Here is a question for all of the heavy hitters/ upper tonnage guys/ industry veterans and the like. What path did you take to get to where you are? What path did the industry take you on in your career journey? All new guys and hawsepipers (hopefully) have an idea of where they would like to end up but the road to that destination is a convoluted mess of catch 22s and contradictions. The further one digs, the more nebulous it becomes. I’m looking for a linear roadmap of your career path. I am fully aware that there is no one-size-fits- all answer and that your situation is different from the next guys but it might help shed some light and help new guys in their career progression in this industry. Sharing information is what this site is all about. If nothing else, it will be a fascinating read. Where did you start out? What type of boat? What was your first upgrade? Second upgrade? What are you working on now? You get the idea.
Thanks
To late to get a pilot’s daughter pregnant now, but that would have been my first choice of a good career move.
[QUOTE=Capt Ryan;85640]Here is a question for all of the heavy hitters/ upper tonnage guys/ industry veterans and the like. What path did you take to get to where you are? What path did the industry take you on in your career journey? All new guys and hawsepipers (hopefully) have an idea of where they would like to end up but the road to that destination is a convoluted mess of catch 22s and contradictions. The further one digs, the more nebulous it becomes. I’m looking for a linear roadmap of your career path. I am fully aware that there is no one-size-fits- all answer and that your situation is different from the next guys but it might help shed some light and help new guys in their career progression in this industry. Sharing information is what this site is all about. If nothing else, it will be a fascinating read. Where did you start out? What type of boat? What was your first upgrade? Second upgrade? What are you working on now? You get the idea.
Thanks[/QUOTE]
I’ve had to kill thousands and leave a swath of blood and flesh in my wake…
of course, there ARE easier ways too!
What is your preferred form of death device to leave a wake of blood and flesh? The pointy stick would seem too fast and not painful enough.
[QUOTE=Capt Ryan;85653]What is your preferred form of death device to leave a wake of blood and flesh? The pointy stick would seem too fast and not painful enough.[/QUOTE]
Ah my young grasshopper…there are all the myriad methods and tools used in the “art of pain, mutilation & death” for you to learn. It will take many years to become a master dismemberer…are you ready for the journey new 3rd mate Skywalker?
*note the early version of the photon powered pointy stick!
and may the Captain Kenneth R. Force, USMS, NOT BE WITH YOU!
.
There’s so many twists and turns and unexpected pitfalls and surprises that I’d have to write a book to describe them all.
The main problem that I have had is that the requirements change while I am headed for my next step up. Sometimes for better, sometimes for worse.
One day I was passed out in a gutter just off Bourbon Street. This guy wakes me up and asks if I’ve ever seen a supply boat. I said no who are you. He said I’m with OMSA let me give you this Chief Engineers license with a 6000 itc endorsement. I said I don’t have any experience I wouldn’t know what to do. He just said here take it anyway it doesn’t matter. Then I went and got a job working on mud boats and the rest is history. Wish the guy had given a captains license though. Having one of those means your the smartest guy onboard.
Not just onboard Fraq. In the in the world. And then once you have a DP certification the entire universe!
I know man that’s why I want on of those new DNV DP certs they sound easy to get.
You can’t be a dpo without this.
[QUOTE=Fraqrat;85750]One day I was passed out in a gutter just off Bourbon Street. This guy wakes me up and asks if I’ve ever seen a supply boat. I said no who are you. He said I’m with OMSA let me give you this Chief Engineers license with a 6000 itc endorsement. I said I don’t have any experience I wouldn’t know what to do. He just said here take it anyway it doesn’t matter. Then I went and got a job working on mud boats and the rest is history. Wish the guy had given a captains license though. Having one of those means your the smartest guy onboard.[/QUOTE]
That happened around 1980. The CG caved to the companies and started issuing “tear-sheet” licenses. All you had to do was fill out a form declaring that you were working in that capacity and shazamm…You had a temporary license. This held back wages for years. When the oilfield cycled down in the mid '80s, the excess “qualified” mariners charged across the 333 picket lines, further strangling wages. I’m glad things have changed so much for the better.
