<DIV><span style="line-height: 19px;]"If you see a <span style="font-weight: bold;]s</span><span style=“font-weight: bold;]hort stocky white guy</span> wandering around looking lost… put him to work.”</span></DIV><DIV><span style="line-height: 19px;]<br></span></DIV><DIV><span style="line-height: 19px;]A short stocky white guy named Sneefers?.. Are you like the 8th Dwarf or something?</span></DIV><DIV><span style="line-height: 19px;]<br></span></DIV><DIV><span style="line-height: 19px;]Reminds me of a joke…</span></DIV>
<P>I didn’t make the final cut…that Snow White is such a B%$@*. And we prefer “little people” not dwarfs. Just kidding, I ain’t that short.<br><br>So lets hear the joke. It’s not the one about the hair lipped midget buying a horse is it?</P>
I rear-ended a car this morning.<br>So, there we were alongside the road and slowly the other driven got out of his car.<br><strong>side-note:</strong> You know how sometimes you get sooo stressed and little things seem so funny.<br>Yeah, Well I couldn’t believe it…he was a DWARF…or a"little person"<br>He stormed over to my car, looked up at me and said, “I AM NOT HAPPY”!!!<br>So, I looked down at him and said, “Well, which one are you”?<br>…and then the fight started<br>Badda-Bing!
I was in your boat for a year - all over the net sending online apps, resumes, talking to personnel reps, recruiters, etc. I hold a 3rd issue 100-ton master license and the sTCW, MMD. I found that without previous experience in the oil fields, it is real hard to break in from afar without someone working for you from the inside.
So… I packed my S$%T and headed down to Galliano. Stayed at the Galliano Inn, I interviewed for a week and hired on with International Ofshore as a deckhand/training capt. I’m in my second 28 day hitch as 3rd captain. I thought there would be more opportunity here, but I found out from several company reps that the industry has slowed down since Katrina, and with the economy like it is people are holding onto their jobs.
If I were you i’d head down next monday, ready to work, I would try to keep tabs on general conditions down here though in the meantime. all the companies you are seeing online have offices in the laRose, Golden Meadow, Galliano area. I stayed at the Galliano Inn, its cheap but no website, you can find ## online. It is on LA 1 “4-lane” in Galliano. Also, look at the billboards on I-90 on the way down, that is how I found this job.
Chouest is not hiring entry level, period, but you never know it may change post storm. good luck.
RPags, thanks for the info. That’s my plan, only I will probably wait out the storm and come down Tuesday night or Wednesday night depending on how Gustav behaves. It has taken some time to get all my documents put together, MMD, TWIC, I just got my STCW BST on Aug 22nd, so I have been waiting at home and working the phone, email etc while getting everything in order. Now hopefully Gustav is the last hurdle I have to jump to get down there in person and wait it out. Hate the “go to work or bust” scenario, but if thats what it takes… I have sent out some type of info to 30-40 companies over the last few months. Internation being one of them and one of the few that I have been able to talk to… supposedly they were doing the crew change last Thursday and I was to call back then to see if anything opened up but the weather has all on hold. I am focused on Chouest because they have a good reputation from the few people I have talked to that know them, and they have been the most professional as far as talking to someone and getting some response. Most of the companies won’t even ackowledge your interest in their company. I don’t know anyone on the inside anywhere so that avenue is out for me… been a life long member of the good ol’ boy network but my local chapter doesn’t have any contacts down there. Anyway, thanks for the information on the jobs and hotel. I know if I can get a start somewhere I can out work anybody and won’t have a problem being a “keeper”… just getting in will be the trick. Take care, stay safe, and maybe I’ll see you around.
Anchorman, I am going to use that one when I call back home… gonna be a hoot.
I’m going to freakin work! Thanks to everyone that offered advice. Drove down Wednesday night and arrived Thursday afternoon. First place I went to hired me on the spot and I leave out for the hellachopper here shortly. I am so happy that I think I might be experiencing a bout of priaprism. GOL is the company, by the way. Thanks again, everyone be safe.<br><br>Anchorman, sorry about your truck. The port road was closed yesterday or I would have gone down and laid a wreath. Maybe I can get some pictures depending on the flight path.
