I’m halfway through my first hitch on a 110’ crewboat (very busy launch service). I signed on as third captain. Lots of experience in tour/head boats, but brand new to this industry.
May look to move to the oilfield down the road, and will have enough sea service to upgrade to 500 tons in another 18 months or so. In the meantime, what should I be reading? I’d like to have three or four readable reference books handy that will help me now and help me down the road as I add endorsements/upgrade. Thanks in advance.
I will recommend “Race to big oil, Rise of the Cajun mariner”. I am not a 100% sure about the title but it is an excellent book and it will give you a better understanding of the oilfield at least it did for me.
My wife picked up an old copy of Chapman’s Piloting and Seamanship the other day for $1. I’ve never looked at it much before but I’ve been flipping through it. It is a good solid book. It leans a bit towards smaller vessels and non-pros, not exactly what you’re doing but it is the bible in the small craft world. I’d say it belongs on the book shelf.
In my experience, I have referred to the Merchant Seamans Handbook. Cornell Maritime press.
This book has ALL the picayune details you (or your deckhand) would EVER need to do almost any job on a boat. This book is also great to ‘settle’ any sort of discussion on deciding the merits or direction of a job, action, safety or seamanship.
To a lesser extent the Merchant Officers Handbook is good too, BUT, it is geared more to day to day duties of an Officer.
You mention you being on a crew boat. I am pretty sure you won’t have one, but ISGOTT ( International Safety Guide, Oil Tankers and Terminals) is THE bible on petroleum safety, transportation, terminaling, loading, discharging and stowage.
If you ever get a chance to find one, even an old copy they are an amazing collection of any knowledge you may ever need to do the petroleum end of the business. they are PRICEY, but IMHO, worth it.
[QUOTE=cappy208;57152]I am pretty sure you won’t have one, but ISGOTT ( International Safety Guide, Oil Tankers and Terminals) is THE bible on petroleum safety, transportation, terminaling, loading, discharging and stowage.
If you ever get a chance to find one, even an old copy they are an amazing collection of any knowledge you may ever need to do the petroleum end of the business. they are PRICEY, but IMHO, worth it.[/QUOTE]
Free if you know where to look…
ISGOTT - 5th Edition. The link says 2006, file says 2005. Not sure if it even matters.
The Merchant Marine Handbook on the other hand I believe will be a bit more difficult, if not impossible, to come by.
Do you mean the “Amercian Merchant Seaman’s Manual” from Cornell? The reason I say that is that I see mine in my bookcase here in the office. And yeah, I am an engineer, but the Manual is a valuable book to have for any mariner.
I used to keep a copy of a catalog from one of those outfits that sell marine supplies like chain, wire, shackles and so forth in my room. It has weights, dimensions, working loads and nomenclature of a lot of gear used on deck.
[QUOTE=PR-9;57129]I will recommend “Race to big oil, Rise of the Cajun mariner”. I am not a 100% sure about the title but it is an excellent book and it will give you a better understanding of the oilfield at least it did for me.[/QUOTE]
Yes, this is an excellent read. But hard to find in the Houma area. But you can get it directly from the author at his law office in Thibodaux. Amazon, too, but not as interesting a way to get it.
Correct title is [U]Rise of the Cajun Mariner: The Race for Big Oil[/U], by Woody Falgoux.
