this forum.

I am interested in deck; my impression of the cons to this, are that deck jobs (generally speaking) are in less demand, career advancement is slower, and that the skills are less transferable to shore jobs–are these statements true? Either way, I am committed to deck, but I want to know all of the downfalls before I jump in.

With deck in mind, I am wondering what would be my best approach to beginning my career change. As a 4-year college graduate, I am turned off by the idea of going back and attending a maritime academy for time’s sake…but not totally opposed if it would be a better long-term move than the equivalent time in experience. Another option I’ve seen is an apprenticeship program through SIU: is this a popular route, and one that would prove wise for a long career? If so, is SIU the way to go, or are there other unions or programs that might be a better bet? If not, I haven’t really seen too many other ways into the sector. Is there a third route?

Finally, I am wondering what the career path is like for someone who begins as an unlicensed OS. Is obtaining licensing something that comes more difficult for those who begin through an apprenticeship (vs a maritime academy)? Are the licensing procedures, themselves, akin to attending the academy in terms of their rigor and duration? I just want to assure myself that I will be able to reach the goals my ambition has set for me…

If you’ve read all of that, I sincerely appreciate your time and patience with me, even if you don’t respond. Any comments or feedback are welcomed. This is not something I’m taking lightly, and also not something I’m looking to do tomorrow … as I’m sure you’ve noticed, I’ve only recently begun pondering this.

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Search is your friend… every question you asked is well covered in these forums.

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[QUOTE=captobie;141358]Search is your friend… every question you asked is well covered in these forums.[/QUOTE]

our grasshopper is fortunate I was out when he posted and you were able to deflect the impaling thrust of the mighty stick!

[QUOTE=Soso;141298]as I’m sure you’ve noticed, I’ve only recently begun pondering this.[/QUOTE]

as well as not having done a lick of research first shooting off your big bazoo…

tisk, tisk,what it must be like to be so very young, naive and stoopid?

where the EFF do they come from? is there a farm team system to bring up newbie idiots into the majors?

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Here is a question for the original poster: do you have any time or experience at all on boats of any kind? It would suck to start down a career path to find you don’t like being at sea.

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perhaps our lad can find a Captain Merrill Stubing action figure on eBay and play with it in the bathtub until he no longer gets seascik

that’s what I did when I was a shaver and look at the effect it had on me! I went from being 9 years old to 60 within a mere few weeks!

I wonder what ever happeded to Julie McCoy?..MY GOD SHE WAS MY VERY OWN DISCO QUEEN!

UH OH! WAY BAY IDEA ASKING!

I wonder what it is like to know that at one time you were so FUCKING HOT and then realize you are now so FUCKING FAT?

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Soso. Keep your job on land. Working on the water is not romantic and you will only see the next place as long as your ship is in port. I hate to be a cynic but after 10 years on the water it is losing its luster fast.

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hello grasshopper

The short version is: I have no experience working on vessels-- what steps must I take to become a merchant mariner?

first you have to run away from home and join a traveling carnival. There you will become one of the losers who operates the rides where you will roam endlessly without apparent point working with people who are cretins. You will start low operating the kiddie rides but with time and experience you can upgrade your skills to operate rides like the “Vomit Comet” and “Twister of Death” where you will mop up buckets of puke but laugh at the fool teenagers who dare challenge your power. At night you will drink with your unwashed compatriots in unspeakable dives or just sit around the place after it closes pouring down can after can of Old Milwaukee holding pissing and belching contests with the lowlife scum you share your life with. During this time you will learn to swear incessantly and use the work FUCK interspersed between every third word you speak.

In a couple days you break it all down, drive in a dilapidated old truck a hundred miles and set it all up again in another nameless hick town. After you gain this valuable life experience, you will know what it is like to be a mariner.

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Carnies swear like sailors?? Who fucking knew?

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-----^–^—(0,o)/—^----^—

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[QUOTE=Fraqrat;141372]-----^–^—(0,o)/—^----^—[/QUOTE]

I CAN;T READ FUCKING CODE!

if you’re trying to say something boy, get the shit out your mouth and just say it!

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First you will need a Z-card.

