[QUOTE=Topsail;145315]Yes but … the apprentice who fails the pilotage exams can recycle into tug drivers! ;)[/QUOTE]
Just thinking back, I’ve sailed on tugs with 21 guys that are now pilots on the gulf and west coasts. 19 are state and 2 federal.
That’s not bad! We only do 18,500BHP Aframax carrying 775,000 barrels in one go, which is 5½ times a Mickey Mouse barge nevertheless, hoping that this barge won’t be the next to run over the bulbous bow of the Aframax bow and spill her load. [/QUOTE]
[QUOTE=injunear;145318]Just thinking back, I’ve sailed on tugs with 21 guys that are now pilots on the gulf and west coasts. 19 are state and 2 federal.[/QUOTE]
I forgot about one in Port Canaveral and another just made Gal-Tex. So 22 and 1/2.
The more pilot associations disconnect with picking from the best of the best for local knowledge and trained individuals by worrying more and more about putting younger candidates in to secure retirement benefits the more danger they place on other ships and vessels transiting these high volume waterways. Any trained monkey can memorize a course and not take responsibility because he/she isn’t the master but not any monkey can make quick trained snap decisions on what to do should said vessel loose propulsion or another said vessel incorrectly navigates a waterway. Money,pride, politics and even nepotism will once again be the downfall of another once proud organization of men and women. [Pilots] Solidarity.
Wow you sound like you know what you're talking about! Rare in this thread! I've worked in a port since I was 18, deckhand on shitboxes, 100-ton master on shitboxes, tugboat deckhand, mate, captain, while not always in this port I spent a ton of time coming and going in the dark, fog, sun, heavy weather. Of all the places work takes me now I chose this one To get some federal pilotage for but the state pilots have unruly and ridiculous requirements to work here, things I'll never meet. Yet joe blow "God" the pilot who was chief mate (maybe even master) on a drill ship is qualified by the state (with no local experience, ship handling experience or pilotage) to be a pilot. And someone like myself who's run in and out for years on various vessels isn't. They can eat a dick! Then you go to a real man's port like Ny (not ALL hook pilots are useless), Del, San Fran, Houston and they don't require pilots to have a bullshit resume. Go figure
I wonder what idiot academy classmate of mine on a drill ship who’s incapable of getting a 24’ twin engine center console out of a marina without doing damage will be the next pilot??? These fucks couldn’t steer a 7,000 tractor tug out of a wet paper bag without crapping their pants!
Pilotage Associations are nothing more that government sanctioned monopoly/mafias. That was throwwn intp the bright light of day when Coya slammed into the SF Bay Bridge but not pne FUCKING thing changed as a result!
I don’t know if it’s always been that way but a while back sanfran had the ad for apprentices, I felt it looked like a pretty fair system. Tug masters (Mickey-mouse) got equal points as other masters, mates less, masters (Mickey mouse tuggies equally) with pilotage experience more.
I have used this quote before but it does truly fit this asswipe topsail.
Question - What is the Difference between GOD and a pilot.
Answer - GOD knows he is NOT a pilot.
I spent quite a bit of time working on Tugs that did ship work, During this time I met some really good pilots but I also met some flaming assholes! I have also been on several tugs that were almost sunk because of commands given by a pilot.
Here is a true story. A guy that was a Mate for a company in NY before the strike was put back to work (by court order) and had a run in with a pilot which resulted in the mate being fired. Fast forward a couple of years, the pilot is had just boarded a ship and was surprised the see the “mate” that he had fired standing on the bridge. Now the “mate” was dressed in a sweatshirt and had a pretty good beard going on as he had been onboard for over 90 days. So, the pilot has a hissy fit and requests that the MASTER comes to the bridge and remove the “mate”. The officer on watch says I can not do that, to which the pilot says yes you can and you will do as I request. It was at this time that the “mate” informed the pilot that HE WAS THE MASTER. it is said that the look on the pilots face was priceless! The Mate now Captain also told the pilot not to scratch his ship. Some may call B.S. on this but I know it to be true.
A pilot’s background is just one factor in the total package. I’m a little biased towards the pilots off the tugs but I’ve had some top notch pilots from other backgrounds. The tug guys do seem to have the better sea stories.
[QUOTE=Topsail;145365]I forgot to say that in our pilotage district, we don’t let tug & fuel barge going by themself.[/QUOTE]
What are you talking about? Mickey-mouse what? I am surprised some of you pilots would even whore yourself out to a “tuggie,” how dare they employ one of you god’s on such an inferior vessel.
A good one i once heard was “how many pilots does it take to change a lightbulb? 1…they just hold it up in the air and the whole world revolves around them.”
[QUOTE=z-drive;145360]I don’t know if it’s always been that way but a while back sanfran had the ad for apprentices, I felt it looked like a pretty fair system. Tug masters (Mickey-mouse) got equal points as other masters, mates less, masters (Mickey mouse tuggies equally) with pilotage experience more.[/QUOTE]
On another thread some time back I wrote a little about the San Francisco system. It is one of the fairest. I applied back in '99 when I was shipping with the SUP and running tugs for Bay-Delta.
One day while volunteering aboard the Liberty ship Jeremiah O’Brien I happened to cross paths with the head of the pilot commissioners. After a brief conversation and giving him some of my back ground and experience, he urged me to apply. I casually mentioned how could I compete with all of the CMA grads that were sailing chief mate and master for APL or Matson. He explained the point system for command time, any other pilotage held and ship handling time on FCP and said I would score high.
I did and made it through 3 rounds of interviews and the simulator practical test.
Unfortunately for me, my world came crashing down after a shipboard accident and that was the end for me.
At least on the west coast, experience as a tug master counts for something unlike here on the east coast where the main requirement is to be an academy grad and not have a penis.
[QUOTE=Topsail;145365]I forgot to say that in our pilotage district, we don’t let tug & fuel barge going by themself.[/QUOTE]
So where, exactly, is this pilot district that commands such highly skilled UL Masters to bring the fuel flat alongside?
My job is below the waterline so I have no dog in this fight, but you might consider laying low for a while before you alienate everyone that has a credential greater than OS.
