Seeking second and third mates for t-ags oceanographic vessels

I’m a new mate and not happy with AMO. Today I saw this on MM&P’s website. I met a TAGOS captain who loved them but a third mate who hated them. Think I should take the job?

MM&P is seeking licensed deck officers to sail as second and
third mates on the T-AGS oceanographic vessels. There are currently two
second mate and one third mate positions open. If you are interested,
please contact MM&P Atlantic Ports Vice President Rich May at [rmay@bridgedeck.org](https://mail.google.com/mail?view=cm&tf=0&to=rmay@bridgedeck.org" target="_blank) or 201-963-1900.

http://www.bridgedeck.org/ww_current.htm

i remember at a job fair that for some companies you contact the company first and then you joined the union, i think this was for TECO and their union AMO.

not sure whats the advantages about TAGOS tho, theres one gutted and sitting at suny maritime collecting rust.

I’ve turned down a few tagos ships in my career. The last dispatcher told me “this ship has been on station for over a month and the third mate is weeks overdue for a relief. You HAVe to take this job, you’re the last on my list and if you don’t take it the 3rd mate will be stuck for another month!”

I wanted to help the guy but I could predict the phone calls when I asked to get off. Something along the lines of “this ship has been on station for over a month and the third mate is weeks overdue…”

T-AGS and TAGOS are totally different platforms. What does seem to be similar from what I read above and from my own experience on one of the T-AGS ships is that it’s not easy to get a relief - and this is why they are advertising, if it was so great a gig they wouldn’t have to.

Just remember, your a merchant mariner and the T-AGS ship are not merchant ships. They are RV’s and you’ll be a puppet that has a bunch of scientists and technicians pulling your strings. I’ll stay with the ships where the Captain is in charge, on an RV the weenies in the science labs call the shots waaaay too much. IMHO!

(ps-I guess it might be a good way to get some time under your belt with MMP, back when they started this contract MMP was letting the AMO guys come into MMP without the usual buy-in, not suure about now)

what exactly do the scientists and technicians ask of you? is the captain one as well?

i would like to try it out, maybe it helps as a possible future shoreside job in marine science. my degree will be in marine business but i honestly hate sitting at a desk going over spreadsheets and calling 50 people to sell them something, and then going to meetings… yeah.

how long have 3/M’s gone out for usually and is the pay the same for other 3/M’s in the MMP?

“Turn left go 030 for 120 meters then stop and hold posit with the head at 180”, then while trying to do this another weenie in another lab calls and tells ya the same thing! Sure thing as soon as I can get off the F—ing phone. As an example; often on my midwatch I would answer the phone on the bridge 25-30 times with some question or manuvering request from the weenies. Things like move the ship 500 meters directly to stbd without changing the ships heading, this was in 8 foot seas 15-20kts of wind at least. When I declined their request I also had to give a quick and dirty ship handling lesson. I could go on and on, but you might like it. Some watches were smooth but the accumulation of BS starts to wear on ya. The 3rd mate I was sailing with said once “these are dumbest smart people I ever encountered”, (well said). No the captain isn’t one of them but the weenies are the client, it’s like they chartered the ship so the captain tries to accomadate and please them. I had 2 Captains while there and one of them clearly had more balls than the other. It’s a typical 4 month on gig, the pay was just ok, each company bargins for a certain pay scale with the union, merchant ships pay more. The designed schedule for these ships is appox 4 weeks at sea and <1 week in port, (check that it may have changed). Lots of folks ride these vessels so clearly some like it. I’m just telling like it is, Cheers

<strong>Guest:</strong>

I work offshore on a drillship. Same shit here but the questions are “Can you turn the ship, the sun’s in the driller’s eyes” and (while underway) “What’s the water depth?”.

…and don’t get me started on the number of safety observation cards that get turned in every time we secure the deck lights while underway!!!

If this was such a great gig MMP wouldn’t have to brib folks.

MM&P is offering an extra point per day to applicants who work on the T-AGS oceanographic vessels after Jan. 1. There are currently two second mate, two third mate and a chief mate position open. If you are interested, please contact MM&P Atlantic Ports Vice President Rich May at [<font color="#0000ff]rmay@bridgedeck.org</font>](mailto:rmay@bridgedeck.org) or 201-963-1900.

Third mate positions are open on the HENSON and the HEEZEN. Second mate positions are open on the BOWDITCH and the HENSON. A chief mate position is open on the SUMNER. All the jobs are for 120 days. The starting dates for the jobs are as follows:

3/M Henson 120 days starts 12/15/07

3/M Heezen 120 days starts 12/19/07

2/M Bowditch 120 days starts 12/23/07

C/M Sumner 120 days starts 12/30/07

2/M Henson 120 days starts 01/15/08

Applicants now get one point for each day of work on the T-AGS vessels. Effective Jan. 1, applicants will get two points for each day. <strong></strong>

The jobs can be taken on a PRO card. If mariners are on vacation, they can come back, leaving banked vacation days, and take the jobs.

To facilitate the process, Horizon Lines has provided the union with the SF-86 form, which can serve as a template to help gather one’s personal information in preparation for filling out the final security application online. The form is being distributed to all ports and will be posted on [<font color="#0000ff]www.bridgedeck.org</font>](http://www.bridgedeck.org/" target="_blank). Access to the Horizon Lines E-QIP program is provided by the company once mariners have actually been assigned to a vessel.

