Is the age of 50 to old to get into this industry?

Professional Mariner Forum
1

Hello everyone.

Searched around all over the site but did not see any information that pertained to a older age man wanting to start a career in this industry

So I am hear now inquiring. I have been on the water for 45 years and worked in my own tourist business with a 50 ton licence up until I became tired of it and sold it 10 years ago. At that time I let my licence expire to as I had no desire to operate a boat for someone else in the yachting world.

Just became interested in the commercial end of it a couple weeks ago after meeting a gentleman that is a 100 ton captain of a OSV. I know my old 50 and my experience with it was worth nothing and I am more than willing to start over as a OS
deckhand,

So how do you think the industry views oder guys getting into it?

2

50 is young enough. Get your license back and sometime on deck and next thing you know, you’ll have a good license for 100 tons or more.

3

I didn’t start till I was 45… it gave me heart disease and I retired with 30K/yr. after 10 yrs. service… it may shorten your life span, mabey not, but you know where you’re going!!

4

Age is nothing but a number

5

50! you’re just a punk kid.

someday when you’re really old, then can stand with the men!

6

I want to thank all of you for the positive replies. That is some good news for me .

7

I want to thank everyone for their positive replies.Some good news for a change.

Believe me I don’t feel fifty , unless I do a full week of back breaking construction .

So my next few questions are this.

Should I go back and get my licence before I even try to find work as a deckhand. I would most likely only be able to get a 50 ton, because of my limited amount of time on anything that qualifies for the minimum 34 tonnage to achieve my 100 ton sea time.without a bit of creativeness.

If I skip the licence for now and drive out to the ports and apply for work with my seabag in hand what do I need other than a recent approved physical , drug test and a twic card that will have me sailing if they want me ?

Once again thank you all for taking the time to answer a few newbie questions,

8

Do you have you MMC? You really need to contact the CG and see what needs to be done to get you license back.

Good Luck, I hope that you can get everything squared away and find a job.

9

Contact a good license consultant. Search on gcaptain for them.

You should first get your license back and AB to go with it, if possible. You can do that with one or two weeks of courses that include the exam.

10

Its been 10 years since it expired.I contacted the Coast Guard about renewing it 2 days before it expired and they said tough luck I have to start all over again if I don.t meet their requirements before the expiration.

Being I was not using it anymore I just happened across it and noticed it was expiring. At the time I was ;leaving to go to Europe for 3 months and was not in a position to get my stuff in order for the renewal.So I let it go.

Also recently I had a friend that was no longer using his licence and let it expire by accident also . Coast Guard told him the same thing . He had to start all over like he never had it.

Have you guys heard any differently.?

It’s not a big deal to me to start over again. I home studied for my 1st licence 20 years ago and than drove to Miami and tested . Figure I would just do the same all over again . Need to familiarize myself with plotting and navigation anyways.

I was just thinking it would be a waste of time to get a 50 ton when I could get a enough deck time on a real boat to earn my 100 ton.once my hours are earned.

Also I have no problem putting my time in as the Captains Boy.I am far from a greenhorn on boats but when it comes to these real boats I am a little naive for sure and not afraid to keep my mouth shut and learn.

Hoping my other credentials of being a hell of a Cook “never had a complaint” and turning wrenches for 25 years will aid me in landing a position as a deckhand.

Once again thank all of you for taking the time out to answer my greenhorn questions.

11

Am I reading this correctly here?

http://www.qualitymaritime.info/STCW_RATINGS.html

According to this site I can become a able seaman special OSV with just 180 days on a 15 ton or greater vessel.

What would worry me about achieving this status with the minimum tonnage that I have to qualify is when I try to get hired is this .A company will see that they will have to pay AB wages to someone like me who knows chit about these larger boats .,when they should be paying me OS wages.

Am I being

12

[QUOTE=sinbad;147472]Am I reading this correctly here?

http://www.qualitymaritime.info/STCW_RATINGS.html

According to this site I can become a able seaman special OSV with just 180 days on a 15 ton or greater vessel.

What would worry me about achieving this status with the minimum tonnage that I have to qualify is when I try to get hired is this .A company will see that they will have to pay AB wages to someone like me who knows chit about these larger boats .,when they should be paying me OS wages.

Am I being[/QUOTE]

Yes, you are over thinking it.

My recommendation is apply to retest for your license, and for AB Special / wiper / (and whatever they now call foodhandler) right away.

Your seatime never expires. You can also use your seatime since you got the original license. Licensing has changed. These days, you can just take a one week course that includes the exam right at the school, without testing at the USCG. That is the fast and easy way to go.

You will need at least 90 days or 60 12-hour days of seatime in the last five years to get approved for AB. If you have that, you might as well get approved to test for AB at the same time you get approved to apply for your license. I think there are a couple schools that combine the week long AB course with the week long 100 ton class so you can do both in the same week.

You also need to take another one week class called BT (or BST). Also, you’ll need to take a two day RFPNW course. If you do it right, you are looking at two weeks to three weeks of courses to get 50 ton and AB Special with RFPNW (lookout duties).

If you are actually a good boat cook, there is usually strong demand for AB/Cooks. That would probably triple your chances of finding a good job fairly quickly.

I don’t know how long you would have to sail as a deckhand while holding your 50 ton license, but it probably isn’t all that long, to upgrade to 100 tons. If you are a good worker and good shipmate with decent skills, you could move up quite quickly.

Also, apply for your TWIC card right away. Make sure you have a current passport.

13

I have a current passport and I am going to work on my TWIC card this week.

I have all the current books for home study for the 100 ton already. Didn’t really want to sit thru a week of class as I feel I am. pretty good on everything just need to spend some time refreshing my plotting and set and drift…Always enjoyed that part of it anyways.

Looking forward to learning the AB and RFPNW courses also.

Miami is only 2 hours away for testing and I would rather study at home for the masters but I will look into a combo AB master like you mentioned and possibly go that route since you recommend it.

Tugsailor I really appreciate you taking the time to clue me into what direction to go and what to do to get there…

I Owe you a Beer someday.

14

Consider you’re health too. Age is just a number but health can be important. Good luck though, try to get as many and the highest license that they let you apply for.

15

Thank you.Lt Domer

I consider myself quite healthy 6 foot and 220 and stocky but not afraid to lose 15 to 20.But not afraid to lift most things either, Thanks to doing physical work all my life Blood pressure surprisingly in good shape. Mental Health ? Ah that could be questionable. Just kidding.Head is straight and the eye is on the ball.

Looking Forward to learning a new challenge and becoming the best I can be at any job I may be currently assigned to.in the future.

Once again thank you for all your replies whether they are positive or negative . If I have my head in the sky please feel free to grab my ass and give it a good dunking if you feel it needs it.

16

[QUOTE=tugsailor;147475]Also, you’ll need to take a two day RFPNW course… [/QUOTE]

I can’t speak to how valuable the RFPNW-Lookout Only endorsement is for finding work, but if you want this you need to act soon. The Coast Guard will stop issuing it on March 24, 2015.

17

[QUOTE=jdcavo;147497]I can’t speak to how valuable the RFPNW-Lookout Only endorsement is for finding work, but if you want this you need to act soon. The Coast Guard will stop issuing it on March 24, 2015.[/QUOTE]

Than what happens ?

18

[QUOTE=sinbad;147508]Than what happens ?[/QUOTE]

The endorsements have always said they are good for a year and can’t be renewed. So the ones issued before this date will expire, and they won’t be renewed.