Unlicensed deckhand for international travel

Professional Mariner Forum
1

Hello! First, if I posted to the wrong forum, please let me know.

I’m looking into working as an unlicensed deckhand for 3-12 months as a way to [a] get sea time, [b] earn a few bucks, [c] travel across an ocean or two, and [d] arrive and tour a different country.

If I got a contract job on a cargo ship for, say, 3-12 months, would I be able to get on at, say, New York, Charleston, LA, or Oakland (or anywhere in the USA) and get off at any of, say, Singapore, China, Germany, Spain, Sri Lanka, Brazil, South Africa, etc?

Are there any cargo companies that let you start in one country and get off in another country (assuming, of course, you’ve already obtained a valid visa, etc)?

Of course, I’m ready to work very hard during my time at sea, and I don’t expect to make hardly any money. I have a BS that’s not at all relevant to this job, so I’d expect to start at the very bottom.

TIA!

(sorry if this is a double-post, I’m having a lot of issues with recaptcha and nginx errors)

1 Like
2

Have you looked into Military Sealift Command? It sounds like something you may like, long periods signed on a ship and sometimes lots of port time in foreign ports.

3

Have you looked into Military Sealift Command?
Thanks for the idea, but I’d like to steer clear from anything involving the military industrial complex.Also, to be clear: I’m not just looking for long time at a port. I was thinking something like [a] work on a cargo ship from New York to Spain, [b] spend 6 months biking around Europe [c] get a job on another boat at a port in Germany for 6 months and get off at, say, Singapore, [d] spend a few months island hopping and a few months in Australia, [e] catch another contract in port in Australia, etc.

4

Nope, sorry our industry doesn’t work like that. Maybe back in the 1800s you could’ve signed on to a ship like that but not now. In the mean time go read “Two Years Before the Mast” by Richard Henry Dana.

5

Your best bet is to find a gig on a yacht. They will hire deckhands to do an ocean crossing and the job will be finished upon arrival. Try cruisers forum or something of the like.

6

Good luck with that if you are an American.

7

"Hello! First, if I posted to the wrong forum, please let me know.

I’m looking into working as an unlicensed deckhand for 3-12 months as a way to [a] get sea time, [b] earn a few bucks, [c] travel across an ocean or two, and [d] arrive and tour a different country.

"If I got a contract job on a cargo ship for, say, 3-12 months, would I be able to get on at, say, New York, Charleston, LA, or Oakland (or anywhere in the USA) and get off at any of, say, Singapore, China, Germany, Spain, Sri Lanka, Brazil, South Africa, etc?

Are there any cargo companies that let you start in one country and get off in another country (assuming, of course, you’ve already obtained a valid visa, etc)?

Of course, I’m ready to work very hard during my time at sea, and I don’t expect to make hardly any money. I have a BS that’s not at all relevant to this job, so I’d expect to start at the very bottom.

TIA!

(sorry if this is a double-post, I’m having a lot of issues with recaptcha and nginx errors)"

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

8

[QUOTE=hawsepiper.vgf4wv;166825]Thanks for the idea, but I’d like to steer clear from anything involving the military industrial complex.Also, to be clear: I’m not just looking for long time at a port. I was thinking something like [a] work on a cargo ship from New York to Spain, [b] spend 6 months biking around Europe [c] get a job on another boat at a port in Germany for 6 months and get off at, say, Singapore, [d] spend a few months island hopping and a few months in Australia, [e] catch another contract in port in Australia, etc.[/QUOTE]

The problem with your plan is everything. Merchant mariner credentials (MMC)are required to work about ship, there are no “deckhands”. If you’re thinking about U.S. flag ships they are almost all crewed by the maritime unions, the unions have contracts with the shipping companies, there are no individual contracts. If you get a MMC and join the union the jobs are called in the halls in the U.S., most crew changes are done in the U.S. In the case of a crew change overseas the job is still filled at the U.S. hall. In the case of an pay-off overseas, many countries take steps to ensure mariners leave the country and will not allow mariners off the ship without a ticket back to the U.S. It’s also in the companies intrest that mariners return direct to the U.S.

9

Your best bet is to find a gig on a yacht. They will hire deckhands to do an ocean crossing and the job will be finished upon arrival. Try cruisers forum or something of the like.
This is good advice, and it might be my best option. I was hoping not to have to work for a spoiled yachty though…I’ll look into other cruiser forums (and I’ve read about couch sailing, which I guess wouldn’t be paid). Is there anyone by chance at gCaptain that has experience with this?

10

Tell us a little bit more about yourself. Where are you located, do you have any experience around the water, level of education. I’m also interested in what drew you to this idea. There’s probably far better options to achieve what you want to do then trying to get a job on a ship.

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[QUOTE=LI_Domer;166842]Tell us a little bit more about yourself. Where are you located, do you have any experience around the water, level of education. I’m also interested in what drew you to this idea. There’s probably far better options to achieve what you want to do then trying to get a job on a ship.[/QUOTE]

I’m in my late 20s. I’ve worked an office job for a few years as a Software Engineer, so I’ve been able to save up some money. I want to do some international bicycle touring, but I’d like to do it for as cheap as possible so I can travel for as long as possible (ideally, switching between working 6 months and bikepacking 6 months, for at least 3 years–likely more). And I don’t want to fly. So I’m searching for a way to get free travel over the oceans, but if I can get paid to do it–all the better. Again, I’m not afraid to start at the very bottom, work very hard, and earn less than minimum wage.