<strong>Guest:</strong>

What’s up with the T-AGS? 120 days isn’t that outrageous, did MM&P negotiate a low pay for these ships? What are they paying, it must be way low or is there something else we’re not hearing?

guest

<strong>Guest:</strong>

Rumor is the pay is as low with the MMP contract as it was with AMO, just that the union isn’t as corrupt. From the rumors I hear, I wouldn’t want to work on those ships, but if you are trying to get ahead in MMP than it may be the place to be…That said from my graduating class in 2002, I don’t know any deckies still with MMP. Everybody hears the rumors about the ultra high paying ships, but very few C books or applicants get the jobs. Look to the future, get into the towing industry it is where the growth is in the industry and the pay is quickly meeting deep sea and in some cases exceeding it.

<strong>Guest:</strong>

“Just remember, your a merchant mariner and the T-AGS ship are not merchant ships. They are RV’s and you’ll be a puppet that has a bunch of scientists and technicians pulling your strings.”

  • I was on the old SILAS BENT. They called the scientist space the ‘Spare Clowns locker’. As said above, they are the clients and they are the one telling where to go.

  • One other thing, sometimes the ships do special operations where the watch-team coming off watch then goes on deck for 4 hours operating deck machinery, or standing by to do so. So, you can be looking at 16-hour days. Of course this could have changed, but that might be one more reason why they are advertising.

Guest wrote: “One other thing, sometimes the ships do special operations where the watch-team coming off watch then goes on deck for 4 hours operating deck machinery, or standing by to do so. So, you can be looking at 16-hour days. Of course this could have changed, but that might be one more reason why they are advertising.”

No, it hasn’t changed. And these science weenies some times like to work all night so you’re on deck for what could be 4 hours after each watch. That’s right, get relieved at 2345 and go out on deck for the mid-watch, in the cold and rain and wind and sweels washing you around the deck!! It may not happen after every watch but it could go on for weeks!! Two positive aspects are the OT and that the mate is on deck as a safety observer, so if it gets too hairy you can shut it down, just be prepared to answer for it later, cuz the weenies will whine like babies.

This just in from the MMP web-site:

<h3>"BREAKING NEWS! PATRIOT AWARDED CONTRACT TO OPERATE USNS WATERS AND USNS HAYES</h3>

MM&P has recently been informed that Patriot Holding has been awarded the contract to operate the USNS WATERS and the USNS HAYES starting in February 2008. This most welcome contract award will diversify our members’ job opportunities with this longtime MM&P employer.

“This is a great step forward in helping to secure job opportunities for our members as well as future prosperity for one of our most loyal employers,” said MM&P Vice President Don Marcus, who worked on the project with Agent Pacific Ports Dave Boatner. As with all government contract awards, this award is still subject to challenges from other companies that were not winning bidders for this work."

MMP should be mourning not celebrating. Now they’ve got 2 more ships full of puppet-string-pulling-science-weenies that they have to try and find crew for. It will be interesting to see how the sweeten the bait to get these ship crewed-up!

I was also on the RV Kilo Moana run by the University of Hawai’i and on there they crewed up with 6 AB’s so they could handle that on-deck BS. Bad part was no help on the bridge when ops were going on.

Has anyone figured out that I don’t like sailing on Research Vessels? :slight_smile:

Cheers!

in reference to jeffrox’s comment, what do you mean by you get an extra point per day of work on the t-ags ??

<strong>Guest:</strong>

Towards your MMP book

<strong>Guest:</strong>

I sailed the Henson w/ Dyne & Heezen w/ MM&P. Good ships to learn on and build time toward 2nds. Confortable room. Deck was not too demanding but that can change with each assignment. Port time ok and varies with location of work. They have “Z” drives and drop down bow thruster for DP. You can end up in the 34’ survey launch for 8-10 hours/day on some trips to the point the Master stands your watch because you exceed CG limits for time on duty. For me it was OJT on the DP system and I found it inconsistent and chalenging to say the least. Others were more adept with it. The $ was ok but I am now with MSC and making twice the amount on a large ship that rides a lot better. CHS

Just commenting to get this back on top as it ties in with the post asking about “Working on a Research Vessel”

[quote=guest;802][B]Guest:[/B]

“Just remember, your a merchant mariner and the T-AGS ship are not merchant ships. They are RV’s and you’ll*be a puppet that has a bunch of scientists and technicians pulling your strings.”

- I was on the old SILAS BENT. They called the scientist space the ‘Spare Clowns locker’.* As said above, they are the clients and they are the one telling where to go.

- One other thing, sometimes the ships do special operations where the watch-team coming off watch then goes on deck for 4 hours operating deck machinery, or standing by to do so. So, you can be looking at 16-hour days.* Of course this could have changed, but that might be one more reason why they are advertising.[/quote]

SILAS BENT could roll at the dock, and often did. When I was aboard the CAPT was a bottle baby, the crew looked like a combination of the cast of “The Usual Suspects” and Persons of Interest in the Green River Killings and there were warrants for two Urban Athletes on the Deck.

3PSC LLC is the same old buncha toothless whores that were DynMarine, just moved to Cape Canaveral from Norfolk/VA Beach.

And I say that with [B][I]GREAT[/I][/B] respect and all the love in the world, and consider each and every one of the slimy, ill-bred, cousin-loving scumbags a close personal friend!