45 years old
No Sea Experience
Bachelors Degree in Mechanical Engineering
Have child support to think about - so a long period of training is really out of the question. (I could probably swing a year if it was free or practically so)
Starting Point (as I see it, nothing I’ve done yet)
-TWIC/MMD
-STCW BST (+ CPR)
-STCW Advanced Firefighting
Next Steps:
3 A/E by the Mechanical Engrg degree + 180 days in the engine room
RFPEW
Questions:
-Should I go to a QMED course to get an orientation before trying? Really concerned about lack of background to be jumping into an engine room and trying to pull my weight.
-Sounds like MSC is the place to go - am I wasting my time with all the preparation? Sounds like they do a lot of hand holding. Would my chances for better/faster placement increase with the “starting point” as above defined?
-Any other qualifications (no sea time) should I try to start with?
**VPWDSD?
It sounds like you have it all mapped out. I honestly had to look up the CFR about the Mech. Eng. Degree. I never knew that path existed. You will obviously need the basics which are TWIC and MMC. Since you only need 180 days in the E/R to put with your degree, I don’t see the point in a QMED class. The difficult part will be getting into the E/R as a wiper with no experience. Maybe some company will take a gamble on you. I would say try to get on somewhere in an entry level rating (OS or Wiper) and then try to get your 6 months E/R time after that.
Just the national. The STCW OICEW has a lot of seatime … at least a year if I can get on with someone that has an approved training program. Much more if not. (The way I read it)
What part of the country are you in? I think MFOW would be good place to start. You could get your 6 months in one shot and not have to do all the qmed training. Just need the MMC TWIC and basic safety training.
Also if you start with MSC and you get a writeup or writeups you cannot move up, even with your license. its better to go there -with- your license. I dont remember if its one write up or three but I have sailed with someone who started with them as an AB and wanted to stay but he could not move up to a mate position because of writeups. I think he said they stay in your file forever.
I would go to a MFOW hall with your MMC TWIC and BST and try to get a 6 month wiper spot on the lowest paying contract they have. Just do the 6 months and act like you want to be a qmed next. Don’t tell them or anybody (not the patrolman or anybody) that you are actually and ME. Sometimes people in this industry (not all) can get very jealous and competitive and will resent that you will only have to do 6 months and then be an engineer. Also study for the exam during that 6 months. You will stilll need to study even with your ME because there will be new information or things you won’ t have encountered.
[QUOTE=Picric;150458]45 years old
No Sea Experience
Bachelors Degree in Mechanical Engineering
Have child support to think about - so a long period of training is really out of the question. (I could probably swing a year if it was free or practically so)
Starting Point (as I see it, nothing I’ve done yet)
-TWIC/MMD
-STCW BST (+ CPR)
-STCW Advanced Firefighting
Next Steps:
3 A/E by the Mechanical Engrg degree + 180 days in the engine room
RFPEW
Questions:
-Should I go to a QMED course to get an orientation before trying? Really concerned about lack of background to be jumping into an engine room and trying to pull my weight.
-Sounds like MSC is the place to go - am I wasting my time with all the preparation? Sounds like they do a lot of hand holding. Would my chances for better/faster placement increase with the “starting point” as above defined?
-Any other qualifications (no sea time) should I try to start with?
**VPWDSD?[/QUOTE]
BUT, before you try MFOW contact universities that have research vessels. Universities and research vessels more education friendly. They do not pay well but for that reason it will be easier to get on and your ME degree will give you an advantage.
A few I can think of off the top of my head are Scripps and Colombia University. Also try a head hunter. If those things fail, then go to MFOW. MFOW can be gamble because you might have to sit in the hall for a few months, or you might get out right away. I know a guy that drove a taxi at night and went to the hall during the day untill he was able to get in.
My old man was looking at the same shortcut with his electrical engineering degree (one of the other degrees this works with). He was gung-ho about it until I took him on a tour of the ship. Too much jumping out of airplanes for the govt when he was younger, his knees just couldn’t handle the stairs. I’d recommend trying to get onto one of the UNOLS research boats. The research side of the industry seems much more laid back than the money making side of things but the pay usually isn’t as good. Get in touch directly with the department at the university running the boat and see what they’ve got available. http://www.unols.org/document/marine-operations-contacts
[QUOTE=Picric;150458]45 years old
No Sea Experience
Bachelors Degree in Mechanical Engineering
Have child support to think about - so a long period of training is really out of the question. (I could probably swing a year if it was free or practically so)
Starting Point (as I see it, nothing I’ve done yet)
-TWIC/MMD
-STCW BST (+ CPR)
-STCW Advanced Firefighting
Next Steps:
3 A/E by the Mechanical Engrg degree + 180 days in the engine room
RFPEW
Questions:
-Should I go to a QMED course to get an orientation before trying? Really concerned about lack of background to be jumping into an engine room and trying to pull my weight.
-Sounds like MSC is the place to go - am I wasting my time with all the preparation? Sounds like they do a lot of hand holding. Would my chances for better/faster placement increase with the “starting point” as above defined?
-Any other qualifications (no sea time) should I try to start with?
**VPWDSD?[/QUOTE]
A good starting point would be an entry level position on a tug company near your residence. You would have to start out on deck first, but everyone on a tug helps out with making tow, breaking tow, tying boat up, etc… If you can cook that is a plus also - again everybody works together.