Oh yeah the good old days. Back when it was easier to live boat for 18 hours straight than let the computer attempt to hold position.
“Cap which rope you want first?”
“Naw it’s ok we got DP”
“Ummm yeah that’s nice skip but which rope you want first company man says he don’t care about your fancy computer he saw all he needed to when you snatched our barite hose off the other night”
Have we met?
Yes I think we met at church once you look familiar.
[QUOTE=Fraqrat;85775]Oh yeah the good old days. Back when it was easier to live boat for 18 hours straight than let the computer attempt to hold position.
“Cap which rope you want first?”
“Naw it’s ok we got DP”
“Ummm yeah that’s nice skip but which rope you want first company man says he don’t care about your fancy computer he saw all he needed to when you snatched our barite hose off the other night”[/QUOTE]
Sounds like an issue with the operator…
No fella hate to say you are uninformed when DP first started being used it was added to already old pieces of shit. Kinda like taking a ragged out 78 pinto and putting $10,000 worth of rims, tires and stereo system in it and not touching anything else. If it wasn’t for the operator the rigs never would have got their stuff. The operator usually had to turn the magic box off and use rudders, one bow thruster and the main engines and hold it position for hours on end. There was a little more to being a master or mate than punching some buttons. Tug guys still use those skills with no bow thruster to do their jobs. It will be a lost art one day.
Yeah, changed for you guys down south. 333 has never been the same.
In 2002 I tested for my Six Pack with the intentions of charter fishing for the rest of my life. After the realization that I could make a living on the water I up-graded to a 50 GRT then 100 GRT, 200 GRT O/C 500 GRT O/C , Master 1600 GRT O/C and recently 3rd Mate Ulimited O/C. I’m 33 now and have up-graded 7 times in 12 years. I have served aboard Sport Fishing vessels / Private Yachts,Tugs, Osv’s, Psv’s, and now DP - 3 Heavy Lift. I have seen first hand the good bad and the very ugly of the REC’S and now the NMC. Some things are better and others could still use some improvements “it’s not a perfect world” I know. The long and short of things is it’s been a long hard road and expensive but it’s been an investment in myself and has paid off 10 fold. My biggest gripp lately would be testing for my 3rd. Had I held a Mates ticket this could have been avoided. Go figure Limited Mate to Unlimited Mate with no testing? They say the tests are different OK. My Master 1600 was much harder in my book and the questions between the 2 are the same just spread out different on the modules. I could go on for days on this but nobody wants to read about that. In the future I see myself holding an Unlimited Master and the 3rd’s test was a good refresher for the CM.
[QUOTE=Captnstabn;85884]In 2002 I tested for my Six Pack with the intentions of charter fishing for the rest of my life. After the realization that I could make a living on the water I up-graded to a 50 GRT then 100 GRT, 200 GRT O/C 500 GRT O/C , Master 1600 GRT O/C and recently 3rd Mate Ulimited O/C. I’m 33 now and have up-graded 7 times in 12 years. I have served aboard Sport Fishing vessels / Private Yachts,Tugs, Osv’s, Psv’s, and now DP - 3 Heavy Lift. I have seen first hand the good bad and the very ugly of the REC’S and now the NMC. Some things are better and others could still use some improvements “it’s not a perfect world” I know. The long and short of things is it’s been a long hard road and expensive but it’s been an investment in myself and has paid off 10 fold. My biggest gripp lately would be testing for my 3rd. Had I held a Mates ticket this could have been avoided. Go figure Limited Mate to Unlimited Mate with no testing? They say the tests are different OK. My Master 1600 was much harder in my book and the questions between the 2 are the same just spread out different on the modules. I could go on for days on this but nobody wants to read about that. In the future I see myself holding an Unlimited Master and the 3rd’s test was a good refresher for the CM.[/QUOTE]
That’s awesome. Thanks for that Captnstabn. It’s pretty cool reading your story!