I always seem to forget how stressful it is. It is a job i love but wouldnt recommend to anyone. Having to deal with being on board again and getting used to waking up every day twice is skmething i still cant get used to.

See you guys later. Hope you all have a peaceful voyage

My maritime acadmey offers only a diploma in maritime operation and is it gon be a helpful? Does it matter if i have a bachlor degree or diploma when i am trying to be a ship captain?

I’m entering my senior year of high school and contemplating what I want to do afterwards. I want to serve in the Navy, so I’m applying to the naval academy (long shot), NROTC, and the Merchant Marine Academy. The USMMA further opened my eyes to maritime, and I found out that the maritime academies offer the strategic sealift officer program. I love to travel and experience/see new things but at the same time I don’t know if being gone for 4+ months is worth it. I hear that the pay is well and there’s benefits, but is it worth it if you’re away from home for so long away from family/friends with below average conditions? I don’t want a boring normal job, like I said I want to explore and experience, but is it worth it? I know I can’t tell unless trying it out, but by the time I try it out it might be too late. All responses are appreciated!!

are all licensed academies/schools 4 years long?

This is the best picture i can take, it’s really far out and huge, looks like a skyscraper on the horizon, but has appeared this morning on the horizon.

There seems to be less information online about your options for working in the galley than there are deck or engine. I'm 29, no professional culinary experience, but a guy at the plant was telling me about the really good money hey made back in the day as a merchant mariner. While researching the field I cane across some videos and forum posts about cooks/stewards, and I'm very interested, but I have a few questions if anybody feels like chiming in.

1. Do you need professional experience? I really enjoy cooking, but don't get to do it nearly as often as I'd like. I've worked 50+ hour weeks for 8 years, and I rarely have anybody to cook for.

2. What paths are available to me? This is something that's a little overwhelming for me. SIU, MSC, just get my training and try to find a job? I could probably swing SIU since I'm currently doing car life to save money. So my only real expenses are my car note, insurance, and cell phone. Lots of time at sea makes MSC appealing, but I'm reading a lot of horror stories about it, and getting the vibe that good food might not be a priority aboard the ships? And obviously if all I need to do is pay for training then that's the route I'd choose.

3. Pay. Not going to lie, the paychecks people talk about after only a few years is a big part of the appeal of shipboard life for me. Will there be a major pay disparity or advancement cap compared to other routes?

Thanks for any advice that can be given. Some of these might be stupid questions, just been having a hard time finding solid answers

ETA: From the states, currently in Vermont.

Hello everyone been on this sub awhile and has given me a lot of useful info so appreciate all the posters for that. Been waiting for my MMC for 60 days + it’s waiting PQE rn but I got a job offer for a 100 ton captains position contingent I get it in the next few weeks. Amy I fucked ? Been awaiting PQE for 9 days now. Any information is appreciated!!!

Hi all, I'm 17 years and going into my final year of college. After college, I plan on attending a maritime school in the UK to train to become a deck officer, and was looking into the medical requirements to get into any of the courses. I have mild tics that I can only assume is tourettes syndrome, though I never got anything formally diagnosed. I'm a bit worried because, although I do not feel limited by my tics, they are very noticeable and therefore my ability to function as a human being is often underestimated as they look far more disabling than they actually are. I feel worried that when I do get my medical, the doctor will then assume I'm unable to work 8 hour shifts, or perform my duties at sea.

I was wondering if this is just a whole lot of nothing, or if I should be concerned about my tics ruining my chances of a career at sea?

Do yall have gyms at your ships or not? Also tell me what other odd "places" you have at your ship

Ahoy everyone!

Quick question.

So I started from the bottom 3.5 years ago and have worked my way up to a 200T Mate NC license. Currently going for my AB limited next month. Also currently getting my commercial drone license(UAG). I’m experienced behind the helm and confidant in operating a vessel or working on deck.

Are there any jobs or companies that will hire me to work overseas in another country even though my licenses are USCG? Or are there US vessels that mainly operate in the pacific? SE Asia region? I’ve really enjoyed spending my time off there and I’d like to be able to work in a similar area. Just not a huge fan of the gulf or East Coast area anymore. Gets kind of old.

Any advice or input would be highly appreciated.

Edit: I’m an engine cadet.

I’m about to have my first sail, how fast do 4 months fly and does it feel everlasting and endless.

I’m battling with these thoughts and I want to face the reality. True answers only.

For reference, I am a big reader and I do have a laptop that runs time killing games.

Additional question: For a container ship (CMA CGM), how many hours am I expected to work?

Thank you in advance! And in no way is this a sh post, rather I keep stressing and looking for friendly advice.

Good morning everyone, I’ll do my best to keep this brief. Over the past month or so I’ve been thinking about getting into the industry and doing some research on what paths I can take and documents I need.

To start i’m 27 and working as a letter carrier for the postal service. While I do enjoy the service I provide to others and the exercise it brings, everything else leaves a lot to be desired. Specifically pay, working conditions and mismanagement. There’s a reason “going postal” is a term, whether you talk to someone who started in the 1970s or 2010s. Outside of the service and exercise, the only other redeeming qualities of the job/career is the fact the company matches 5% of my 401k contributions, I get up to 4 weeks of paid annual leave a year, sick leave and there is a Union (proud union man). Oh and OT after 8 hours, double time (2x base wage) after 10.

On the other hand it sort of feels like I’m at a dead end. As it stands with the current contract, I’m currently making around $27/hr and have close to 9 more years to go until I top out near $37, which is the top pay. I have no desire to move into management as I’ve seen what that’s like from the shop floor level on up. