[QUOTE=cmakin;74033]Was that the Charlotte, Margret or, oh, man, I forget; those old German Express Class ships? They were my regular customers when Lykes moved their container operation to Galveston. I even saw some old shipmates on those.[/QUOTE]
They were good ships. It was the Charlotte, the year was 1986, Captain, Chief Mate, Chief Engineer, and 2nd A/E (me) were Kings Pointers. This was before container ops were moved to Galveston. One thing I well recall, it was so cold in Bremerhaven that Feb in 86 we had a hell of a time keeping the fuel warm enough to use - believe me - we were using “navy special” (almost like bunker C) - we had diesel fuel for starting but every time we switched over - opps! Funny, all the equipment had an identification tag, in German. How could I ever forget ABHITZEKESSEL.
[QUOTE=Sweat-n-Grease;74062]They were good ships. It was the Charlotte, the year was 1986, Captain, Chief Mate, Chief Engineer, and 2nd A/E (me) were Kings Pointers. This was before container ops were moved to Galveston. One thing I well recall, it was so cold in Bremerhaven that Feb in 86 we had a hell of a time keeping the fuel warm enough to use - believe me - we were using “navy special” (almost like bunker C) - we had diesel fuel for starting but every time we switched over - opps! Funny, all the equipment had an identification tag, in German. How could I ever forget ABHITZEKESSEL.[/QUOTE]
When the CHARLOTTE was my regular customer in Galveston, the chiefs were Bob Davis (Calhoun) and Jim Forbes (?) (KP part timer). I had sailed with both of them when I was a cadet and they were sailing as 1AE (on different ships). There couldn’t be two more different people. Man, this was back in the early 90s. I was out on the MARGARET when she got t-boned by that Korean tanker, too.
[QUOTE=cmakin;74077]When the CHARLOTTE was my regular customer in Galveston, the chiefs were Bob Davis (Calhoun) and Jim Forbes (?) (KP part timer). I had sailed with both of them when I was a cadet and they were sailing as 1AE (on different ships). There couldn’t be two more different people. Man, this was back in the early 90s. I was out on the MARGARET when she got t-boned by that Korean tanker, too.[/QUOTE]
WOW !!
I don’t know Bob but I sure remember Jim. We got along just fine - He owned a pig farm in Oregon - he was a giant of a man - We lost contact as the years sped by, then I found out he died. If one lives long enough this happens - and often. Jim, being a big man in his first year at KP, was a target for the 2nd classmen who, as I look back, had mental issues with growing-up. Jim, said fuck it, I quit - he had more balls than I. This “regimental” system is worse than useless, great propaganda, interesting press, but totally worthless.
BTW, it was Feb 1987, not 1986, when we couldn’t c/o fuel oil without an oops due to the cold.
I don’t recall the “t-boned” thingy but then again I might be in my dotage.
Now, in case one might wonder just what do these post exchanges have anything to do with the thread’s purpose, I post, let the Colonel reply.
I am not sure how many of you are actively sailing still or not but if you were AMO members you would know that there is a serious shortage of officers (especially engineers) in the US flag fleet. There are an incredible amount of jobs available right now. On my ship alone there are three third mate, one 3AE, and one 2AE jobs vacant right now and it’s a high paying ship! 3rds make six figures for six months of work!
The reason for the shortage is the high demand for American Officers(KPers included) in the offshore oil production market and the decline of licensed personnel graduating from state schools. I guess if companies are hiring American officers, and they don’t have to because they are foreign flagged, the schools are training these officers well.
So, unless we start requiring state school graduates who pay for their education to go to sea then I wouldn’t call for any school to shutdown especially KP where students are obliged to go to sea. So to sum this all up, who is going to drive all these ships we have in reserve to war if we can’t even man the ships we got in peace?
Obligated to goto sea?..what as coasties and naval aviators?.. It’s called the Merchant Marine Academy but almost every F’ing cadet that I’ve sailed with since 2001 wanted to do something else other than sail.
Why don’t you enlighten everyone on the “waivers” that everyone covets?
You’re just mad you didn’t get into flight school or grad school…
[QUOTE=tankerman06;75165]I am not sure how many of you are actively sailing still or not but if you were AMO members you would know that there is a serious shortage of officers (especially engineers) in the US flag fleet. There are an incredible amount of jobs available right now. On my ship alone there are three third mate, one 3AE, and one 2AE jobs vacant right now and it’s a high paying ship! 3rds make six figures for six months of work!
