The best bang for buck is probably MITAGS apprenticeship programs: https://www.mitags.org/maritime-apprenticeship-programs/
NCL in Honolulu will hire you. Google them
I don’t agree with that at this stage.
Try sailing as an OS on a tug. See what it’s like before wasting time and money going to school to learn something you may not want to do.
Piney Point might be worth it in a tight job market, if you know you want to sail deep sea, but you only come out as an OS.
In a hot job market like now, you can find plenty of jobs as an OS without Piney Point.
And, 120 days of sailing 12 hour days (less time than it takes complete Piney Point), and you can get AB OSV.
There are (and will be for the next few years) plenty of good paying AB jobs on OSVs.
Aren’t most of the deep sea jobs now STOS? I think the Piney Point guys get the ST part while they’re there.
No idea
I thought that Specially Trained Ordinary Seamen was just SIU school marketing. I think it just means an ordinary with BT and SA.
It is. But I think they have RFPNW and are allowed to steer? I don’t remember. But I think trying to ship through the hall without it might be difficult.
It’s been a term on COIs since the 80s. See MSM Volume III Page B2-3. An OS who holds DTCW RFPNW would be considered a STOS.
Being a tugboat Mariner, I’ve never seen STOS on any paperwork or an MMC.
Rather than spending months at Piney Point washing dishes and mopping up without pay to get STOS, it makes a lot more sense to me to get paid $300 to $400 a day working on a tug or other small vessel to get AB OSV in 120 (12 hour) days.
Since 95% of US tugs are exempt from STCW, and even if they are not exempt, 95% of tug owners think they are, I’m not sure what’s currently required to get RFPNW.
Onboard assessments, or a two day course, or some combination of both?
The guy is a well educated actor. Probably a good looking thin guy who knows who to act the role required of a step and fetch it for rich people on a yacht.
He might also do well to start out as an entertainer on an NCL Cruiseship as someone suggested earlier.
Most tugboat companies are keen to hire green hands, and will train. Some will hire guys that don’t even have an MMC.
Apparently after Piney Point you come out of it as an AB with a B book or a QMED oiler, although this probably warrants further clarification. You def. get sea time through PP.
It’s been quite few years since I looked into the Piney Point program for a crewman that aspired to go deep sea.
There maybe some kind of brief unpaid, or lowly paid, internship. I would be very surprised to hear that it results in any type of AB rating. That’s contrary to my recollection.
There are many guys here who attended Piney Point that know everything about it. I’ll defer to their expertise.
Of course, anyone that wants to know could just call Piney Point and inquire.
But only depending on the waters (oceans or inland, but not near-coastal) would those days count for AB Unlimited. On the other hand, all waters on a vessel over 100grt would count for AB Limited.
I’m 5’4", 125lbs, a woman. Is the work often hard, “back-breaking,” repetitive, and noisy? Are there injuries, especially from the vibrations or repetitive motions? Is it often in high heat or cold temperatures? Also yes. However, I work smarter, not harder. I learn how to use my body to do what I need to do, and grab another person or a dolly when I need. There have been a handful of people that have questioned my ability to do the work, and they’ve all shut up by the time I was finished. The work keeps me in shape, keeps me healthy, and helps my mental health. I can’t imagine doing anything else, and have no time for anyone making assumptions that it’s too hard.
Thanks. If you don’t mind me asking, do you work engine or deck? Do you have any thoughts on that sustainability wise, which is physically more demanding? What is the vibration like? Is that from using the rust chipping machine for days and days? Curious what your perspective is as my body is probably more like your own than many commentators here.
I’ve thought a lot about this. Right now, and with thanks to the encouragement above, I’m thinking about the cooking/steward side more. I know I’m a decent cook and good at budgeting. I enjoy cooking. I know what good food is. I’m not an alcoholic, which according to my cook friend, is a big asset in the kitchen. I was looking at the SIU job boards and there are rarely any jobs available in the Stewards department. It’s mostly deck, then engine, then here and there, a Steward opening. My question is, is the Stewards department harder to find work in, or less of a union, retirement oriented career, and more the kind of thing where you go through temp and staffing agencies? I see comments to that effect online outside of SIU. I also understand from Tugcaptain is that it is also an asset in a more mixed work environment. I am wondering if STE jobs are rarer with SIU, as that’s the rout I’d probably take with the free culinary training. I’ve scoured this site and reddit for answers, but can’t seem to find any, thanks again friends, and feel free to question my sanity some more, I enjoyed all the ribbing!
You have a skill I envy. More so at sea than on the beach, the ability to prepare good food for a small number of people with limited resources can be a valuable and sought after skill. On the small vessel side, if you can cook decent meals for a handful of people, you can develop a niche where you are exempt from some of the actual running of the boat. With a slightly larger crew of, let’s say 20 people, food preparation would be your only job.
You say you like the idea of deep sea. A crew of about 20 is common on sea going ships. On some MSC ships, it may be more like 200 so that puts you in a more impersonal industrial food preparing scenario.
It should be easy enough to find near coastal work without an armload of credentials, get a feel for the profession and a view point from which to consider going deep sea.
I work deck. I have no idea regarding engine. As for vibration, I mean from needleguns/grinders… literal vibrations.
Being a good cook tends to count for a lot, that may be a great way in. I know for deliveries we’ll take people who can hardly sail if they will do all the cooking and not get seasick. Everyone loves a good hot meal 
GL, When I went back to sea close to 50 years old, I joined a gym to prepare. I’m on the thin side. I think you’d do Ok. Maybe stay away from skeleton crew self-unloading vessels. Some vessels, companies and fleets have really cut crew sizes down. 12 hour days. Some guys like that because they think they are making more money. In the long run, a lot quit before they are vested. Since jobs appear plentiful at this time, it may pay to keep doing your research. IMHO, union is better, but these unions have lost their bite, and some are nothing more than human resources for the company, or in reality company unions. A lot of it boils down to the guys you work with. You get with a good bunch of guys and that can go a long way.