Who gets new boats?

Maritime Topics Tugs & Towing
#1

Question…

Does your company assign crews to NEW boats as a reward for years of excellent service?, or do they crew the boats with boneheads that should be able to at least keep a new one afloat?

Maybe something in the middle?

When you reply please state weather you’ve been assigned to a new build or are keeping an old rust bucket going.

I’m keeping a tired out, cheaply built, pile of crap from visiting Davy Jones locker. (And dreaming of a BRAND NEW, WELL DESIGNED, WELL BUILT AND PROFESSIONALLY CREWED MASTERPIECE!..I said dreaming.)

#2

[quote=seadog!;13687]Question…

Does your company assign crews to NEW boats as a reward for years of excellent service?, or do they crew the boats with boneheads that should be able to at least keep a new one afloat?

Maybe something in the middle?

When you reply please state weather you’ve been assigned to a new build or are keeping an old rust bucket going.

I’m keeping a tired out, cheaply built, pile of crap from visiting Davy Jones locker. (And dreaming of a BRAND NEW, WELL DESIGNED, WELL BUILT AND PROFESSIONALLY CREWED MASTERPIECE!..I said dreaming.)[/quote]

I don’t want a brand new boat. Give me one that is about three years old, and has been broken in and made liveable. A new boat right out of the shipyard is a pain in the ass.

#3

I’ll second that…was on the “new technology” had a tech or two come down everytime we bumped the dock…when questioned was told by more than one that “it takes 2-3 years too work all the bugs out”…talk about job security!

I’m too old for that ST…FK a bunch of "new technology!

#4

Seadawg…You are an endangered species.

#5

Capt. Lee

not just endangered…hopefully in a few years extinct!!

you haven’t lived until the dp tries to run you under the rig…I can manage that maneuver on my own thank you very much!

#6

[quote=seadog!;13687]Question…

Does your company assign crews to NEW boats as a reward for years of excellent service?, or do they crew the boats with boneheads that should be able to at least keep a new one afloat?

[/quote]

I worked for ECO for almost 10 years. They had their favorites for different departments to take out new supply vessels. They were guys that the office knew they could count on to go through the growing pains of a new vessel. C_A is right though about a lot of people not wanting to go through the trouble. I always thought it to be an honor to be chosen to bring out a new vessel and for the Large Anchor Handlers Chouest has it is indeed and they are very picky of who fills the key positions, i.e. Lead and Relief, etc. Sometimes on the supply vessels you would have a guy that leap frogs from new boat to new boat. After the bugs are worked out they leave it in the capable hands of the new Master. I think it is fair to give those positions to people that have been with the company instead of new hires, but in some cases the company is expanding so quickly that new hires get lucky on a new vessel. Which has happened at Chouest, but not very often.

#7

In aviation the guys that bring the new ones out are called “test pilots”. The best of the best.

You can resist new technology, as I have. You can’t avoid it, because I haven’t.

Learn it and live with it.

Never turn down a new boat. It’s a pain in the ass, but it’s a feather in your cap. The fact that the company asked (told) you to do it means a lot.

Nemo

#8

I second this one, plus do you really want to be the guy who scratched the paint or put the first dent in it?

#9

Nope. I applaud the guys who want the feather in the cap, but my career arc passed that point long ago. Give me a nice relief gig any day.

#10

I’m currently building a new ship but wouldn’t give up my time on a rust bucket for anything.

#11

Dreams DO come true!

I’m ridin’ the newest sled in town.

18 and 20 hour days for over a month now, but she’s sweet.

#12

I have seen it all: floating scraps and brand new-buildings.
Above comments are right:

Newbuilding is pain in the ass: to start and file all the paperwork and ISM. Making new ISM guides, etc…
Then familiarisation with vsl; if shipyard staff do not show you around - it takes time, patience, sometimes a risk - what will happen when you push the button?

And additional paperwork: writing claim reports during waranty period.
A lot of small technical problems to solve, etc…

If you are not additionally paid: the question is - why to do it for the same money?
Are you doing it for the money / or glory? (Next point)

The Glory Staff:
It’s a great thing if the owner have enough trust in you to give you his new multi-million dollar asset. You can feel proud of yourself - and disregard the underpaid part (sucker…)

For me: It was allways the challenge (I am a bit naive…) to take something new, and test new technology and make it work. Paperwork, as master I try to delegate to junior staff (3rd OOW, 2nd OOW, etc…).

Regarding the part of question do they take good or lousy crew, etc… for newbuilding.
This depends of the company crewing policy.
But this means:
Is the owner going to take Amererican (expensive), or
Indian (cheap) labor.

This is basically the question of flag and for companies registering under FOC.

If the flag is US… then the question becomes more tricky, but I am under impression that to take the flagship out of shipyard - it takes a flag master to do, which means - they will choose a good one.
For this I may be wrong, but as said - It is my impression, and it would be my choice.

And finally, if you want a good ride:
Take a vessel 2-3 years old, with already set paperwork, running machinery, and closed claims. This one you will enjoy.

#13

I’ve got about 12-13 years total on the river and have never been on a brand new boat that I was supposed to work on until a couple years ago.
In Sept 2007,my river towing/fleeting/warehousing outfit got a brand spanking new AMERICAN built 1300 bhp “lunch bucket” towboat with lots of bells and whistles.
It’s got an electronic wheelhouse with the first(to my knowledge) AIS unit in the Memphis area,the latest cat 3208D engines,video systems all over,CO2 engine room flooding and even a galley,though it doesn’t have a stove.
It’s pretty well loved since we had been renting a harbor boat from one of our client companies since the previous boat didn’t have the horsepower to deal with loaded rock barges and the 8+mph current of the Mississippi in the Memphis area.
Granted we wore the new boat look off her quickly to the chagrin of the boss by bouncing her around the barges fleeted up but there have been few growing pains:the air compressor condensation drain was piped inside the hull instead of to the water and the rudder rams were not calibrated with the guages before delivery.Everything else is just a yard goof like having the ventilation fans blowing onto the superstructure instead of astern where it won’t dirty the boat.
Everything works and if it breaks can easily be fixed.So nice to have a new boat.

#14

At my company, you start on the newest boat and if you screw up you get excised to a less desirable boat. I don’t know how less desirable they are as I have only seen them in passing… I hope I didn;t just jinks myself…

#15

In the end…a boat’s a boat. You do the best you can with what you are given to work with…vessel or crew…I’ve worked with brand new to just able to do the job…:eek:…vessel or crew…

#16

Good question.

My company has ‘seen the light’ and is pretty consistently giving the new (re) builds to only 1600 ton guys, who can read, speak and at least give the outward appearance of professionalism.

The old dinosaurs have been relegated to the conventional boats. This is not to say all the guys on the wire and hawser boats are to old to meld into the new technology, but some just don’t want to. Sort of like the guys who swore they’d NEVER change over to coal because sail was much more economical! That argument lost too!