The reason for the shortage is the high demand for American Officers(KPers included) in the offshore oil production market and the decline of licensed personnel graduating from state schools. I guess if companies are hiring American officers, and they don’t have to because they are foreign flagged, the schools are training these officers well.
So, unless we start requiring state school graduates who pay for their education to go to sea then I wouldn’t call for any school to shutdown especially KP where students are obliged to go to sea. So to sum this all up, who is going to drive all these ships we have in reserve to war if we can’t even man the ships we got in peace?[/QUOTE]
REPLY The AMO has a reputation for very low pay. AMO is viewed as a last resort. If your ship happens to be “high paying” virtually ever other AMO member would want to be on it. If your ship has trouble attracting officers, there must be something wrong with the working conditions or the pay.
The foreign flagged vessels working in the oil patch on the US Outer Continental shelf are required to have US officers and crew. However, they can get US work visas for some foreign crew and enforcement of the hire American requirement is uneven. If they had a choice, they would not hire very many Americans.
The academies have been dumping far to many graduates into the industry and suppressing wages for many years. Right now there is boom in the oil field that is creating enough maritime jobs, but in a few years this will pass and we’ll be right back to the academies dumping too many people into the market — with most mariners underemployed at low wages.
What’s funny is how every post I read on this forum is so negative. Everybody wants to post what’s wrong with everything and never look at the positive aspects of life but I guess sailors love to bitch and moan. I love to sail. I love the guys I work with but I will not apologize for have a positive experience at and school and sea. So my suggestion to all the negative nancys go find your happy place and leave good opportunities for young people trying to make it alone.
yeah obligated to cheat on sea projects… i was sailing O/S in 2001 and the cadet onboard did a sea project… Then as 3rd mate on a ship, i saw our cadet copying the same project… Cheating was not part of my education at A&M
Ok son, I’ll give you a five second head start if you plan to keep on going down this road because soon I’m gonna have to bring out the pointy stick and you don’t want me to bring out my pointy stick!
[QUOTE=tankerman06;75214]What’s funny is how every post I read on this forum is so negative. Everybody wants to post what’s wrong with everything and never look at the positive aspects of life but I guess sailors love to bitch and moan. I love to sail. I love the guys I work with but I will not apologize for have a positive experience at and school and sea. So my suggestion to all the negative nancys go find your happy place and leave good opportunities for young people trying to make it alone.[/QUOTE]
tankerman, most of us here have and are posting positive ideas about needful changes. If you read my post where I said I’d like to see KP open its doors to all active US Merchant Seaman, Unlicensed and Licensed, for training and upgrading, toss out that needless regimental system, it’s only use was to satisfy the US Navy and to produce Reserve Officers, THAT need disappeared decades ago. KP should no longer be a Service Academy, it should be a useful training tool for our current maritime needs ONLY. No more KP graduates heading into the Marine Corps, Navy, Coast Guard - simply a Unites States Maritime School - period. So, is THAT being a negative nancy? I guess it depends upon the reader’s bias, doesn’t it. Me being a graduate, I’m pleased you are sailing and certainly wish you the best in life…
They want to involve NOAA because NOAA ships are the ONLY ships in the US that accrue 2 for 1 sea days for officers, and KP certainly want’s to get as many upwardly mobile students as possible to at least make it look presentable to newbies.
Originally Posted by tankerman06
What’s funny is how every post I read on this forum is so negative. Everybody wants to post what’s wrong with everything and never look at the positive aspects of life but I guess sailors love to bitch and moan. I love to sail. I love the guys I work with but I will not apologize for have a positive experience at and school and sea. So my suggestion to all the negative nancys go find your happy place and leave good opportunities for young people trying to make it alone.
You should attend a class. It is called ‘critical reading and thinking.’ You may have to learn how to read an entire story to grasp the whole concept. Sometimes ‘cliffnotes’ just don’t cut it! Sometimes all the ‘flashy lights and things’ makes it hard to see what is really in front of you. (You will find out about that in some class called ‘Rules of the Road’ Something about lights and visibility, backscatter and taking all into account when making decisions.) You will get it… eventually… Maybe.
