As of last week I desided to take the plunge in to the Maritime Industry. I recieved my TWIC today and already passed my physical and drug test. Tomorrow I ship my package off to the Coast Guard to obtain my Z-Card.
I currently live in Virginia Beach and have been searching the net for as much info as I could get in regards to jobs as a OS deckhand on Tugs or anything similiar.
I am willing to travel as needed and I’m looking for fulltime work. I’m 32 years old and although I’m getting a late start in this industry I hear things will be picking up in the near future.
Any suggestions or information for a new Mariner would be greatly appreciated.
Edited. Sorry about that. I meant to put OS-Ordinary Seaman. I have no prior experience.
I am a new Mariner looking for deckhand work or anything similiar. I currently hold a TWIC with recent passing physical and drug exams and plan on mailing my package off to the Coast Guard to obtain my Z-Card. I also hold a Certified Food Service Manager Certificate from the Virginia Beach Dept. of Public Health as I was a former Culinary Manager for Ruby Tuesday.
I am looking for the right company to give me an oppurtunity to help me create a career in the Maritime Industry and I am willing to work any shifts and hours needed as I have no other obligations that would prevent me from doing so. I’m 32 years old, single and looking for a fresh start.
Cooking is a plus … many tugs/OSVs don’t ship cooks. Could make you very popular.
Bread and Butter for Seagoing tugs is Gulf of Mexico (GOM) oilfield and petroleum transport.
Petroleum tansport - Penn employees seem like a pretty happy crowd. Hornbeck is not a bad company, though their boats are old-school. Transpotation usually paid.
Gulf of Mexico … almost nobody pays transport … easiest place to get hired is Tidewater … they’re easiest for a reason, but it gets your foot in the door. Not as many seagoing tugs in the Gulf as there used to be. Harvey Gulf has some, but they’ll want you to come down there before they’ll even talk to you unless they’ve changed in the last year or so. Edison Chouest isn’t bad on the supply boat end … very rigid procedure/checklist/rulebook types, but good company.
For my money, the best people to work for, and about the best $$ in the GOM is Otto Candies. They’re not easy to get hired with, and it’s a family business with the typical quirks, but they are very good to work for and their fleet is well-designed recently built stuff.
Welcome to the sea, she’s a bitch, but we love her … Good Luck
You should take a Basic Safety Training (BST) course.
Quite often, you hear this called the ‘STCW’ course, which can be confusing. It has 4 elements; Personal Survival, Basic Fire Fighting, First Aid, and Personal Safety and Social Responsibilities, taken over 5 days.
Ok first good luck with the uscg and your first mmd give it 6 months
2nd advice for sailors we are the only bunch besides bikers that are politicaly correct in any place bad manors he’s a sailor fart in church he’s a sailor so advice from a sailor haha
So here is some advice if you have to ask how old she is she is to young
Never get on a boat for a persentage unless you don’t care if you make money
Never ask someone to do a job you wouldn’t do
If you can’t carry your own bags aboard become a captain haha had to throw that one in haha
If two or more sailors are standing around and you walk up and they send you after some thing just get a marker and write sucker on your forhead
If you get yelled at for some thing learn from it and don’t do it again and you will be fine
Never trust any one that says trust me
Finally nothing happens fast or in the time it is suppost to on boats, uscg, or companies
Well good luck
Also in VB just got my TWIC trying to get back on the water havn’t been since my son was born 2 years ago. I finally get my TWIC after 6 months and now the economy so bad TWIC no good right now. I wonder if SIU would have anything was thinking about joining. Have passport BST any input on SIU in Norfolk??
Jame757
I was siu,smu, been ibu I have always made more and had better bennies non union email me I might have info depending on where you live I have never paid a head hunter but would do that before siu and if you have bst and a mmd you are ahead of the game
Siu med sucks and the pay isn’t any better retirement is a joke
Well you asked for opions on siu and there you go try stabert marine in seattle I did some work with them
Hell try .
MSC or NOAA before the union
You guys in Va. Beach may want to try Norfolk Tugs, McAllister, and Moran. Dont know if they have any openings but its worth a shot to stop by the office and fill out an app. Norfolk Tugs and Moran are both in Norfolk and McAllister is over in Newport News. Also you may want to check with Dann Marine in Chesapeake City, Md. They have a big contract hauling coal from Newport News to Baltimore. All those are good places to start for you since they are close. Good Luck!
