I am graduating as an Engine Cadet, as I said in a previous post of mine. I was thinking about graduating as a Deck Cadet too next year.
To let you understand better, let me say I am italian. Here in Italy our nautical education starts from what you call “high school”. In fact, we have a variety of high school, one of them is called “Technological Nautical School”, where I am actually studying.
I have talked with a teacher of mine, and since we Engine Cadets both study Engine and Deck subjects (of course Marine Engineering has more hours in the program) I should just take a supplementary exam and then do a final exam to get a Deck Cadet license.
The question is, would it be useful?
Thanks for all of you answers.
P.S. Since in the last post I had a bad choices of word, I am making my apolgizes in advance in case of syntax or grammar error.
It would defiantly be more work. It certainly wouldn’t hurt to have both. How useful it is depends entirely on you, what your job prospects look like, and what you want to do.
I’m dually licensed, lower level. From my experience I feel its a toss up. Some employers like it, some don’t.
I am a hawsepiper, and started out on the deck side. Early in my career, being on smaller vessels, I racked up sea time as an unlicensed engineer. A few years ago I figured, I had the sea time…might as well get an engine license too. I assumed being dually licensed, I’ll always have a job. One may think from an employers perspective, that someone that can be a good utility hand and fill any capacity would be beneficial to the company. I’ve learned that that always doesn’t apply.
There was one potential employer that told me it wasn’t a plus for them, because it sent them mixed signals. They wanted someone that was dedicated to one side or the other.
My current employer felt the opposite about it. I’m working as a master right now, but I know that having an engine ticket helped me get the job… .(I’m running a vessel that doesn’t require a chief, so my boss likes I have some knowledge because the deckhands don’t lol)The sad thing about it is I’m making wages I was making about ten years ago. Although I am grateful to be employed during these stagnant times, it’s a bit of a bummer to not be reaping the rewards of going through the hassle of being dually licensed. Hassle being, additional stcw classes and such.
But then again, maybe the reward is just being employed?
I hope this helps. Putting my personal story aside, I’d say get whatever you can get. Because the more you have, the more marketable you are…and in my opinion its never a bad idea to invest in yourself. Be sure that you ARE willing to do deck and engine, because at some point you can expect to be pidgeon- holed into one or the other. In general there are more opportunities for engineers than deckies. SO make sure you don’t mind bilge diving.
KP used to offer a dual license program, and there were always about 20 or so in each class, if I recall. Not sure that it improved their chances of work, as there was a downturn in shipping in the early 80s (what a surprise). I still keep in touch with one of my classmates that was in the program, but he didn’t sail for very long, opting for law school. I can say that as a sailing engineer, I would have more respect for a master with dual licenses, just because I would have to explain less to him as to some of the things I was dealing with down below.
Like the others said for job opportunities yes, but they can also switch you back and forth from positions. For instance I worked for a company when this guy would have to work as AB one trip and go oiler on another. It just depended on what they were short for. The guy was always complaining because he was working toward becoming an engineer and didn’t want to work deck. He should have been happy he just had the work.
[QUOTE=SeaMonkey6969;185443]Like the others said for job opportunities yes, but they can also switch you back and forth from positions. For instance I worked for a company when this guy would have to work as AB one trip and go oiler on another. It just depended on what they were short for. The guy was always complaining because he was working toward becoming an engineer and didn’t want to work deck. He should have been happy he just had the work.[/QUOTE]
When I sailed as an AB with MSC, I worked with another AB who was an academy graduate with a mate’s ticket. He preferred working as an AB maintenance and never told MSC he had the ticket. They weren’t knee deep in mates as they are now and they might have forced his hand if they had known and needed him on the bridge. Sometimes discretion is the better part of valor, as they say.