As a brand new 3rd, what would you do?
(Young, single, thirsty, need $$, very ready to move)
MMP, MEBA, or AMO?Move to Florida (no income tax) and ship out of Tampa?Where are jobs best? How long to wait? Better pay east vs west?Anybody who has gone through this process before any suggestions would be great. Thanks.
My first suggestion is to actually read some of the threads here. All your questions have most likely been asked and answered already.
I have searched extensively. Unfortunately many threads are multiple years old and instead provide information, they turn into AMO vs MMP arguments.
Basically I am asking the old men if they could do it again where would they go, what would they sail? LNG?..
working in the gulf is the fastest way to make money as a new third mate. not uncommon to hit six figures your first year out if you do it right.
First thing you need to narrow down is WHAT part of the industry you are interested in: oil (either production or transportation), passenger, ship, tug/barge, container or other type. Then you should figure out how many jobs there are in each specific sector. If you are holding out for a 3rds job on a US flag LNG carrier, you will be waiting for a VERY long time. However if you just need a pay check, then any berth will do.
Then you have to figure where you want to live.
The previous two questions really have NOTHING to do with where you live related to where you work.
Most of us live where we want to, and fly or drive to work at our chosen workplace.
I guess your question needs to be answered more by YOU that anyone else. What do YOU want?
Just get on a ship. Any one. As of right now just about every vessel you get on will count for sea time since half can be limited. As far as living, live at home for some time or rent. Picking a place to live based on work is a little irrelevant since you may go to a couple different jobs before you find a home. I would not recommend a union though.
I would recommend GOM especially AHTS,Supply boats,etc. If you are a fresh 3rd Mate right now, GOM is paying 380$ - 430$ a day w/o any experienceâŚI donât know if they will
hire you on a ship w/o any experienceâŚIf im the owner of the ship I wonât because 3rd on a ship got their designated jobs/duties and most of the time you supposed to stand your own watch.
In GOM. I seen a lot of 3rds fresh from academy doesnât know how to operate auto-pilot (Im not saying all, some of them in reality) that was trained by AB getting their training and getting paid as 3rdâs. But like ryanwood86 recommend if you can get on a ship that would be a greater experience maybe a training 3rd.
Regarding the above comment, I have never seen or heard of an AB training a new third in the use of the autopilot. This seems ridiculous. When I started sailing I was hired (first ship) with no other experience besides school and summer cruises and left Fort Lauderdale on the 20-24 of Memorial day weekend. About thirty minutes after departure the Master left the Bridge and I had the conn. Shear terror took over, I dutifully started plotting every moving object I could see on the radar. After several minutes it appeared as abstract art on the radar screen. Shortly thereafter the Master strolled through the Bridge and asked the watch standing AB why he had not dusted all the spiderwebs off the radar screen. After laughing at his own joke, which took me a few minutes to get, I got a good lesson in humility and appreciation for the trade I had chosen. That being said you should not approach your upcoming job hunt with the idea that you âcannot handle your own watchâ or the âsomeone will spoon feed youâ as this will only perpetuate the perception that academy kids are idiots. Some are, but most just need to be put out to figure it out on there own, spoon feeding is why some of the people I have sailed with have no idea what a âDRâ is (not a doctor) or appreciate the reasoning behind carrying a magnetic compass (why do we need this when we have two gyros?). So to end my mini rant, learn all you can, expect to have some real life learning lessons come your way and donât have such a big ego that you cannot accept mistakes and failures as learning lessons. Many folks I have sailed with appear to be country bumpkins who most would write off as boat trash, these people are some of the best sources for boat handling tips, techniques, and can become some of the best mentors you might know during your career if you give them a chance. Remember, you do not know it all, no one does or will. Not even c.captain!
I would go with MSC. You will make about $100 - 120K the 1st year. Sail for 8-9 months. See cool places, Spain, Greece, Singapore, Korea, etc⌠Upgrade you licence in 1 1/2 years.
MMPâŚdead MEBA MatesâŚdead AMOâŚlow pay
MSCâŚbuilding new ships, great pay, job security, federal benifits, lots of sea time, lots of training availabe (come to MSC and get your DP certification).
[QUOTE=Power Play;65135]Regarding the above comment, I have never seen or heard of an AB training a new third in the use of the autopilot. This seems ridiculous. When I started sailing I was hired (first ship) with no other experience besides school and summer cruises and left Fort Lauderdale on the 20-24 of Memorial day weekend. About thirty minutes after departure the Master left the Bridge and I had the conn. Shear terror took over, I dutifully started plotting every moving object I could see on the radar. After several minutes it appeared as abstract art on the radar screen. Shortly thereafter the Master strolled through the Bridge and asked the watch standing AB why he had not dusted all the spiderwebs off the radar screen. After laughing at his own joke, which took me a few minutes to get, I got a good lesson in humility and appreciation for the trade I had chosen. That being said you should not approach your upcoming job hunt with the idea that you âcannot handle your own watchâ or the âsomeone will spoon feed youâ as this will only perpetuate the perception that academy kids are idiots. Some are, but most just need to be put out to figure it out on there own, spoon feeding is why some of the people I have sailed with have no idea what a âDRâ is (not a doctor) or appreciate the reasoning behind carrying a magnetic compass (why do we need this when we have two gyros?). So to end my mini rant, learn all you can, expect to have some real life learning lessons come your way and donât have such a big ego that you cannot accept mistakes and failures as learning lessons. Many folks I have sailed with appear to be country bumpkins who most would write off as boat trash, these people are some of the best sources for boat handling tips, techniques, and can become some of the best mentors you might know during your career if you give them a chance. Remember, you do not know it all, no one does or will. Not even c.captain![/QUOTE]
Well, you never seen or heard but not to be a smart assâŚit happens, and I am the living proof because Iâm the AB who thought that new 3rd how to use auto-pilot!
To further clarify my point from above, as an AB you should be working on your training, the issue was with the advice given above regarding standing your own watch. For a new 3M the best thing you can do is get a job, any job, and figure out if you like it. If you donât then move on down the line and learn from your experience. If you think AMO is the way to go, then you should learn how to find your own job because that is basically how it works (from my experience over several years with them previously). If you can swallow your pride and put up with a little grief till you prove your worth your weight then give the gulf a shot. There are many companies and many opportunities. Just donât show up expecting to be big dog on day one.
Before c.captain jumps me, the reference to your highness was simply to imply that we all have something to learn even with years of experience as you do, this is what makes us professional mariners.