I did a forum search before resorting to posting this but did not really what I am looking for.
Im a 28 year old American citizen currently vagabonding around South America trying to find a place to call home. I want to fulfill my dream of being a US Mariner but I absolutely refuse to get married and raise kids in the US. I love our country, but it’s no place I want to raise a family. The only sea experience I have was when I learned the basics of sailing on a 100 year old sqaure rigger for a month.
Is it feasible to work for the Merchant Marines while simultaneously living in South America?
From my understanding if I were to join a union at the bottom of the ladder most of my time would be spent waiting in the union halls waiting for a job? Or do you go to a Union hall, put your name on a list, go home and pray to be called and then report?
Lets say you are lucky enough to land a job, do you travel internationally to wherever ship is? Or are the ships usually stateside?
I understand there is an apprenticeship with the SIU that upon comleteion puts you in a better bracket, but I would rather save the time, get my qualifications and try landing a job with one of the unions. Is this a wise idea?
Should I even be looking at unions or should I be considering non union companies?
Any advice would be greatly appreciated. I dont know if this a pipe dream I have or if its actually feasible. I dont care if I have to fly and sail long distances for a few years to support my family.
The answers to almost all your questions truly depend on what you see yourself doing, what sector of the industry you want to work in, or what type of vessel you want to be on. This world ranges from your day charter fishing boat up to tankers and container ships. The different sectors can sometimes be very different in how they are organized, with increasing regulation and professional qualifications as the vessels get bigger. No matter what you will end up spending a lot of time in the US. Yea you can totally live overseas but you’re still gonna pay Income Tax and probably have to spend a lot of your own money on travel expenses if you want to see your family ever.
[QUOTE=australswagman;167787]
Im a 28 year old American citizen currently vagabonding around South America trying to find a place to call home. I want to fulfill my dream of being a US Mariner but I absolutely refuse to get married and raise kids in the US. I love our country, but it’s no place I want to raise a family.[/QUOTE]
Funny I have traveled the world and I refuse to live in South America. It is no place to raise a family. The only place I call would call home is the good old U.S. of A.
I know a few guys in the union that live overseas including S. America. It works better for the guys that have built up seniorty in the union and can either ship out quick or have permanent jobs. It’d be tougher for someone just starting out.
[QUOTE=RespectMyAuthority;167797]Funny I have traveled the world and I refuse to live in South America. It is no place to raise a family. The only place I call would call home is the good old U.S. of A.[/QUOTE]
I lived in Colombia and worked all over South and Central America for 2 years. My oldest daughter was born there. My litmus test is any place where you have to have bars on your windows and broken glass and razor wire around your backyard fence is not the best place to live…and that includes a few areas in the U.S. also.
[QUOTE=injunear;167801]I lived in Colombia and worked all over South and Central America for 2 years. My oldest daughter was born there. My litmus test is any place where you have to have bars on your windows and broken glass and razor wire around your backyard fence is not the best place to live…and that includes a few areas in the U.S. also.[/QUOTE]
Absolutely there are a few areas in the U.S. that aren’t the best place to live. In South America, there are a lot more places that aren’t the best place to live. If the United States wasn’t what it is, Costa Rica or Spain would probably be acceptable to me.
I lived and worked in SA ,company paid my living and travel. Made great money abd saved on taxes as I was only in the US for a week or so a year. To each his own, I like it here
LIDomer, Kennebec Captain, and Doodlebug thankyou very much for your responses. Very much obliged. You’ve given me some things to think about. I will inquire more on the ground when I fly home for Christmas. I’ll find my answers then.
RichM. I hope your labs and cats provide you with the sentient companship you are looking for. To each his own. Cheers.
[QUOTE=TheShipCantSink;167815]Clearly, you haven’t seen enough of the world. Perhaps you’re one of those who had it way too good in America that you think its too good to be true.[/QUOTE]
With all due respect I’ve traveled to over 20 countries and have lived and made a life in three of them. I want a family, but getting married in the states is walking around with a loaded gun to your head. The anti family agenda in the states is not something I can tolerate.
I’m done with this thread. Thankyou for everything gentlemen. Best of luck to you all.
I suspect he means how in many US states, when a man divorces, he is typically taken to the cleaners financially by filthy divorce lawyers and corrupt family courts, forced to pay child support as well as alimony, and allowed to see his kids on limited terms dictated by the mother and government. If he trips up, or sometimes even if he doesn’t make a mistake, he is simultaneously sent to jail and told to work more hours and get a better job so he can pay more child support and alimony, and get restricted custody to boot.
Marriage and family building in the US is an enormous risk, in that way.
I see, so you can go to another country, get married, have kids, get a mistress, get a divorce, and not pay anything. Wow, that’s cool, so in other places you can just bale, and that is not anti family? So when people have kids in the US and the court says “take care of your kid”, that is anti family?
[QUOTE=Doodlebug;167825]I see, so you can go to another country, get married, have kids, get a mistress, get a divorce, and not pay anything. Wow, that’s cool, so in other places you can just bale, and that is not anti family? So when people have kids in the US and the court says “take care of your kid”, that is anti family?[/QUOTE]
No man it’s all them Gays getting married and adopting children that’s ruining the family institution in America! I mean why else would a Duger get an Ashley Madison account?
I just thought I would mention that the late Carrol O’Connor was a merchant mariner during WWII. I wonder what sea stories he had to tell?
In 1941, Carroll O’Connor enrolled at Wake Forest University in North Carolina, but dropped out when the United States entered World War II. During World War II he was rejected by the United States Navy and enrolled in the United States Merchant Marine Academy for a short time. After leaving that institution, he became a merchant seaman and served in the United States Merchant Marine during World War II.
The one and only Archie Bunker…the man I want to be when I grow up!
