Ditto! I know in my career I took jobs that didn’t count for sea time ( ie, uninspected ocean tug ). Time onboard was under the cut regarding tonnage at that time of 1000 tons. So, none of it counted for my license upgrade. But it was a job! I practiced my celestial, and learned tug handling that honed my unlimited tonnage ship handling skills for literally decades to come. In the end the time was not waisted in the least, add to that there was a time that I’d have gone to sea for simply a bed and a meal. I loved going to sea and wanted to do nothing else. In short the $$ was secondary. I think some of these folks look into the industry simply due to the cash flow. If you don’t have some pride and commitment to the life style of seafaring for a living you will be miserable and so will all the others around you. If you are " looking" into a job onboard a vessel and there is not a burning desire to go to sea best you stay home and seek another line of work. It sure seems like some of these pikers and wanna bees are thinking and rethinking this way to much! At least that’s my humble option after seeing many come and go over the last 35 years of going to sea.
[QUOTE=“ryanwood86;118389”]There is your opening, the balls in your court.[/QUOTE]
It’s an “oiler position”, which makes me think they require an oiler, not a wiper.
How would you rate your long term career satisfaction and overall well being? …People start talking about acquiring jobs, crew rotation, etc…lol…doesn’t take too long for mariners to become distracted, does it?..lol…
If my employer paid better and didnt condone laziness it would be great!
[QUOTE=Bayrunner;118404]If my employer paid better and didnt condone laziness it would be great![/QUOTE]
My job would be OK if it wasn’t for the cargo.
I’d be happier working 1 on 2 off for double the pay. That’s about all I can say. Oh yeah and my entire crew would have to be “easy” 9-10 rated females. Other than that, I more or less enjoy what I do and who I work with. Nice boats and fair pay for what we do. But always could be better.
[QUOTE=Xmsccapt(ret);118392] I think some of these folks look into the industry simply due to the cash flow. I loved going to sea and wanted to do nothing else. In short the $$ was secondary. I think some of these folks look into the industry simply due to the cash flow. If you don’t have some pride and commitment to the life style of seafaring for a living you will be miserable and so will all the others around you. If you are " looking" into a job onboard a vessel and there is not a burning desire to go to sea best you stay home and seek another line of work.[/QUOTE]
With all due respect, no shit Sherlock muthafucking Holmes. It’s all for the cash. There’s no real reason to select this career over another besides the good pay and copious amounts of time off. It’s obviously very hard work, and months away from home in a different state. Cramped quarters, rocking boats. I think probably more than 99% of the people who do this for a living do it primarily for the money. I don’t know if you’re kidding yourself or not. Sailing on a cruise ship and just lounging would be awesome, and a good way to enjoy the sea. I don’t see how anyone has the time to enjoy the sea when they’re working 12 hour shifts. If you really do love it you’re lucky you found a well paying career that you also enjoy.
Actually, I enjoyed going to sea. While the cash was good it wasn’t the driving force. For that matter I could have made as good a living doing something else. If all you seek is a paycheck you will soon burn out. If you stay for the paycheck you will be a pain in someone’s ass as well as your own.
Oregon most of us started working on the water before the money was good. Most people don’t do it for the money, but the money is a good incentive. Also it takes years to get the really good money. With your attitude you are not going to last long enough to ever see it. And your fear of benzene. As far as copious amounts of time off most sea going people have spent far more time at sea than at home with family. The past couple of years the money is finally good enough to work even time. If and when you find a job, if it happens to be in the G.o.M. oilfield don’t show up with a Oregon ducks hard hat. It’s for your protection and you will make it way to easy for the rest of us.
[QUOTE=Xmsccapt(ret);118440]Actually, I enjoyed going to sea. While the cash was good it wasn’t the driving force. For that matter I could have made as good a living doing something else. If all you seek is a paycheck you will soon burn out. If you stay for the paycheck you will be a pain in someone’s ass as well as your own.[/QUOTE]
If that were true then everyone on board would be a pain in everyone elses ass. Some of the crotchety attitudes displayed on this forum prove the point, that most people are probably in it for the money. And just because you’re in it for the money doesn’t mean you’ll burn out. There is the leveling up in rank and the prospect of higher pay in the long term to keep people interested.
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[QUOTE=ElCapitan;118441]and when you find a job, if it happens to be in the G.o.M. oilfield don’t show up with a Oregon ducks hard hat. It’s for your protection and you will make it way to easy for the rest of us.[/QUOTE]
LOL, not only will I wear the O hat, but maybe a jersey too. Quack attack on the SEC bitches. Tennessee is going down. “It’s for my protection?” What, are people going to try to pick a fight with me over a football team? Someone needs to wear something else besides LSU and Alabama hats.
Dude, you really need to remove your head from your rear. At this point, you’re all talk and nothing more. People have given you good advice and you just blow it off. You have no idea if you will even like working on boats, find that out first then worry about the money and advancement…
And grow some thicker skin.
[QUOTE=Kennebec Captain;118383] <snip>
Coming back for round two separates the dreamers from the doers.[/QUOTE]
More truth to that one sentence than much of what has been posted. I remember that a bunch of my classmates took jobs with Crowley right out of school. I did not. I went to work for them out of Lake Charles about a year after I got out. Of the 10 or 11 that started the year before, only one was left (hell, he is still at sea, but for a coastwise tanker company - unaffiliated with Crowley - to this day). When I started, one of my classmates started at the same time. He was gone after one trip.
