Hello everyone,<br><br>I’ve been following this site for a while and it has lots of good information and what seems to be a pretty knowledgeable fan base here in the forum.<br><br>I’m looking to enter into the maritime industry. I was raised sailing and boating recreationally, but would really love to get into the professional side of it. I think I want to go to school to establish a solid background, but am a little overwhelmed by all the information out there and don’t really know where to turn. <br><br>I was wondering if anyone knows a resource that breaks down the best schools by their expertise or programs that is user friendly, as I am not the most web savy person.<br><br>I appreciate any input. Thanks<br><br>
It is overwhelming, there’s no doubt about it. <br><br>A list ranking the schools would be a fairly subjective undertaking, and everyone has their own opinion. PMI, MITAGS, MPT, Paul Hall all have programs that are perfect for some, not so great for others. <br><br>A good place to start is <a title=“The Workboat Academy” target="_blank" href="http://www.workboatacademy.com]www.workboatacademy.com. And, keep asking questions here, you’ll get good information from some talented folks.<br><br>Good luck!
You might also take a look at some of the state schools Mass Maritime, SUNY Maritime, ect…<br><br>I believe Captain John Konrad who runs this website is a graduate of SUNY Maritime and look where he is now. Not bad.<br><br><br>Good Luck!
But every school has it s share of good and bad alumni. John may be SUNY Maritime graduate, but then again so am I…
Hey John How’s it feel to have your Bum Kissed by BigYacht? <br><br> John…You are somebody’s HERO!
don’t you love when you go away for 2 days only to find your good name dragged thru the mud 
<br><br>Am I right DPOJean?<br><br>JD… your ok in my book! That line should have read “but so is Stu Walk…”<br><br>SMILE
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Texas Maritime Academy!!
I just got here today. I was in the same position as you. I was leaning the same way you where. So I called some of the companies you do your sea time with in school. After spending over 20k on school and 4 years or so. You are going to go to a boat and chip paint and work your way up even if you have the licenses. You do not know the boat the crew or how every thing is ran. So now you are going to spend the same amount of time and lots more money to move up just as fast as if you went threw SIU. No matter what experience you have, people are not going to put you 3 in command and they don’t know you. Each boat handles differently. Each one has a specific way the captain runs his shifts, crews and task. So do not let a for profit school fill your head with big dreams. <br><div>I encourage you to call the companies they assist you in getting employed with and ask questions. The companies will tell you the truth because they are the ones hiring. They need help now not in 4 years. Class time never will equal deck and sea time. </div><br><div>I can not tell you what to do but please do research and if you already started, I wish you the best and hope it all works out for you.</div><br><div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 24px; font-weight: bold; line-height: normal; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; ]Fair Winds and Following Seas</span><br></div>
<P>Personal experience:<br><br>I started out cleaning barf up on a casino boat as a deckhand. Moved into the engine room. OUPV class. 100 t upgrade. Came out to the oilfield as an OS with a 100 t license. Through dedication and planning I moved from OS to 1600 t Master NC. It is possible and my school of choice is <A href="http://www.mptusa.com]http://www.mptusa.com</A> Most excellant school and you WILL learn something, unlike the “give me” schools in LA. Also, if you want to move up to 3m and higher it is available at MPT. My experience with the “Acadamy Brats”, yes they have the schooling, but when it comes to knowing how to work on deck, it is to be seen. Nothing like coming up the Hawsepipe without the silver spoon. You can actually say “been there done that”.</P>
Yes Capt Brian i agree that going to a maritime academy doesnt allow you to experience all the “hawsepipe action” but it does give you a college education and most importantly a college degree. If for some unseen reason I was unable to work offshore I would be able to fall back on my degree and work in an office. god I hope that never happens. But… if its an older person who has been in the offshore industry for thier entire life going up the hawsepipe is most likely the practicle thing to do. As for a young person straight out of highschool i think a maritime academy is the way to go. They allow you to cram alot of time and knowledge into 4 years of college while getting sea time. The main downside to a maritime academy is lack of industry experience. At Texas Maritime/Texas A&M they offer many opportunities for you to sail with well known companies but ofcourse not everyone takes advantage of it. Its up to the individual and in my opinion i think the academy’s should force the cadets into the real world and not feed them with the silver spoon.
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I thought half of texas maritime went underwater during the hurricane.
I have seen the discussion concerning hawsepipers versus academy graduates and I’ve always thought it was sour grapes on both parts. Here’s my take on the situation, each is free to draw their own conclusions. Keep in mind my expertise and experience is in engineering.<br> Many years ago there was no ‘limited license’, one was either a qualified engineer or not, there was only one license though one had two paths to a career. Work and study your way from wiper to oiler and after 5 years you could sit for the 3rd engineer exam. After you were blessed with that wonderful piece of paper you would be in charge of the heads and the plumbing going to and fro. OR, you could go to a maritime acadamy for 4 years, obtain a 3rd engineer license, come straight aboard, be in charge of heads and plumbing going to and fro. Either way you’re going to experience crap. Once you advanced beyond 3rd engineer you were expected to know how to communicate verbally with your oilers, electricians and other ship mates in a manner which doesn’t cause them to become homicidal. Later, if you don’t piss anyone off terribly you will be given more responsibilty, perhaps promoted to 2nd engineer. With that responsibility you will be expected to write coherent reports complete with data and formula to support your opinion. Your progression would continue as you gain experience along with the ability to handle people and communicate in writing to the people that pay you or control your destiny.<br>The academy grads used to be able to write in a form that was understandable and this was a major advantage of having academy graduates. It is my considered opinion the maritime schools have quit teaching english and no one knows how to spell. Therefore I would think a hawsepipe engineer has as good a chance as any of making a go in the maritime industry if he has a good foundation in mechanics, mathmatics and can write a coherent report. <br> <br>
Nicely said Tengineer. and CMA Decky no… TMA is still there in one piece!