What’s going on guys ? Just wondering does a AB have different duties depending on what type of vessel they are working on. Had this dude he was arguing with our mate because he thinks he shouldn’t be working the deck. Of course my mate chewed him out and told him he’s just a “Glorified Deckhand” lol but yea is there a difference or do all AB’s still work the deck ?
An AB isn’t a “glorified deckhand”, they are just a fucking deckhand. They have sea time and have proven they know how to do the job and hopefully have some modicum of skill. That’s why they’re an Able Seaman instead of an Ordinary Seaman.
He should do whatever he’s told. All it means is that he should be able to know how to do every task.
[QUOTE=Mjordan22;174787]What’s going on guys ? Just wondering does a AB have different duties depending on what type of vessel they are working on. Had this dude he was arguing with our mate because he thinks he shouldn’t be working the deck. Of course my mate chewed him out and told him he’s just a “Glorified Deckhand” lol but yea is there a difference or do all AB’s still work the deck ?[/QUOTE]
Yes AB’s work the deck. Some have watchstanding duties also but never alone(unless its a fishing boat or something)They are like a deckhand, but with the ticket they typically have more experience, but as far as any boat/ship I have been on, they are still the chipping and painting specialists on board. Except on drillships, there they request parts and try to stay out of sight. Contractors do the painting on drillships.
On union contracted ships there are watch-standing AB’s. They stand 2 four hour watches on the bridge.
If they work the deck, it is during overtime hours, and only if they want to. I think this has to do with safety (minimum manning on the bridge, work/rest hours, having a lookout etc) and the union contract. They are also at the helm during maneuvering.
[QUOTE=Mjordan22;174787]What’s going on guys ? Just wondering does a AB have different duties depending on what type of vessel they are working on. Had this dude he was arguing with our mate because he thinks he shouldn’t be working the deck.[/QUOTE]
If he feels he isn’t supposed to be ‘working the deck’ then what the hell is in his job description?
Depending on the size crew, the AB has many duties, including chipping/painting, watch-standing, sanitary etc…a small enough crew say on a tug or OSV the AB may share cooking and engine room duties as well. Off the top of my head I know of a couple tug outfits that want their licensed or unlicensed engineers to hold ABs, but that is more of manning issue I think…
Being the non deep sea guy I am (working with small crews), I’ve always felt no one is above/below or beyond anything. A good example of that is the captain leaving skidmarks in a common toilet…scrub it yourself!
There can be that conundrum regarding union based jurisdictions and such, but that’s another thread in itself.
In one of the STCW classes I took we watched a video about an accident case study of a ship that ran aground. One of the contributing factors was that all the watch standing AB’s were well over there work hours by an exceeding amount (they were helping on deck). They had an unqualified deckhand do the watch standing instead and it contributed to the ship running aground. It was non US flagged and they were non union.
I sailed for a number of years on a ship where we routinely had the watch A.B. outside chipping and painting (or working on some other cleaning project if the weather wasn’t favorable). On other ships, they would have never had the watch A.B. out there working while he was supposed to be on lookout. Bear in mind that these ships were within the same union and mostly the same company. I’m curious what type of vessel the OP is referring to in his story of the disgruntled A.B.?
[QUOTE=cajaya;174796]In one of the STCW classes I took we did an accident case study about a ship that ran aground. One of the contributing factors was that all the watch standing AB’s were well over there work hours by an exceeding amount (they were helping on deck). They had an unqualified deckhand do the watch standing instead and it contributed to the ship running aground. It was non US flagged and they were non union.[/QUOTE]
I recall a similiar scenario. Not sure if you are referring to that video I think it was called ‘the human element.’ The chief mate being burned out and not paying attention to that OS and blowing him off while making him feel like an idiot didn’t help.
On smaller vesssels, i.e. tugs and osvs as we know usually an AB or engineer may wear many hats. The STCW rules regarding rest is always a hot button issue. I have yet to work on a boat thats crewed to the point that no one ever gets called off watch, but that’s just me.
Mjordan, as an AB you do what you are told, regardless of what you think your job description is. The only time you stand up for yourself is if there is a valid concern about safety. Otherwise you can pass your grievance on to your union or company rep, but that is usually a waste of time. Your shipmate will most likely not be aboard much longer, and probably won’t be advancing much past his current position.
The ships I work on hand AB watchman who work on deck and AB wheelsman who strictly steer the ship and that’s it. He has some truth to his argument but at the end of the day he’s still an AB which is a deckhand.
Have AB watchman**
[QUOTE=Enarubin;174800]The ships I work on have AB watchman who work on deck and AB wheelsman who strictly steer the ship and that’s it. He has some truth to his argument but at the end of the day he’s still an AB which is a deckhand.[/QUOTE]
But they’re both ABs so his argument that “I’m an AB, not a deckhand” is bullshit. Maybe he was a watchstanding AB previously and now he’s on tugs where there is no such thing, I don’t know the whole story, but he’s still a deckhand.
[QUOTE=Mjordan22;174787]What’s going on guys ? Just wondering does a AB have different duties depending on what type of vessel they are working on. Had this dude he was arguing with our mate because he thinks he shouldn’t be working the deck. Of course my mate chewed him out and told him he’s just a “Glorified Deckhand” lol but yea is there a difference or do all AB’s still work the deck ?[/QUOTE]
Somewhere, there is a list of duties that he was hired on to perform.
Which is why I said there is a small amount of truth to that however at the end of the day an AB is still a deckhand. Did you read what I said?
Just a couple of job descriptions that I found.
http://www.whoi.edu/HR/page.do?pid=39907&tid=282&cid=33360
https://sealiftcommand.com/payscales/able-seaman/
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Further to the above, my time at sea well preceded STCW requirements. I certainly remember ABs standing wheel watches AND breaking out on deck for chipping, painting, splicing (especially on break bulk ships) and other duties. On hawser tugs, I would occasionally use one as an extra set of hands in the engine room, even more so when, like at Crowley, I was the entire engine department. Not very often, mind you. The level of whining was often deafening.
[QUOTE=Enarubin;174808]Which is why I said there is a small amount of truth to that however at the end of the day an AB is still a deckhand. Did you read what I said?[/QUOTE]
I wasn’t disagreeing with you. I was using your post to further my point.
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[QUOTE=cmakin;174811]https://sealiftcommand.com/payscales/able-seaman/[/QUOTE]
The part people often forget is this line from that description:
“Performs all other duties as assigned.”
Indeed. And even union contracts have that or similar language “as not to fuck up the operation of the vessel” so do whatever you’re told, you can file a grievance later if needed.
Ahhh…but what if he has a 6 Pac/ OUPV license?? Doesn’t that make him the same thing as a mate…he has a deck license too!! And license levels don’t mean anything after all…it’s more about perceived ability. I’m willing to bet that said AB had 6 Pac license and that mate was way out of line.
I’m actually thinking that what matters is the job that he was hired to do and where he fell in the chain of command on the boat. Even if the guy held a deck license and in fact might have more credentials that the Mate… he still has to do the job he was hired to do which in this case apparently involves deckhand duties. In addition, it is in everyone’s best interest to do what is needed to fulfill the vessel’s purpose. If that means the captain has to cook a meal, or the mate has to work the deck… whatever… sometimes you need to do what you need to do. Maybe not a union centric opinion. But in the Gulf right now, I hazard a guess that there are lots of guys doing work “beneath” the qualifications they hold.