Work / Rest regulations and actual work hours aboard ship

Coastal Transportation Inc.
Per day, over a 25-day voyage:

image

There are no legal work hour restrictions on these vessels.

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Everyone on ships knows this. Sadly whatever “rules” exist whether thru the companies own SMS , flag state or IMO are not written by people such as yourself.
In conversations with fellow retirees we often celebrate the fact that we were not involved in some catastrophe due to inadequate manning prior to our retirement. Many retired early due to that crap game and got out before the dice rolled the wrong way.

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This doesn’t really paint the entire picture, though. I could have twelve hours off in one day, but if it’s broken into 12 1-hour rest periods (1 on/1 off) it’s not really doing me any good.

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The work hours seem realistic but averages can be misleading. Annual pay per position would be interesting assuming overtime is paid.
At any rate we appreciate your continued input.

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Under MLC one period has to be a minimum of 6 hours.

3 posts were merged into an existing topic: Thread Clean-up Dustbin

According to the MLC (Maritime Labour Convention) 2006, the minimum hours of rest for seafarers working on a ship should be: 10 hours in a period of 24 hours – This can be divided into no more than 2 periods. One of these periods has to be at least 6 hours in length.
US is not a signatory to MLC’06, so it does not apply to vessel under US flag,
Or do US-flag vessels in international trade have to comply, just in case they should get PSC inspected in a foreign port(??)

The company he works for is US flag and therefore does not have to comply with MLC. I’m not saying they do/do not comply, just that they don’t hVe to and that the graphic he provided does not paint a full picture.

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Underway, officers work 6/6 or 4/8. The normal watch patterns for, say, a tug. M/V Coastal Standard always sails with 2 mates. The other boats sail with one or two mates depending on how many mates are available (some years lots, lately not so much).

If there is a second mate aboard there will be a day crossing the Gulf where the captain and chief mate go 6/6 so the second mate can help the deck crew with maintenance. Also, if the 2nd mate does not have pilot waiver competency yet for the BC IP, then the other deck officers go 6/6 on the IP (maybe 1 to 2 days northbound, same southbound), with the 2nd observing until he gets his route time approved.

Cargo ops in Dutch Harbor are pretty much a breakfast to dinner thing these days. Once they knock off the day is over. DH cargo ops last about 5 days. Hence the reason why on a 6/6 boat the average drops to below 12 hours a day for a voyage.

Bellingham ops, near the end of the voyage, were usually a single jag of about 10-14 hours, more or less, because that is the window of time the cold storage dockers operate. Captain often goes to sleep during the ops to take the boat to Seattle afterwards.

This last A-season (Jan to March 2022, busiest time of the of the year) the longest single day for any CTI crew member was 16 hours. This was usually a captain, and usually on either a sailing day, or a day in DH.

(The stats shown were compiled by captains over ten voyages, in an annual survey. The captain sets the hours for the rest of the crew. For the survey the chef engineer self-reported his hours, and the assistant’s hours, to the captain.)

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Back in the day chief mates sailing in product tankers were a class apart from the rest of the human race in not requiring sleep or rest periods. The 2nd mate and third mate were 6/6 but some port calls involving 4 or 5 berths the 6 off was elusive.
With the introduction of crude oil washing with its placement of the control heads, monitoring of ullage meters, mooring lines and the requirement to have the cargo control room manned by a certified officer 6/6 didn’t work for 3 people. In the company I worked for on ULCC’s the junior mates went 6/6 24 hours before our port call. The theory being the mate charged up sleep like a battery. Yeah, I hear you!
On sailing he repaired to his bunk for another 24.
I can remember as 2nd mate sailing from Rotterdam in a clean set of coveralls, one of the Indian ordinary seaman washed them for extra overtime. The coveralls were over an unwashed body after 6 hours cargo work, 6 hours on station, and into 6 hours on watch in one of the most congested areas for shipping in the world.

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The relevant code for U.S. vessels would be 46 CFR § 15.1111 - Work hours and rest periods. At least AFAIK.

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At one time tankers carried an “extra third mate” and the chief mate was a day worker… They went away about the same time as the 2nd pumpman, watch standing OSs, and day working Bosuns.

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That’s only for vessels bound by STCW.

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US flag vessels in international trade are almost all required to be STCW complaint which means they meet MLC rest hours requirements.

Nearly all coastwise tankers do this now. Two 3M, day working CM, dayworking Bosun.

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Fine by me. Second Mate is the best job on the ship. :joy:

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Two third mates and day working CM here, but no pumpman and bosun is a watchstander

No pumpman?? Then who does all the greasing!

The same crew that loads the fuel :laughing: