Couldn’t agree more. Theirs alot more skill involved in everyones job On a wireboat when compared to an ATB. The Joan Moran is a Heidi class boat built by McDermott. Moran has 5-6 of these and they’re big beautiful conventional wire boats. They ride great, have plenty of horse power and huge rudders.[/QUOTE]
Well said. I worked on the Dolphin for Penn a couple of years back. I believe that also was a McDermott hull. Penn pinned it and ruined a great riding boat. I think it was an old anchor handler GOM boat back in the 80’s. My captain said it best…“with an ATB, you don’t have to think…no weather really involved anymore…it’s like driving a truck”. That’s cool…but, I prefer the wire. You are forced to work more with nature on the wire vs an atb. Oh well, it was cool, while it lasted. The old school tug captains from single crew/ wire boat days are retiring in the next 10 years or so…at least in the NE. This will make for a less skilled and less experienced group of boat handlers…me included.
Hahah you can include me in that category as well although I think I’m headed back to a wire boat soon. Your captain was right. Think about going through the cape cod canal. On a wire boat you need favorable conditions to slow down take in wire and in some cases get in push gear. Depending on the weather this could take days of waiting and circling if you have strong winds and seas. The ATB just cruises right on through. Pretty awesome and practical but doesn’t require the same knowledge and experience.
Yes Moran guys recieve 50$ a day for travel but when you have no idea where your boat will be and need to purchase a ticket from Bangor Maine to Houston Texas with only a day or two notice it becomes extremely expensive. I could be wrong but I don’t think the crew on the Mary Ann Moran are union so maybe they have their flights paid for.
Mary Ann flights are paid for. But be prepared to eat nothing onboard. It’s too bad the grub money system isn’t monitored. We would run out of food on week 2 of 4. Captain d-bag stole the rest of it to pay for his $50k truck and all the toys he liked the brag about. VP of the company didn’t care. Apparently it’s the captains discretion how much we spend of the money were allotted. Thanksgiving consisted of a $10 non spiral hunk of ham, creamed corn and peas from a can. Had no bread milk or eggs onboard.
[QUOTE=“BoatDrivahh;122772”]Mary Ann flights are paid for. But be prepared to eat nothing onboard. It’s too bad the grub money system isn’t monitored. We would run out of food on week 2 of 4. Captain d-bag stole the rest of it to pay for his $50k truck and all the toys he liked the brag about. VP of the company didn’t care. Apparently it’s the captains discretion how much we spend of the money were allotted. Thanksgiving consisted of a $10 non spiral hunk of ham, creamed corn and peas from a can. Had no bread milk or eggs onboard.[/QUOTE]
Fuck that noise! That is some unacceptable crap. I’m sorry you had to deal with that. That’s where the Union is supposed to step in and handle shit like that. But I guess that boat isn’t union. I work with a Captain who posts the grub receipts on the galley cork board. We usually get a couple of bucks back at the end of each hitch. I feel blessed to be in that spot. For every decent Captain there is usually several douche bags on the flip side.
[QUOTE=RubberRhib888;122774]Fuck that noise! That is some unacceptable crap. I’m sorry you had to deal with that. That’s where the Union is supposed to step in and handle shit like that. But I guess that boat isn’t union. I work with a Captain who posts the grub receipts on the galley cork board. We usually get a couple of bucks back at the end of each hitch. I feel blessed to be in that spot. For every decent Captain there is usually several douche bags on the flip side.[/QUOTE]
Back in my 333 days whenever you saw a cook post the receipts in the Galley it usually meant he had been accused of being a belly robber. I would not put up with a Captain that did shit like this guys does. I can’t believe that someone has not “helped” him get sick yet.
There was a grub dispute years ago on an atb, based out of nyc. The barge guys made up signs and wore them around their necks, “will work for food” and flashed them at every tug that passed by bayway. The office jumped in immediately and settled it. The receipts are posted here, everyone eats ok, and theft is non existent
You’re not too familiar with the 333 are you? It’s a union in name only run by penny chasing deckhands. The dues almost solely pay for administrative fees, mostly delegates salaries, who’s main job is to… collect dues. It is such a charade its not even funny. There was a time when half the members weren’t paying dues out of disgust. Real problems are pushed to the side from contract to contract, and the typical company line is that they are personal issues that should be dealt with onboard.
You’re not too familiar with the 333 are you? It’s a union in name only run by penny chasing deckhands. The dues almost solely pay for administrative fees, mostly delegates salaries, who’s main job is to… collect dues. It is such a charade its not even funny. There was a time when half the members weren’t paying dues out of disgust. Real problems are pushed to the side from contract to contract, and the typical company line is that they are personal issues that should be dealt with onboard.[/QUOTE]
As a matter of fact, I’ve been a dues paying member for almost a decade. We could discuss 333 and their incompetency until we are blue in the face. I have no love for the entity that they are, however, it is an evil that NY mariners must deal with at this moment. I work for one of the “top” companies in the harbor. I voted every proposal down for this new contract. It is what it is. You are correct with your points of dues collecting and the like. My statement was that the union “should” step in and handle that grub issue. Just like the union “should” step in and have a talk with the bosses at IMTT and find out why we have to sit at their dock for an hour waiting to get a fucking line handler. The union should be doing alot of things that they don’t. It may not be GOM oil field level of pay…but at least our daily rates are locked in for 3 years…because of the union. I don’t even think 333 has any intention of getting cleaned up and it fuckin sucks. Are you a NE mariner wafinator?? Are you a dues paying 333 member?
I once was, but saw the writing on the wall a few years ago and got out, good riddance. Apparently things have continued to go downhill at an accelerated pace.
Ok, all 333 drama aside, and yes i am a dues paying member. I wanna know how the contract boiled out over there, actually I would love to talk to a chief who’s over there right now, if there’s one on here I would appreciate some info.
"And to top it off after you leave you will never be able to get a sea time letter from Moran, never. "
Upon joining a vessel, the first two things I do is check the"Station Bill" and make a copy of the vessel document. I can then document my own sea time and avoid the game-playing of people like Peter Keyes at Moran.
[QUOTE=Lookout;123786]"And to top it off after you leave you will never be able to get a sea time letter from Moran, never. "
Upon joining a vessel, the first two things I do is check the"Station Bill" and make a copy of the vessel document. I can then document my own sea time and avoid the game-playing of people like Peter Keyes at Moran.[/QUOTE]
Do you somehow manage that without the signature of a representative of the company or do you just get the captain to sign it? Or are you the captain?
[QUOTE=wafinator;123597]I once was, but saw the writing on the wall a few years ago and got out, good riddance. Apparently things have continued to go downhill at an accelerated pace.[/QUOTE]
Me too!! After 30 years in that sorry-assed excuse of a union (Local 333) I said good riddance. Now I’m working for a much better non-union company and getting paid more than ever.
I feel sorry for anyone having to depend on the crooked incompetency of Ron Tucker, Mike Riordan, or Paul Roura for anything related to working conditions.
We’ll I took a job as an AB in NY harbor. I do not know what to think so far. I enjoy the crew and people I work with, but the money could be an issue. I tried Chouest, Hornbeck, Harvey, Otto Csndies but I did it via phone and mail and not knocking on doors. The reason I took the AB job is I need cash now to pay bills and could not wait any longer. Maybe after I save some cash I’ll take my DP and go to LA.
As far as Moran goes this thread had me thinking that it would be hell to work in the environments you were speaking of, but I I could be making close to double what I’m making now then I think I’d be more then happy with that hell.