No you’re not.
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Have done numerous 5 station UNREP as Cargo 2nd Engr, of course that was on the Ponchatoula many years ago- usually a CV with three to Port (2 double probes, 1 single) and a CG with two to Stbd… Four Stations was the norm- Three to Port, One to Stbd… One time I had 5 stations and 7 hoses going and averaged 27,000 bbls/hr with the starts and stops- had 7 cargo pumps running…
The manning has been for three stations for so long, that everybody accepts that as the new normal. When I first started MSC in 1990, we would do two stations on each side, as a matter of regular operation, and also five stations all together.
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They don’t do 5 station unreps on any ships hardly ever. Maybe very occasionally on ammo or supply class. 3 stations for an oiler is fine. Waste of people to go beyond that.
Not if you’ve ever been on an oiler traveling with a carrier group.
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Flight quarters is two stations: eight firemen (red), two chock and chain (blue), two rescuers (silver), at least one LSE (yellow), at least one FDO (white). I know that ships do it with less, I have, but that’s what it should be.
An amphib like an LHD likes two fuel rigs and flight quarters. That is four stations.
Two small boys at the same time (DDG/CG) would use one fuel and one cargo rig each. That’s four stations. Alternately they each get one fuel rig and flight quarters. That’s four stations.
One DDG/CG alone often wants two fuel stations and flight quarters. That’s four stations.
A CVN carrier likes three rigs. If her escort wants fuel to starboard she would have to wait. If the CVN wants VERTREP and three fuel rigs she can’t have it.
I won’t go on. Three stations for an oiler is hardly fine. It’s only fine if they do nothing but single ship fuel only evolutions. That might be how things are done these days but that’s only because the bar has been lowered.
Besides that, the office is cooking the books when they report a ship at three stations is actually three stations.
Crew go on ships funded leave (SFL). That means the crew remain attached to the ship and occupy a billet but are not with the ship. SFL is thirty days plus up to two weeks of training plus whatever logistical requirements to recover the crewman. This can be two months or more of missing a man but not on paper.
Last year the office cut off SFL. The result was people quit in bulk. (What did those retards think would happen?) This year SFL is approved to reduce resignations. Therefore even a three station ship is only at two-and-a-half.
Also, the office is using inexperienced mariners to make things look less awful. They are temp promoting (and permanent promoting) folks into positions they have no business being in, and backfilling the vacancies with more inexperienced people. Rapid advancement, no mentorship, little experience - not a recipe for success.
So even if a ship had three stations of people it’s not as if the knowledge, experience and skill is what it used to be.
To be clear, the knowledge and experience problem isn’t the fault of the mariner - it’s the fault of the so-called-leadership that created the conditions that resulted in this disaster. I’m talking about RADM Wettlaufer, his predecessor RADM Mewbourne and their staffs. They inculcated a climate of hostility and distrust. They made quitting more attractive then staying. They undermined MSC’s mission to support the Navy. They’ve caused harm that will take a decade to recover from. They’ve done our friends - Russia and China - a great service. BRAVO ZULU
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Not much flight quarters on an oiler. On the ammo ship yes, all the time. You can use SUs and Wipers as needed for more bodies. That’s what every ship is doing these days. But in reality most of these people are sitting around doing a lot of nothing. I disagree with the idea that we need more people.
Your opinion is irrelevant.
The requirement is that there shall be one hose team for air operations, one hose team for pilots and one hose team for ordnance. Therefore a piloted helicopter shall have two hose teams at the ready. If there is ordnance it shall be three. The fact that they are at the ready “doing a lot of nothing” means they are doing their job.
Don’t like it? Go trim some fat off NATOPS, COMSCINST and other instructions. Let us know how that goes.
It’s like saying the mate on watch doesn’t do much at midnight but drink coffee and look out the window.
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Speaking of pool and manning, are they running low on deck officers? A buddy of mine noticed they had openings for 3rd, 2nd and Chief Mates beginning last month.
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Critical low on Chief Mates, everything else is around normal levels I believe.
how can you still work there, lol
Although happily retired, most follks still gotta work somewhere to pay the bills. That’s how. Taxes and insurance never go away.
yeah i know the money is good and all but there is a price to pay for basically living with a bunch of lowlifes for 4 months or more. furthermore I believe MSC is a bottom feeder organization from the people in the office to the butt pirates on the ships. life onboard MSC ships started to get worse after 9/11. I remember the ports we used to go and we would pull right up to landsides piers in places like barcelona, lisbon portugal, limasol. back then the navy was on MSC and therefore the navy treated MSC with respect. ironically part of MSC’s demise was hiring more and more ex navy . I can count on one hand the ex navy that i worked with that werent scumbags. to “move up” in the navy meant alot of bullying, castigating, rumor mongering, embellishing and ass kissing. That pretty much describes MSC culture does it not???
You’re 100% correct on everything. But, if easy money is what you’re after there isn’t a more plentiful slushy job, especially for an officer that you can’t get fired from. Although the shoreside people are jealous these days and they’re trying to tighten things up, but it won’t work, mostly because we don’t care.
I never worried about getting fired. If I was, that’d say something about the quality of my performance and conduct.
Wages are decent at MSC, but for the amount of time you’re stuck on those ships they damn well better be. Most 3rd Mates on a single voyage with Maersk pull down close to what 3rd Mates at MSC were bragging about for a 10-11 month hitch.
All a matter of perspective, I suppose.
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Well, not everybody is as talented or experienced as yourself. To me not being fireable and a very easy, idiot proof job are worth enough to stay.
Nice to know my tax dollar is being well spent…
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I have a lot of topical comments I was debating contributing to this thread, having started my career as an MSC Pool aficionado…but I can definitely comment on this one:
They are not.
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Talent or experience have nothing to do with getting fired. If you’re inexperienced, you learn and if you’re a warm body you can do many of the jobs expected of you at sea with the desired results. I can count on one hand how many superstars I have seen out there in the last 20 years and no… I’m certainly not included in that figure.
Frankly, anyone admitting they seek employment with a specific company because they can draw a paycheck while being safe from termination due to admitted or willful incompetence is not someone I’d feel great about having onboard in any capacity. Accepting a job with that mindset guarantees that once the probationary period is passed you can expect them to stop giving a shit about much, if anything.
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Seeking employment from the government rather than a company, is a hedge against competition, market and economic forces, changes in the labor market, and a lack of confidence in your abilities. But then again at MSC we have our own lingo, Anybody who has only sailed a containership or other commercial vessel would automatically be a useless idiot on an MSC GOGO ship.
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