As one of those disgraceful american yacht captains who has the audacity to want a little more stability and professionalism, I feel I must chime in on this one. The whole reason I want to break into the OSV business is so I can learn more about how to run a boat and less about how to keep some demanding rich family in a state of pure bliss. As it turns out, if you are a traditional guy who wants to start a family and be able to see your home more than 1 month per year,yachting is not such a great deal. I think a lot of American guys my age see that now. I relish the idea of being able to do my job without some rich guy screaming at me in the middle of operating the vessel because someone misplaced fifi the Pomeranians poop bags. I have operated many small fishing boats and yachts, but I donāt even want to get near the wheelhouse for awhile until I know how a commercial vessel is operated. Now maybe some in my position donāt feel that way, but Iām youngish (32) and donāt mind starting at the bottom to earn the respect of my crew. I will say that yachting is incredibly difficult to survive in and it shows, at the very least, an ability to work much harder and longer than 90% of the people off the street. Also, itās not easy docking these āplaytoysā in adverse conditions, many of which are severely compromised in their maneuverability for the sake of style. We canāt just slam it onto the dock like you guys can. For an American, achievement within yachting is very difficult compared to other English speaking crew.
C.captain,
I respect much of what you say, but I hope your opinion is not prevalent on this one. I am an American and I deserve a shot just like anyone else. Despite my bias, your fear that many yacht captains are under qualified is not without some truth. I have seen some pretty dangerous stunts that you couldnāt get away with in the commercial world. This is why I want to change boat jobs. I want to be trained how to do things the right way, and there is no better way than running a for-profit enterprise to weed out the things that donāt work. Iām sure Iām going to get screamed at, Iām sure itās going to be very difficult at first, but Iām also sure that work ethic and keeping your trap shut speaks for itself. I know I will succeed because Im smart enough to trust that I donāt know jack s4!7.
Everyone is complaining about yacht captainsā¦ Thatās all I want to break intoā¦ Go figure.
You can have your Fourchon and Galvestonā¦ Iāll take Bimini, VIās, and any other visually pleasing place. The pretty girls would be way better than looking at my shipmates twice my age as well!!! (Sorry guys if you read this) haha
[QUOTE=PaddyWest2012;127208]I think the real reason none of us care is not because of the level of skill involved but because yachties donāt actually contribute anything productive to either the industry as a whole or society in general.[/QUOTE]
There are nearly $17 billion in South Florida that says otherwise. Fort Lauderdale sees $220 million in direct boatyard revenues every year. If you had an open mind you would also understand that the thousands of shipyard workers all over the world spend their billions of income to help keep tugboat drivers working.
I suggest you keep mouth shut and mind open before posting such a load of horsecrap. It just makes you look ignorant.
It used to be about 1200$ per foot per year. For normal sized boats.My buddy runs a 270.I will say that the hassle factor is there,
although I havenāt seen too many 25 year old Swedish female deckhands down here.LoL
I will only just say that there is a massive disconnect in the system of licensing that favors some but disenfranchises many more. STCW is supposed to level that playing field but the USCG continues to keep the system in place where a group of mariners become in effect trapped onto their class of vessels which is at the behest of the vessel owners who want captive employees.
I advocate that we go to an FAA type of system where you have to become ātype ratedā for each individual class. If you want to change classes of vessels you are serving on, then you have to go down to the bottom and requalify yourself. Tankers are that way as are DP or towing vessels. Of course, who would administer that system is the biggest issue.
Now regarding yacht mariners getting big tonnage licenses I would only hope the companies would look at the āexperienceā and toss out the so called āprofessionalsā. A mega yacht master may have a serious job but it is not the same job as a large OSV master or an ATB master. Let them be a lowly mate along with the fresh fish from the academies and prove their worth before any shot at glory and the big money. At least that makes a level playing field protecting those who have been on workboats their whole careers from the interlopers wanting to inject themselves into what is now a serious contender for best place to work in the industry.
[QUOTE=Steamer;127225]There are nearly $17 billion in South Florida that says otherwise. Fort Lauderdale sees $220 million in direct boatyard revenues every year. If you had an open mind you would also understand that the thousands of shipyard workers all over the world spend their billions of income to help keep tugboat drivers working.
I suggest you keep mouth shut and mind open before posting such a load of horsecrap. It just makes you look ignorant.[/QUOTE]
Oh, no! $220 million in boatyard revenues! Iām shaking all over! To which $17 billion in particular were you referring? Speaking of ignorance, what was it you thought the rest of the maritime industry amounted to? A couple of dinghies and a few bags of groceries? The value of the yachting sector of the Maritime Industry and what it contributes to 1) our industry and 2) the economy couldnāt hold a candle to what workboaters, deep sea mariners, and all the rest do.
[B][U]Do not mistake my meaning[/U][/B], I do not āhateā yachts or yachties. I respect all forms of working at sea, whatever shape they may take but to legitimately suggest that yachting contributes anything important is laughable. Yachting is nothing more than a hobby. If it were to disappear from the earth the only thing that would be brought to itās knees would be the yacht sector itself, and thatās it. If yachting was so essential then why are all these yachties trying to jump ship and come over to the workboat side?
