I’m still at the entry level and trying to decide the age old question of engine or deck. I was a shoreside engineer in the navy so naturally I have experience there, however I’ve always wanted to be on the bridge. So my question is does every tugboat have an on board engineer or would I be limiting myself? Just look at pushboat and tugboat company employment pages I constantly see AB and OS and mate openings but very few engineer and wiper oiled etc openings. I want to work on a tug so I’d like to be the most valuable and have the most usable skills. I am also very interested in OSV work but know very little about it. any info and opinions are appreciated.
If you work on a tugboat you either an os or an AB. Depending on the line of work tugboats usually have for harbor work a captain, mate, engineer, a deckhand which can be an os.
To me the biggest difference between engine and deck is the opportunities shoreside. As an engineer you will have more opportunities shoreside in the event that you get layoff or decide to stay home and not be away from your family. Engineers can find jobs with construction companies, Hospitals, and Trucking companies. Wheelhouse guys have a very hard time finding jobs shoreside.
As far as the wiper or QMED positions those are hard to find o/b a tug, most guys work as deck hands until a position opens up in the engine room. Tug Chief engineers have no help other than the deck crew (Chief eng= wiper, QMED, and assistant eng) so their are no entry level positions. With that said their are some tugs that do have wipers and or QMEDs but they are hard to find. If you decide to get o\b an OSV entry level positions are a must and everywhere. So I believe you may have a better chance onboard an OSV.
Good luck!
so does every tugboat have a chief engineer? I thought i read somewhere while searching threads that a lot of enginerooms on tugs are becoming unmanned, something along the lines of that atleast. How does pay compare and how is advancement as an engineer? I guess it’s not as glamorous as the “captain” but in the end I’ve never touched something I can’t fix and did engineering in the Navy and had a real nack for it, on the other hand i’ve never been on the bridge.
Unmanned just means that there is an alarm system and that someone is not required to be physically present in the E/R.
The best things about being an Engineer:
- being a department of 1, I am pretty much left to my own devices. I turn to when I want and sleep when I want. I am not expected to be a slave to the clock as long as the place is taken care of.
- I have my own space to hang out in and be left alone
- The money is definitely better than an AB.
- rare is the unemployed engineer. Mate is probably the hardest job to break into just because of the sheer numbers of the competition.
- its actually a challenge as opposed to having a job where the biggest decision you make all day is whether the coffee goes in the left hand and cigarette in your right or vice versa.
- there is always something to tinker with.
The hardest part about being an engineer … Keeping your fingernails clean.
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We do not run engineers on any of our tugs. We have a AB position where they are trained in engineering through our shoreside engineer sort of a deckiner as we call it.
It depends on the tug. Most tugs I’ve worked on run a deckeneer or have an engineer who started as an AB and learned the engine room on his off time. I’m sure the ATBs and ITBs are different and OSVs are different. They actually have QMEDs and licensed engineers.
It’s getting harder and harder to find a job as an “unlicensed engineer” anymore, even on a boat that never leaves the harbor. Not to say you can’t but the opportunities are becoming more and more limited.
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[QUOTE=KPEngineer;67861]Unmanned just means that there is an alarm system and that someone is not required to be physically present in the E/R.
The best things about being an Engineer:
- being a department of 1, I am pretty much left to my own devices. I turn to when I want and sleep when I want. I am not expected to be a slave to the clock as long as the place is taken care of.
- I have my own space to hang out in and be left alone
- The money is definitely better than an AB.
- rare is the unemployed engineer. Mate is probably the hardest job to break into just because of the sheer numbers of the competition.
- its actually a challenge as opposed to having a job where the biggest decision you make all day is whether the coffee goes in the left hand and cigarette in your right or vice versa.
- there is always something to tinker with.
The hardest part about being an engineer … Keeping your fingernails clean.
Sent from my Sound Powered Phone[/QUOTE]
Yeah, that is what it was like working for Crowley way back when. As an engineer, you did stand the 8-12 and that was when most of the necessary maintenance was done, along with tinkering on the little things. Everthing else, including alarms were overtime. I believe I have stated in other threads that I was highest paid member of the crew because of the overtime. Not a bad gig for someone in their 20s. Of course, the really easy days were few and far between. Later, when I sailed on an ATB, I had two assistants. This was very helpful to keep up with the extra work on the barge; and also on the tug that was kind of cobbled together.
I think that there are opportunites ashore for mates in the marine consultancy/insurance business that many don’t think about moving into.
[QUOTE=tank3355;67860] I guess it’s not as glamorous as the “captain” [/QUOTE]
Glamorous may be too strong of a word. It probably depends on what sector you’re in but deep-sea captains are considered to be over paid bus drivers. As far as prestige the best you can hope for is a trip without incident. If you make it look easy it must be because it is easy and if you make it look hard you must be an idiot.
K.C.
[QUOTE=Kennebec Captain;67886]Glamorous may be too strong of a word. It probably depends on what sector you’re in but deep-sea captains are considered to be over paid bus drivers. As far as prestige the best you can hope for is a trip without incident. If you make it look easy it must be because it is easy and if you make it look hard you must be an idiot.
K.C.[/QUOTE]
Aw, come on. Y’all in the wheelhouse got all the babes. . . . . .
That is the biggest challenge of the engineers I work with. But I wouldn’t discount the challenges that come with all the different facets of each position onboard a vessel.
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[QUOTE=tillettso;68002]That is the biggest challenge of the engineers I work with. But I wouldn’t discount the challenges that come with all the different facets of each position onboard a vessel.
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Oh, y’all don’t have a TV?
[QUOTE=cmakin;67895]Aw, come on. Y’all in the wheelhouse got all the babes. . . . . .[/QUOTE]
Well, yes, there is that.
K.C.
Oh yes. Satellite programming and all. That’s another challenge though lol.
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First time I took flashing light was at this school
If you work on a tugboat you either an os or an AB. Depending on the line of work tugboats usually have for harbor work a captain, mate, engineer, a deckhand which can be an os.
