Gentlemen, I’m currently at a crossroad I’ve been a deckhand for 4 years AB Limited on supply boats 63k a yr even time I’m ready to move up I can go drillrigs as a roustabout 65k a yr even time chances of moving up to floor hand or crane operator. Or I can go to tugs 28/14 80k a year and move up to mate and then master. Before you ask why I don’t move up on the vessel I am on the coast guard has made it very difficult and expensive to become a mate here. In the long run I’m looking to come home everynight as a Tug captain or a crane Operator both are possible.
Please tell me more Good sir I’m an AB limited transferring to tugs also my coordinator said along the lines of what you stated but how does this work it sounds to good to be true considering it takes 240 days just to get a steersman.
Did Chouest not reopen their school? I thought you could take all the OICNW classes in-house.
You don’t need a steersman, it’s a waste of time anyway.
You should have enough sea time for mate 1,600 right now, maybe mate unlimited depending on the vessels you’ve worked on at Chouest. Get a license before switching to tugs, though I recommend not switching.
Chouest Allows you to take some classes but 5 more are required that chouest does not offer costing close to 20,000$
What classes are those?
Are they enough to get mate OSV? That way you can start getting sea time as a mate while you look into taking the other classes.
I would be able to get mate OSV but unable to work as a mate on a OSV, chouest offers RADAR, Radio operator, ARPA, Advanced FF Basic FF and that’s about it the other classes I would need are Stability ahhh I can’t remember the other ones but two of my friends both paid for the classes and it was 20,000 and a year of studying and my other friend went to maritime school for 4 years and racked up 50,000 in debt both of them have spots as mates. And advised mate pilot would be the fastest and cheapest. 500 ton mate inland >TOAR >30 days on a towing vessel and then wait for a spot
Even if you can’t get OICNW yet I would highly recommend testing for Mate OSV and for the highest tonnage, non trade restricted, Near Coastal license you qualify for, even if you still go over to tugs for now. (You should qualify for Mate 1,600 GRT and the test is the same as 500 GRT so go for that if you don’t have the time for unlimited.)
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