Thanks for the tips splash McAllister just sold one of the boats and have like 5 boats tied up letting ppl go. I used work for Dann Marine doing the coal run just wasn’t for me I should have stayed on the Calusa Coast loved that boat and ppl on it. I was thinking about trying to reapply there. Moran only hires AB’s and from my understanding Moran been letting people go also, I’ll try norfolk tug again havnt applied in over a year to them. I just applied for Mcallister other day and choose all their locations as I know its slow at most of them.
I may go apply at Norfolk Tug, it’s only 6 miles from my house. I applied at the other local companies here in Hampton Roads with no luck. In all honesty I have probably sent roughly around 25 Resumes to various companies throughout the US for a job on a tug or similar looking for OS Deckhand work. Still No luck…
Things are slow everywhere! Also you may want to check with Weeks Marine. There was a post on the job leads thread awhile back that they were hiring. Best of luck to you guys.
Hello tried to email you back but no button to send the reply to so have you go you know os is the bottom so my advice is hit everone and make a list of your apps and people that you are calling ask to talk to the port capt try geoff at crowley if you go siu
Then call every mon afternoon after all there meetings and when they are putting out fires say you are just checking in and that you are ready to work
Do you have your bags by the door pack if so your ready if you don’t then your mind isn’t ready and they can tell that
First wish them a good day
2nd reference calling them before they don’t know if you have or havn’t
Last just wanted to let them know you are stile looking and ready to go to work
If they say no sorry then here let me give you my number again and please call me if you need someone
Thabk them for there time and have a nice day
Ok you are fresh on there mind they are putting out fires and the next call might be one of the capt or a deck hand saying I quit or bitching just a little to much for a deck hand
Imgrem tug and bargs
workboat mag and all maritime mags have classified sections Maritimeemployment.com leave resume but look at all the companies pages around the edge go to there site and applie also
Well that’s it for now
Hello tried to email you back but no button to send the reply to so here you go you know os is the bottom so my advice is hit everone and make a list of your apps and people that you are calling ask to talk to the port capt try geoff at crowley if you go siu
Then call every mon afternoon after all there meetings and when they are putting out fires say you are just checking in and that you are ready to work
Do you have your bags by the door pack if so your ready if you don’t then your mind isn’t ready and they can tell that
First wish them a good day
2nd reference calling them before they don’t know if you have or havn’t
Last just wanted to let them know you are stile looking and ready to go to work
If they say no sorry then here let me give you my number again and please call me if you need someone
Thabk them for there time and have a nice day
Ok you are fresh on there mind they are putting out fires and the next call might be one of the capt or a deck hand saying I quit or bitching just a little to much for a deck hand
Imgrem tug and bargs
workboat mag and all maritime mags have classified sections Maritimeemployment.com leave resume but look at all the companies pages around the edge go to there site and applie also
Well that’s it for now
Thanks for the heads up I already look online at the magazines and also the water ways https://shared1.fasturl.net/~waterwaysj/ classifieds. Do you have exp with ingram I was told the companies in KY don’t pay good but I will fill out app there. I never thought about checking in with companies I already applied to more then once but guess I should take that tip. I applied to aclines but you have to live within 150 miles so I reapplied used my sisters address in Houston she has no problem with me staying there if I get job. For anyone else looking I have this free list http://www.shipbuildinghistory.com/today/shippingdirectory/towboats.htm then I just google the company names and most have websites. For anyone else looking
I have never worked for ingram and yes river jobs don’t pay as well but you need to get your ab 365 8 hour days or I think 245 12 hour days how you get it will make the difference pay now might not be the thing to look at the big pic might be if you can go ahead and go to a school get the class done get the time turn it all in boom ab sp lots more jobs to look at
I have been offered more money to work other places but money isn’t always the right thing we try to go for the big bucks but sea time ins and some times just the crew can make it worth the job but I wouldn’t go to these placese unless they are close just a call on mon afternoon if you can’t get to talk call fri afternoon before weekend
I have a freind called the port capt every other day for a month wanted to work with a certain company sent flowers to his secutary two days later he got the call
So some times it helps to kiss a little ass
[B]YOU MAY WANT TO TRY http://jobsearch.usajobs.gov/ THERE IS PLENTY TO BROWSE ON THIS SITE AND THEY HAVE OPENINGS WITH NOAA, ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS, MILITARY SEA LIFT, USCG CIVILIAN POSITIONS ETC. YOU MAY NOT BE IMPRESSED WITH THE PAY STARTING OUT, BUT THE BENIFITS AND INSURANCE MAKE UP FOR A LOT. GOOD LUCK[/B]
since you are in the Chesapeake area, Drive up to Baltimore and go to work for Vane Brothers, You will be screwed continually and hate your job. But hey it’s a start.
P.S. leave 78% of your brain cells at home
good luck
