As I am sure you may have all read, i’ve been working on ferries and basically anything else that will let me on board for the summer to start getting sea time. I used to be in the private yacht industry on the shore side, just recently I got offered a job on a 400,000 lbs displacement expedition yacht. Pay is fantastic, benefits (three meals a day 5 days a week or 7 days a week if I live on board) are great. It’s based out of my home city so when I’m not down in the carribean or up on the vineyard with the yacht you work 8-4 mon-fri. I personally know one of the mates and he says it’s about 6 months of taking care of the yacht and about 6 months away from the dock.
My major question is would this work be looked at in a good light or bad light when working towards my ultimate goal of working on a tugboat or other commercial boat. I will be an assistant to the licensed engineer on board, basically they want me to learn what he does so he can leave the boat once in a while and I can take care of the minor tasks. I do not know the horsepower but it is run by two CAT marine engines.
Also this experience will count towards my AB or Engineer ticket on my MMD correct? Also if I live aboard I would be required to do an 8 hour watch each day, does that mean that I could technically count 365 days of sea time in one year?
[QUOTE=tank3355;74353], just recently I got offered a job on a 400,000 lbs displacement expedition yacht.
Also this experience will count towards my AB or Engineer ticket on my MMD correct? Also if I live aboard I would be required to do an 8 hour watch each day, does that mean that I could technically count 365 days of sea time in one year?[/QUOTE]
First what is the TONNAGE? Not the POUNDAGE! Gross Tons, Gross Registered Tons,GRT whatever. I needs to be over 200tons to count for much of anything
Second, no all days aboard are not sea days. Only underway days would count day for day. Dock days are 1 for 3 but most likely you would only be submitting the seatime on a small vessel form anyway since it is a yacht and not a commercial vessel.
Third, I don’t want a guy on my boat who has hardly any commercial vessel experience…the yacht world and our world are a million miles apart.
[QUOTE=c.captain;74364]First what is the TONNAGE? Not the POUNDAGE! Gross Tons, Gross Registered Tons,GRT whatever. I needs to be over 200tons to count for much of anything
Second, no all days aboard are not sea days. Only underway days would count day for day. Dock days are 1 for 3 but most likely you would only be submitting the seatime on a small vessel form anyway since it is a yacht and not a commercial vessel.
Third, I don’t want a guy on my boat who has hardly any commercial vessel experience…the yacht world and our world are a million miles apart.[/QUOTE]
i agree 100 percent, and that’s what i’m worried about, I think it is a great way to get some hands on knowledge of systems but I worry that it will be a mark on my resume where I only hear about how I worked on a yacht and it’s not real work or whatever .
And if I remember correctly it’s 214 grt with dual 2000 hp engines. My primary responsibility would be caring for the engines and systems with the engineer, they assured me that I am not going to be cleaning the outside etc. but also assured me I will probably wish I was when I’m fixing the things going wrong. Just a thought and the pay being over 60k it’s tempting for a more or less entry level position.
[QUOTE=lemurian;74389]Play with a stewardess. Enjoy it.[/QUOTE]
That is something I wholeheartedly endorse and recommend! Indeed with all you have indicated so far, I think you are stupid not to take the job and have fun with it. This bloody career at sea needs to be more fun and not less which sadly is exactly the direction it seems to be going for all of us.
Come back here after you start and tell us about all the poontang our there!
Yes - Take the job. Sounds fantastic.
Have fun while you can. When this gig fizzles out (like every gig does eventually) you can then apply to the unglamours world of commercial shipping.
Who knows ,maybe one of the cute stewardeses father owns a shipyard and is looking for a sharp young lad to manage his excursions. (Hey - it could happen)
I guess my philosphy is you only live once, life is a journey - not a destination- so you may as well enjoy the ride.[/QUOTE]
Naw son, you’re right and imo you didn’t say anything you shouldn’t have. Don’t know why SirSandwich said what he did? Maybe his underwear is chaffing today? I really hate it when my underwear used to chafe me…so I decided to not wear it anymore! Ah the feeling of freedom…next will be a skirt so I can feel the cool breeze!
(actually many older men develop a weird penchant to start wearing very inappropriate apparel or worse delve into nudity that is beyond bizarre as to be pathologically perverse. You see them all over the place on the beaches of Florida…ewwww, there should be an island for them somewhere!)
A friend of mine used to work on a yacht. 18+ hour days, 7 days a week, for months on end were nothing new for her. She had to quit to get more than a few days off. But if you are going to be in the engine room you might be able to hide from the owners a little better.
Engine room is an engine room. We captains break things you engineers fix it, its the same the world over. That’s about the only job on a yacht that has some practical crossover to the commercial side. If you can talk the owner in to paying for any certifications you can get.
It is possible to work on a yacht without learning any seamanship skills, but it is usually a pretty good learning experience, especially at the entry level. Yacht workers can become good seamen. Many don’t. A broad range of experience on different types of vessels in different places often produces good mariners who can always find a job somewhere.