You can become an engineer relatively quick on tug as long as you are sharp and willing to work extra to learn the engine room. There are a lot of tugs that don’t have licensed engineers on board. After a couple of years you should be able to sit for an engineer license and move up, or move to another company with the experience you gained.
You will most likely start out as an “OS,” and the pay range is around $150 a day working 3 weeks on/off, or a 28 on 14 off.
If you have a good work ethic, the sky is the limit out here. Good luck!!!
Don’t overlook the Seattle based seafood companies that operate large fishing vessels and fish processors in Alaska, such as Icicle Seafoods, American Seafoods, and Premier Pacific Seafoods. These vessels have lots of complex extra machinery and refrigeration.
On a tug or fishing vessel you will probably work 12 hours a day and received 1.5 days of seatime credit for every day. So you’ll only need four months of seatime to be eligible for your license.
Try to work on boats over 4000 hp or you might get a hp limit on your license.
You can get the US domestic 3rd AE license through the route you describe, but not the STCW endorsements (because STCW requires more seatime). STCW does not apply to most US tugs or fishing vessels, nor to inland or Great Lakes ships, so you will have job opportunities as a 3rd AE without STCW.
Starting out on a tug could be good but it will be a long drawn out process. Who knows how long you have to work as ‘os’ before you can get wiper time. Unless they fake your sea time form you, which I’m not sure its something you want to get involved in. I don’t think you want to be like some of us ‘career unlicensed’ where it takes us forever to start making the money. 6 months or two years to start making over 10k a month…I think 6 months is better. You may get time and a half on research or fishing vessels. You just have to have the letter and it depends on the evaluator. It helps is if the vessel is classified as a 12 hour a day boat with two watches( which you can check on). Also, on tugs your HP will most likely be limited so I would avoid that for just now…like the other poster said you have to make sure its over 4000hp. if you are working for a company that has a few, you don’t always have a choice.
Don’t fret about the low pay on research vessels, its temporary, then when you have what you need (lisence after 6 months) and/or stcw endorsement after 1080 days you cab move on to a better paying company and make a lot more money. I think you can break up the time a little with research boats too and I also think NOAA is often looking for people
I’d put all your time into getting into a qmed. all of it., then go get your license, keep it simple. RE; Noaa; they can sail you one slot higher than you qualify for… My first ship was Noaa and I sailed as oiler from day one. I also sailed as a Third with a jr endorsement for 3 yrs. MSC can do the same, furthermore, from what I hear, you’ll have all the req. time by the time you finally escape!
Since the op did not give many specifics and he has not posted again, there isn’t more to say about his situation.
But for the benefit of the wider gcaptain community, a few observations can be made:
Graduates of ABET accredited schools with a degree in mechanical or electrical engineering can obtain a domestic 3/AE license — and QMED Any Rating, with just six months of seatime.
A domestic 3/AE license and QMED, any rating, would have a great many job opportunities: 95 percent of tugs, 99 percent of fishing vessels, 100 percent of harbor, inland, river, and Great Lakes vessels, 100 percent of under 200 ton vessels, etc. of course there are also offshore non watchstanding QMED jobs, such as electrician and reefer tech. The great majority of US maritime jobs fall into these categories.
Not being an engineer, or inclined to try to look it up, I wouldn’t know what additional seatime and STCW courses might be required for someone with a domestic 3/AE and QMED to obtain STCW OICEW or RFPEW. I doubt that it would take any great amount of extra seatime beyond 3/AE to obtain RFPEW. Maybe a guy would become a domestic 2/AE or 1/AE before he would have enough seatime to get OICEW, but so what?
[QUOTE=tugsailor;150648]Since the op did not give many specifics and he has not posted again, there isn’t more to say about his situation.
But for the benefit of the wider gcaptain community, a few observations can be made:
Graduates of ABET accredited schools with a degree in mechanical or electrical engineering can obtain a domestic 3/AE license — and QMED Any Rating, with just six months of seatime.
A domestic 3/AE license and QMED, any rating, would have a great many job opportunities: 95 percent of tugs, 99 percent of fishing vessels, 100 percent of harbor, inland, river, and Great Lakes vessels, 100 percent of under 200 ton vessels, etc. of course there are also offshore non watchstanding QMED jobs, such as electrician and reefer tech. The great majority of US maritime jobs fall into these categories.
Not being an engineer, or inclined to try to look it up, I wouldn’t know what additional seatime and STCW courses might be required for someone with a domestic 3/AE and QMED to obtain STCW OICEW or RFPEW. I doubt that it would take any great amount of extra seatime beyond 3/AE to obtain RFPEW. Maybe a guy would become a domestic 2/AE or 1/AE before he would have enough seatime to get OICEW, but so what?[/QUOTE]
I have a few questions on these:
Do we get BOTH the 3/AE and QMED license upon completion of the 180 days? As in do we have to sit an exam for both of if we just get the 3rd/AE we automatically get the QMED license too?
Would this domestic qualification allow one to sail on any ship/modu/platform regardless of tonnage/HP?
I have been unable to find any information regarding this myself as far as getting STCW/OICEW/RFPEW certified so if anyone else has any info I would greatly appreciate it. But just as an estimation how much longer than the 180 days sea time do you think one would need to get the RFPEW?
Thanks in advance I’m new to this whole thing and was curious about this as well.