Sailing has always been hot or cold for me.
I just signed a 1 year contract at my company b/c I never had a steady sailing position. I figured I would try to sail again in a year.
I never tried getting a job in honolulu. Would that be better than Houston?
I don’t have any leads on meba, amo, or siu.
I left MSC b/c the siu rep said I would not get promoted
Not a whole lotta jobs coming through the Honolulu Halls … depending on what union you want. If I had to guess, more jobs available in the Gulf (anywhere) than in Honolulu.
Hawaii is expensive, food and a home, unless you have friends to stay with. No rental cars to be had. There is little ship traffic through here.
Unless you have some skill to sell (can you drive an ASD tug? I mean, REALLY drive it, not just “kinda”), it’s hard to compete with others here for the few jobs that are available.
For guys in the SIU, the PRIDE OF AMERICA is going back into operation soon. If that’s your speed, you can likely get hired ASAP. But that job is definitely not for everyone. It’s like being on a bus.
Then again, some guys love that. TEHO.
“Oh look, it’s 0800 on a Monday. We must be tying up in Kahului, Maui!”
I never signed a contract to work on the water other than 2 the unions I joined to be a member Man up if you did sign a contract that looked ok and now you want to bail. No disrespect, but, it’s kinda like buying a used car. As Is. As far as a hot market , mariners are needed for now. Pick your poison, it may go cold when you least expect it. Many on this site can relate, they have been there through many cycles of the oil business
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Thanks for the feedback. When I signed my contract, I had decided to stay at the company another year. I am wanting to sail on my license more
If you are sailing below your credential, consider what potential you have to move up. That’s true anywhere, for any job, any company. It may be more challenging on a union ship, but not always.
Honestly, if you have a 3/M’s ticket and are sailing as an AB now, and they pass you over to hire a new guy as a Mate … it may be time to move on. Or it may be, you. Ask the Captain or HR people. But that is something you should want to know and understand.
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I quit 3 years ago & had planned to stop sailing.
The siu rep asked me if belonged to any ethnicity. When I said, “no”, he said I wasn’t going to get promoted.
Since then, I have been getting by but am not anxious to travel with Delta Variant, etc. I just read about an R. O. K. Warship where the entire crew had covid-19. Maybe the situation will improve by May.
If you’re a 2AE why are you sailing thru SIU?
There’s 4 2AE jobs on the union board right now.
Wondering about that as well. Don’t ever recall a union rep asking me about ethnicity, only are you ready to go to work?
I think I said this already: I just signed a contract to 2022& am waiting for the unvaccinated to pass so it will be safer to fly.
If I could make up stuff like that, I’d be a Hollyweird writer
I was curious if it was a hot market. I can’t spend money if I die from CoViD19. T. Y. For the feedback. FYI I quit that gig the next year after the rep asked me what my ethnicity was.
I got my Pfizer shots a while back. A rare few still get the covid crap in spite of that. Most don’t. That ethnicity question by a union rep thing does give me pause. As far as engineers go, there is always a decent market. Even in down times, they are the last to be let go. I drove boats, but encouraged my son to go engineering route a few moons ago, he had other ideas and in spite of the challenges he faced, landed on his feet. Maybe it’s just me, but I don’t recall any decent marine engineers out of work, whether it be at sea or ashore. There is a very small market ashore for retired Tug captains without a degree. When I knew I had a good engineer or two, went out of my way to keep them aboard. Not quite kissing their ass in an obvious way, but pretty close. The good ones are priceless.
At my last gig, I believe they were >100% manned. No shortages anywhere. The only problem was in the office because they wouldn’t send out reliefs
I renewed my mmd & when I got it, I Was getting a visa. & decided to come here where I have the best paying job available outside aramco.
I am the cash cow for my 3 kids & wife.
I don’t want to take any chances of getting COVID-19 because if u get it, then u can find out how bad it is.
In Houston in '19, every1 was happy to talk to me & I got a job offer but lacked my passport
I give up sir.
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you could always see if there is any work from home options for your credentials… doubtful but maybe just as likely as waiting for covid to pass.
Yes, this is a temporary good job market. Good job markets are always temporary.
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