I’m currently travelling all over America. From Argentina to Canada.

From a practical perspective, I have zero experience on the water. But just to get my feet wet, and see if this was something I could do, I joined a sailing club last year. For a few months, I learned to sail a dingy, and I passed to get their “junior skipper” rating. It’s nothing I can market, but I learned a lot, and I’m interested in gaining sea time so I can actually market myself as a sailor. And, of course, I’m very drawn to the sea. So it’s not just about getting across the ocean. Spending several months hopping port-to-port, mostly at sea, is something I want to experience.

12

Try Sea Shepherd.

13

Hahahaha

"Spending several months hopping from Port to port
Mostly at sea, is something I want to experience "

So do a lot of guys hanging around all the union halls, licensed and unlicensed.

14

"Spending several months hopping from Port to port
Mostly at sea, is something I want to experience "

I want to shack up with Jennifer Lawrence 3 to 12 times. However, I don’t want any kind of relationship whatsoever, just shack up. I would work very hard to please her, although I must admit I’m mainly doing this for my own pleasure. Could someone please tell me how I should go about achieving this. Please let me know if this is not the correct forum to ask this question(I don’t want to seem like a dumbass).

15

I want Giselle Blunden to please, and I want some playing time when I am done with the Pats. Then I want to be an os.

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[QUOTE=hawsepiper.vgf4wv;166825]I’d like to steer clear from anything involving the military industrial complex.[/QUOTE]

[QUOTE=hawsepiper.vgf4wv;166841]I was hoping not to have to work for a spoiled yachty though.[/QUOTE]

This dude sounds like a hippy. He probably wouldn’t fit in on a ship anyway.

17

This guy didn’t really start his question properly. What he meant to say was.

I am a disenfranchised occupy wall street protester who’s parents are getting tired of paying bills. They have told me to get a JOB (sigh) and I just can’t see myself working for the “MAN”. There aren’t any really good protests going on and those #livesmatter protests just aren’t all that interesting. What I would really like to do is just bum around Europe and ride my bike… but that would cost a pile of money and my parents have decided that they won’t finance this soul searching experience. I figure I would be really good on a boat… I mean, I sailed a sunfish and it was kind of fun and I like baths…sooooo why not? Hey… would be a free trip to Europe and maybe enough money to buy my beer and pot (I AM going to Amsterdam of course) once I got there. I would probably fit in on the boat cause I know how to hang with the blue collar people. I don’t really know what I will be asked to do on the boat, but I am guessing a lot of mopping… that sounds right doesn’t it? That shouldn’t be too bad. I will get a killer tan up there on deck! Yeah… I know I could work on a yacht… but gosh it would be really awkward if I ran into that guy that I threw garbage at while I was protesting… and besides I am so jealous of those rich people that I don’t think I could serve them breakfast with out dumping it on their heads. By the way, there will be internet access on these boats right?

18

Not to be too harsh… and I had a little fun re-writing the post… but like everyone has tried to say… you can’t just “hop a freighter” and get a free ride.

There actually is a small market for being able to pay (you pay… they don’t pay you) to ride on a cargo ship. I have seen reports that it can cost about 100/day. That would cost money for him… but he would be getting some of the experience he craves. Try googling that. From what I have read, you may have to book pretty far in advance… maybe 6 months. But, this would probably be a neat way to see some stuff.

They also go to cool places like Australia…

19

[QUOTE=hawsepiper.vgf4wv;166843]I’m in my late 20s. I’ve worked an office job for a few years as a Software Engineer, so I’ve been able to save up some money. I want to do some international bicycle touring, but I’d like to do it for as cheap as possible so I can travel for as long as possible (ideally, switching between working 6 months and bikepacking 6 months, for at least 3 years–likely more). And I don’t want to fly. So I’m searching for a way to get free travel over the oceans, but if I can get paid to do it–all the better. Again, I’m not afraid to start at the very bottom, work very hard, and earn less than minimum wage.

I’m currently travelling all over America. From Argentina to Canada.

From a practical perspective, I have zero experience on the water. But just to get my feet wet, and see if this was something I could do, I joined a sailing club last year. For a few months, I learned to sail a dingy, and I passed to get their “junior skipper” rating. It’s nothing I can market, but I learned a lot, and I’m interested in gaining sea time so I can actually market myself as a sailor. And, of course, I’m very drawn to the sea. So it’s not just about getting across the ocean. Spending several months hopping port-to-port, mostly at sea, is something I want to experience.[/QUOTE]
Try the Latitude 38 crew forums- prior experience not always preferred- I like my crew to just do it my way! :smiley:

20

Try NOAA wage Mariners. They have an augmentation pool, where you get assigned to a ship for two weeks to several months, depending on how much they need you. I knew a few people who would work really hard for 6-8 months and then go travel the rest of the year.

It’s not going to be how you envisioned it by getting off at exotic ports around the world and traveling. But, some ships visit cool ports in the South Pacific.

This job gives you flexibility to do what you want after making money.