Nice going. GOL is a great little start-up company that sure knows what its doing…and pays good. They also pay your insurance premium from what I’ve heard. We lost two good engineers off of the Laney Chouest to that company. Good luck. Usually, if a person can present themselves the right way, getting a job is easy, even when companies seem not to be hiring.
Congratulations, well done!
Sniffle, sniff… tear! I just love it when a sea story has a happy ending. Good Luck!
Fabulous news, good for you, enjoy your first hitch and best of luck in your new career.
CA
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt]<span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial]Hey, we’re all waiting on barnacles and marlin spike tips. Let us know how your job worked out. Did it meet your expectations, the good, and the bad? What would you recommend for other people? Its threads like this that helps new folks coming into the industry.</span></P>
great news, glad to hear it!
<P>Capt. Lee/Anchorman,<br><br>I have been thinking about taking the plunge into the orange. A few questions:<br><br><font size=2>Starting day rates – rough estimate.<br>How is travel pay calculated?<br>Frequency of raises?<br>Benefits – Decent health benefits?<br>Which holidays paid?<br>Matching 401k?<br>Vessel accommodations – comfortable staterooms? Sharing room?<br>DP System? Easy to learn?<br>Bonuses? Do they even have them? <br><br>If you want you can reply to my email address. JOHN: can you please pass that on to them if they want?<br><br>Thank you</P></font>
Capt. Brian- I am actually leaving Chouest, but I can answer your questions. My last day is 1 October. I am going to the Rigs.<br><br>Starting pay is posted on their website per position. Supply boats starting pay is around 500-535<br>Anchor boat pay would be similar. Top pay is 580-550 for 1600 ton Master. I had heard they wanted to start a guy around 450. I personally think that is ridiculous, but I don’t know the circumstances.<br><br>Travel pay is calculated as the crow flies and I think the Max is 350. You must complete a 28 day hitch to be eligible for travel and it is paid on the check after you get off. I live in Fort Walton Beach and get $50.<br><br>There has not been a raise here in two years, but now that I am leaving with my luck a big raise is imminent. You never really know about raises. Rumors, but you never know until it gets here.<br><br>Benefits are OK. Nothing to write home about. The dental is pretty good and so is the optical. Employee with family will pay around 265 per month for Medical, Dental, Optical.<br><br>6 double pay holidays. New Year’s day, Easter, 4th of July, Labor day, Thanksgiving, Christmas.<br><br>50 cents on the dollar for the first 6% 401K.<br><br>Most officers have their own room, but sometimes space demands you have a roomate. I have personally not had to share a room for 6 years. It all depends on the boat you go on. Some boats everyone has a room mate, but that is not the norm.<br><br>All the DP systems here are extremely user friendly and if you can open up a solitaire game on a laptop you can operate a DP system.<br><br>You get 1000 dollars safety bonuses paid out in quartley increments with the first quarter bonus totaling $625 and the remainder being 125 per quarter. There is also a small Christmas bonus that progressively get bigger the longer you are here. Last year they gave out an unexpected bonus for employees with 10 plus years service.<br><br>Hope this helps, Lee
Lee,<br><br>Thank you for the information. I am coming up on 4 years with a company and contemplating departing them. Good luck with your rig endeavor.<br><br>Brian
Capt.Lee,<br>Excuse my ignorance,but when you say you are going to the rigs, what will you be doing?
2nd Mate/DPO. DP Semi
Congratulations Lee. If you’re going to be working for one of the majors you’ll likely enjoy it and if the base pay isn’t better than OSV/anchor boat captain to start it will surpass it as soon as you move up. The benefits, bonuses and travel are also usually much better. You should enjoy the new challenge.
Thank you Tengineer. I am betting on it!