Hiya. I’m wondering what the condition of Sause Bros boats is, how reliable are their crew changes, what’s the ratio of assholes to normal people who work there, do they help pay for licensing upgrades, have 401k, etc. Generally, what’s it like working for them?
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That’s a good question.
35 years ago, I could have told you.
Now, I don’t know.
The new Sause boats look very good. They are all twin screw now. They have a lot of very capable people, same as before.
Sause still pushes the boats out in rough weather instead of waiting for a day or two like everyone else.
Sauce still has a big footprint in Oregon and Hawaii, but they appear to have given up the West Coast to Hawaii freight trade with the sale of the two biggest and best barges to Alaska (Hawaiian) Marine Lines.
I assume that they are still vertical IBU. I bet it’s not a great contract, but I really don’t know.
Anyone could learn a lot at Sause. They are the Oregon bar crossing experts, and they have some different ways of doing things.
I actually worked for them briefly 8+ years ago. Should have stayed with them but that’s a long story.
They’ve retired/sold a few of their older boats, but generally speaking they maintain a well kept fleet. They have a few newer boats too, on the west coast at least. Not sure about hawaii. Only captains and chiefs have assigned boats, pretty much everyone else is rotary. Pretty common to boat hop multiple times during a hitch.
Plan on a six week hitch minimum. Average 45 days (hawaii division may be different).They used to pay 50 bucks extra a day if that 45 day mark came and went. There’s also extra pay per day if there isn’t a cook onboard. Not sure if that is still in place. They pay ato which some people like and some don’t. Officers were day for day. So if you are a mate, and you make 300 a day, you also get a paid day off @ 300 a day. Depending on what run you are on their could be OT as well.
At the time i was there no wifi, boat had internet and a sat phone for emails to home and quick phone calls occasionally offshore. This may have changed since.
They have a 401k but dont contribute to it because they are contributing to the pension with the IBU. All benefits are thru the IBU. The initiation fee and monthly dues are affordable. The IBU has a competitive medical/dental and vision plan.
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