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[QUOTE=RichM;141392]First you will need a Z-card.[/QUOTE]

a Z-card?..what’s that?

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Soso, don’t be discouraged by some of the smart-asses in here. They would have you believe they fell out of their mothers hole with a heaving line in their hands; they didn’t. They were as green as any green horn to come over a gangway. Their so-called “pointy sticks” are nothing more than limp noodles today. I would guess that some do more “boating” in a bar than on anything that floats.

gCaptain is a great source of information and spending time reading through the forums regarding your questions is time well-spent.

Your college degree proves you are teachable. You will be able to pursue a deck license through experience and education. Get your entry-level mariner credentials, take whatever OS job you are offered, and begin building your Resume like a foundation; brick by brick. First, learn to work safe. Second, be patient, always be willing to learn and practice new skills, and make sure your “bricks” are on solid foundation before adding more.

The route of your break-in will be determined by the doors that open to you and your willingness to step through them, even if it’s not what you planned.

Good Luck and NEVER EVER BECOME COMPLACENT ABOUT SAFETY. One hand for you and one hand for the ship!

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HELL! I was born equipped with heaving line, needle gun, binoculars, wearing oilskins and a smoking a pipe with Borkum Riff Black Cavendish tobacco even!

Their so-called “pointy sticks” are nothing more than limp noodles today.

NYAH! Says you! The mighty “pointy stick” only grows more potent every day! I wonder if I can get a $10billion DoD contract to supply the Navee with them? A 16"/50cal stick would certainly have more punch than the little popguns they put on warships these days!

poke…

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[QUOTE=RichM;141392]First you will need a Z-card.[/QUOTE] No such animal anymore, First you need a TWIC. Read this:http://www.uscg.mil/nmc/checklists/pdfs/mcp_fm_nmc5_56_web.pdf?list9=%2Fnmc%2Fchecklists%2Fpdfs%2Fmcp_fm_nmc5_56_web.pdf&B4=GO!

Read this: http://www.gcaptain.com/forum/maritime-employment/9158-read-job-includeing-graduated-cadets.html

Memorize this: http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?c=ecfr&sid=ae63e8c8b8556b036cfde87e4a7bb8de&rgn=div5&view=text&node=46:1.0.1.2.10&idno=46

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soso, don’t go the maritime way. you will wind up having to work with some jerk wad like ccaptain. stay far away and heed my warning. i’m afraid to tell you some out there may even be worse. so, would you really want to be stuck on a boat with a bunch of jerk wads for weeks and months at a time? jerk wads hahhhahhhahah

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You could always come to work at N0AA where we hardly ever leave the pier anymore because of, well, people leaving, so you can be on a ship without that annoying rocking around and going away from home crap, and go out to the bar every night if you like. Till your head explodes, even!

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[QUOTE=catherder;141429]You could always come to work at N0AA where we hardly ever leave the pier anymore because of, well, people leaving, so you can be on a ship without that annoying rocking around and going away from home crap, and go out to the bar every night if you like. Till your head explodes, even![/QUOTE]

well I was about to repeat the clip from Scanners where the guy’s head blows up but decided to go to a bar instead…

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Damn, I missed the party. Does this so and so know if he can handle the water yet? Seriously, go out on the ocean, go below deck and read a book. If you throw up, get the FUCK off boat for the rest of your life!! Next part is the drinking test. Here you consume vast amounts of alcohol in a dingy bar and as long as no one wants to slaughter you for being a bad drunk, you are cleared to part three. Here you must try to figure out if everyone and everything pisses you off. If yes, some mariners might like you. The last step is to figure out if you are a hard worker. Are you? Seriously? Because it is really important everyone does their job and if you can’t fucking take the time to research such a vague, commonly asked, well answered question, there is no way anyone is going to believe you can possibly hold your own!

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[QUOTE=TrainMan;141441]Next part is the drinking test. Here you consume vast amounts of alcohol in a dingy bar and as long as no one wants to slaughter you for being a bad drunk, you are cleared to part three.[/QUOTE]

(raises hand weakly) Umm… do we get extra points if our drink of choice is hard liquor?