As far as the comments about the money being the main motivating factor, well I won’t deny it WASN’T a factor, but the lifestyle had a far bigger influence. There are many other ways to make bigger bucks without the sacrifice that going to sea requires.
[QUOTE=ryanwood86;118444]Dude, you really need to remove your head from your rear. At this point, you’re all talk and nothing more. People have given you good advice and you just blow it off. You have no idea if you will even like working on boats, find that out first then worry about the money and advancement…
And grow some thicker skin.[/QUOTE]
Chill out. I haven’t blow off any advice that I’ve been given. And I thank everyone for the advice. Also I’ve worked miserable ass jobs, roofing in 100 degree weather, installing insulation in 20 degree weather. I can put up with just about anything if the pay is right.
[QUOTE=“oregonblitzkrieg;118446”]
Chill out. I haven’t blow off any advice that I’ve been given. And I thank everyone for the advice. Also I’ve worked miserable ass jobs, roofing in 100 degree weather, installing insulation in 20 degree weather. I can put up with just about anything if the pay is right.[/QUOTE]
Get it through your head, you won’t have good pay for a while. Again, it’s not always about the money, $2000 a day won’t help you if you stay sick the entire time you’re offshore. And believe me, this is chill.
Where was everyone when anchor boat captains were making $185 / day and hands were starting at $35? I know it’s a different industry today, but I still have pride that I payed my dues out here when most UL guys wouldn’t be caught dead on a mud boat. Unless they were terrible fuckups or drunks.
[QUOTE=“oregonblitzkrieg;118438”]
With all due respect, no shit Sherlock muthafucking Holmes. It’s all for the cash. There’s no real reason to select this career over another besides the good pay and copious amounts of time off. It’s obviously very hard work, and months away from home in a different state. Cramped quarters, rocking boats. I think probably more than 99% of the people who do this for a living do it primarily for the money. I don’t know if you’re kidding yourself or not. Sailing on a cruise ship and just lounging would be awesome, and a good way to enjoy the sea. I don’t see how anyone has the time to enjoy the sea when they’re working 12 hour shifts. If you really do love it you’re lucky you found a well paying career that you also enjoy.[/QUOTE]
There are lots of ways to make cash. After four years of this way, I’m akmost back to where I was when I left the office way.
Copious amounts of time off?! At 28/14, I work the equivalent of 365 8-hour days each year. With classes and workovers amd travel, more.
I love my job, and it’s not for the money or the time off.
And just for the record, sailing on a cruise ship and just lounging doesn’t sound like a good way to enjoy anything.
Good point!
We that have been in the business have all seen this guy before. He arrives with no training, brings nothing to he table but talk. Expects by the very virtue of being there he is deserving of a large paycheck, feels put upon when someone takes the time to teach him, knows it all and is a complete failure in all his other " careers" attempted. Now he finds himself making a go at going to sea for a living. Why? He hears the money is good. May as well take a stab at it, after all he’s failed at all other jobs may as well give this one a shot too. This type never last long, is a burden to others and in the end moves on after a few weeks or months. I don’t give pikers like this the benefit of my experience. Not to say I never took someone under my wing, but it never was a smart assed kid with a big mouth to be sure.
[QUOTE=oregonblitzkrieg;118438]With all due respect, no shit Sherlock muthafucking Holmes. It’s all for the cash. There’s no real reason to select this career over another besides the good pay and copious amounts of time off. It’s obviously very hard work, and months away from home in a different state. Cramped quarters, rocking boats. I think probably more than 99% of the people who do this for a living do it primarily for the money. I don’t know if you’re kidding yourself or not. Sailing on a cruise ship and just lounging would be awesome, and a good way to enjoy the sea. I don’t see how anyone has the time to enjoy the sea when they’re working 12 hour shifts. If you really do love it you’re lucky you found a well paying career that you also enjoy.[/QUOTE]
This was what I was getting at inthe thread about older mariners.
Here is a person who has never worked at sea a day in his life yet he believes he understands seafaring better then a retired ship captain who has spend a career at sea and risen to the top of his profession.
For most of us who have spent time at sea, professional respect and a understanding of the shipboard hierarchy comes as second nature.
[QUOTE=“Xmsccapt(ret);118450”]
Good point!
We that have been in the business have all seen this guy before. He arrives with no training, brings nothing to he table but talk. Expects by the very virtue of being there he is deserving of a large paycheck, feels put upon when someone takes the time to teach him, knows it all and is a complete failure in all his other " careers" attempted. Now he finds himself making a go at going to sea for a living. Why? He hears the money is good. May as well take a stab at it, after all he’s failed at all other jobs may as well give this one a shot too. This type never last long, is a burden to others and in the end moves on after a few weeks or months. I don’t give pikers like this the benefit of my experience. Not to say I never took someone under my wing, but it never was a smart assed kid with a big mouth to be sure.[/QUOTE]
Great couple of posts Captain. I also do this line of work for the love of it. I left the industry several times over the years to attend college, start small businesses and to take other jobs in other sectors. I ALWAYS came back to the boats. There is something about being on the water that I love. The even time schedule and pay is a plus as well. I haven’t been out here as long as some of the seasoned veterans…but, I have seen plenty of dollar chasers like Oregon come and go. Everyone on here has pretty much given this
continue:: guy plenty of really good advice. Take it or leave it. Shit or get off the pot already.