In case you think Iām just some crotchety old tug boater whoās never seen a yacht in his life I would like to qualify my remarks by saying that I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to work on four different yachts for varying lengths of time over the course of seven years. I left all four jobs in peace and with good will and remain on excellent terms with the crews of all four vessels. I bear no ill will to the people who work in that part of the industry, they are all our brothers and sisters just like anyone who works on a tugboat or a tanker anywhere else in the world. Love them though I do, I still maintain that they have nothing important to contribute to the industry.
Now why donāt you have another cup of coffee and chew over a doughnut or something before you resort to calling people ignorant.
[QUOTE=PaddyWest2012;127239]Now why donāt you have another cup of coffee and chew over a doughnut or something before you resort to calling people ignorant.[/QUOTE]
Ignorant twit. Why donāt you spend some time looking at the numbers of jobs and billions of dollars the yacht industry contributes to the economies of Europe, Asia, the Caribbean, the South Pacific, and America. You might have cleaned heads on a toy boat for a while but you obviously donāt know jackshite about the yachting industry or the people in it and I am beginning to wonder how much you know about the economy of the maritime industry altogether.
[QUOTE=Steamer;127256]Ignorant twit. Why donāt you spend some time looking at the numbers of jobs and billions of dollars the yacht industry contributes to the economies of Europe, Asia, the Caribbean, the South Pacific, and America. You might have cleaned heads on a toy boat for a while but you obviously donāt know jackshite about the yachting industry or the people in it and I am beginning to wonder how much you know about the economy of the maritime industry altogether.[/QUOTE]
You seem to be the only one get all emotional about this and calling people names so I am going to assume that you are in no position to have a reasonably intelligent discussion about this topic. Have a good day and a happy new year.
The licensing system is just a very rough guideline (not any guarantee) of MINIMUM qualifications. Determining who is actually qualified to do what is mostly left up to the owners.
[QUOTE=PaddyWest2012;127259]You seem to be the only one get all emotional about this and calling people names so I am going to assume that you are in no position to have a reasonably intelligent discussion about this topic. Have a good day and a happy new year.[/QUOTE]
donāt work yourself into a lather there Paddyā¦steamer and I are friends yet we have come to bloody fisticuffs over this one before. I would think an ex bluecollar working mariner as himself would see through the much ballyhooed charade of the megayacht world. A greater disparity between the uber 0.01% and the remainder of us unwashed masses cannot be found than with those obscene overly grandiose monuments to excessive personal wealth than a real genuine GIGAYACHT! To me, those who serve the owners of these somewhat curiously phallic shaped self aggrandizing playthings are just servants no more than any butler, chauffeur or chamber maid would be.
Viva la socialistas!
what a stache! you know, I am growing to look like the fart filled gasbag olā Karlā¦I think I even feel a diatribe coming on!
[B]
WORKERS OF THE WORLD UNITE AND THROW OFF THE CAPITALIST SHACKLES THAT FOREVER CHAIN YOU AND YOUR BROTHERS TO SERVITUDE! EAT THE RICH! NO PRISONERS![/B]
such a reliefā¦I feel so much better nowā¦perhaps I might even go have me a nice lie down?.
[QUOTE=c.captain;127273] A greater disparity between the 1% and the remainder of us unwashed masses cannot be found than with those obscene overly grandiose monuments to excessive wealth that a real genuine GIGAYACHT! [/QUOTE]
It makes me smile to see the billions and billions of yacht coin moving from the vaults of the uber-rich to the pockets of the tens of thousands of little people like me who keep them afloat and moving between paradise and Shangri-la.
Well I donāt know about anger and resentment but I do know that no one else in this conversation has resorted to calling people ignorant twits instead of just having a conversation about the topics at hand.
american yacht captains who has the audacity to want a little more stability and professionalism, I feel I must chime in on this one. The whole reason I want to break into the OSV business is so I can learn more about how to run a boat and less about how to keep some demanding rich family in a state of pure bliss. As it turns out, if you are a traditional guy who wants to start a family and be able to see your home more than 1 month per year,yachting is not such a great deal. I think a lot of American guys my age see that now. I relish the idea of being able to do my job without some rich guy screaming at me in the middle of operating the vessel because someone misplaced fifi the Pomeranians poop bags. I have operated many small fishing boats and yachts, but I donāt even want to get near the wheelhouse for awhile until I know how a commercial vessel is operated. Now maybe some in my position donāt feel that way, but Iām youngish (32) and donāt mind starting at the bottom to earn the respect of my crew. I will say that yachting is incredibly difficult to survive in and it shows, at the very least, an ability to work much harder and longer than 90% of the people off the street. Also, itās not easy docking these āplaytoysā in adverse conditions, many of which are severely compromised in their maneuverability for the sake of style. We canāt just slam it onto the dock like you guys can. For an American, achievement within yachting is very difficult compared to other English speaking crew.
