Looking for work

I was in the Navy for 4 years, on my ship for a little over 3 and in those 3 years, I learned a lot about navigation (my rate was Quartermaster) and I love life out to sea. I am in the process of getting my license and it’s proven very difficult for me so far but it’s coming along.

Like everyone else here, I have bills to pay and a family to feed… I need something, anything that puts me on a boat and even if I’m gone from Chesapeake, VA for a little while.

My main question is where do I look?? Where do I start? What’s the best place to look and what are some things to consider? As long as I can provide for my family, I’m willing to sacrifice time with them… I just need something…

This is a very common and frequently asked question.

Best place to start is with the search function in the upper right hand corner of this page.

There is a wealth of information there.

Good luck to you.

Oh man you don’t know how lucky you are that Water replied to your post before me or it would have been the pointy stick for sure.

Please do what Water suggested. We don’t want to keep answerring the same question over and over again here. Search, read and ye shall learneth,

I’ve been looking and I haven’t found what I was looking for so I got frustrated and asked the question. I’ll keep looking though, thanks y’all.

Im from Chesapeake as well. Check out Moran or McAlister or even the ferries. It may only be deckhand work but it’s a foot in the door. There’s also Norfolk Tug, Weeks Marine and Vaine Brothers with offices around there.

Do you have a MMC yet? A TWIC card? If not go work on the Spirit Of Norfolk or the Elizabeth River Ferrys until you do have the credentials you need. The pay is lousy at both but it will be sea time and you need sea time to upgrade. There are boats a Rudee Inlet and a few in Hampton as well that are stepping stones.

If you have a MMC and a TWIC then Moran, McAllister, Norfolk Tug, Vulcan Materials, Weeks, Vane Brothers, Robbins Martime, Intracoastal Marine, and Ward Brothers are all local or semi-local outfits that may have openings.

This will get you started.
http://gcaptain.com/forum/professional-mariner-forum/9157-read-thinking-mariner.html

This should help you find a job.
http://gcaptain.com/forum/maritime-employment/9158-read-job-includeing-graduated-cadets.html

Really somebody should stick this at the top…

Thanks all, I feel like I’m getting closer to continuing my career at sea lol.

I need to finish the paperwork for my MMC and apply for my TWIC, I’ve just been stressed lately with getting everything set up for when I separate from the navy and get on with life… It’s hard though, I’m not used to this much freedom lol

Also you need to get your “seatime” letter from the Navy. This alone will take a month or more. The navys archive is slow as christmas. They can also send you a CD of all your documents. Department of the Navy - Navy Personnel command. This will get you started. if your rating “counts” [U]you can use 60% of your seatime towards a deck license[/U]. I believe QM does. I’m not 100% It also depends on you PQS stuff you did AND WHAT’S WRITTEN IN YOUR RECORDS - if you had lazy persons in charge of your records be prepared to be screwed - Also if you have your “shot record” Yellow folding card hang on to it, it “might” be handy.

You may provide satisfactory evidence of U.S. military service in the form of an official Transcript of Military Sea Service (TOSS), certified History of Assignments, or certified Statement of Creditable Sea Service (a DD-214 on its own is not generally sufficient evidence of sea service). A dd-214 can give you an idea of how much “time” you have. Figure 60% of the total days listed on the DD-214 in the sea service block.

Here’s a link to get you started.

Your going to have to do ALOT of paper hunting, sort of like beating your head against a tree.

http://www.public.navy.mil/bupers-npc/organization/npc/csc/Pages/default.aspx

Get started TODAY!

Oh boy! More paper work!! Exactly what I always wanted!! Lol I filled out my Record of Sea Service for my license, does that count?

You have to have a offical document (USN) to back it up and it has to go with it when you mail the package off.

Rough estimate 657 +/- days. Also the tonnage of the USN ship counts as well depending what license you will be looking at. Any license above OS is going to cost more $$$. Because you have to goto school for AB or Mate or Captian. My AB-Limited w/ Lifeboatman(UNL) and STCW cost over $2,500.00 plus travel etc,al. I shudder to think what I’m got tied up in papers, MMD,TWIC,Passport,enhanced DL etc…and I’ll be spending more in the future. I’m gonna try like hell to get my 500T Mate as soon as I can. It requires 90 days as AB (on a vessel OVER 50 grt). with no “loophole” to jump thru.

From MSC’s website -

Get a copy of your Sea Service Transcript from your Commanding Officer documenting your shipboard experience. Your sea time MAY count towards the Able Seaman qualifications if your rating is: BM, OS, QM, SM, RD or GM. Your sea time MAY count towards the QMED qualifications if your rating is: BT, DC, EM, EN, GS, GSE, GSM, HT, IC, MK, MR, MM, TT.

Also for any of you prior service guys you may have more seatime you can use towards upgrades. It could not hurt to look. I also don’t think there is a time limit for getting credit for it.

There is, all your USN sea time counts only in the past 3 years… That’s what the one guy at the MSC office in VA Beach told me…

Normal sea time never expires so I don’t see why military sea time would. The people at msc aren’t an authority so take what they tell you with a grain of salt.

[QUOTE=brian.billmyre;76955]There is, all your USN sea time counts only in the past 3 years… That’s what the one guy at the MSC office in VA Beach told me…[/QUOTE]

REPLY He is WRONG. Please hire a maritime licensing expert to assist you. You desperately need that kind of assistance. It will save you months of time, help you obtain better qualifications, and spare us for the endless chore of trying to correct 100 posts full of misinformation. Here is one of the the licensing guys:

About Sea K’s Licensing:

Charles “Chuck” Kakuska is a 25 year veteran of the United States Coast Guard. His last Duty Assignment was as Chief of the Regional Examination Center in Toledo, Ohio. A recognized expert in the field, and President of Sea K’s Maritime Licensing Service, Chuck has over 22 years of Maritime Licensing Experience.

Contact Us
(734) 847-1723
Fax (734) 847-6580
Email: SEAKsLic@aol.com

9069 Castlebury
Temperance, Michigan 48182

Got it, I talked to them because I through about MSC for a while and when I call the USCG office in Portsmouth, the one lady that always answers the phone had an attitude.

I’m sorry I don’t know how to get my documents. I can’t find a list of step by step instructions and I’m sorry your job sucks and you get asked the same questions all day. I’m just getting out of the navy and I’m completely lost lol

My bad, just saw the above post. I’ll give him a call. Thank you!!

Just called him, he helped A LOT!!! With all my military time, I can get a good many days towards my sea service and I might be eligible for a mate near coastal 1600 and AB Limited.

[QUOTE=brian.billmyre;76970]Just called him, he helped A LOT!!! With all my military time, I can get a good many days towards my sea service and I might be eligible for a mate near coastal 1600 and AB Limited.[/QUOTE]

To get the mate near costal you’ll have to have at least 90 days as AB.(180 for 1600) Plus and amount = to 720 days. Your in the same boat as me.

[QUOTE=brian.billmyre;76970]Just called him, he helped A LOT!!! With all my military time, I can get a good many days towards my sea service and I might be eligible for a mate near coastal 1600 and AB Limited.[/QUOTE]

REPLY Don’t listen to us anymore; we are not licensing experts. You now have an expert (he does this for a living and knows what he is talking about) to advise you — listen to him.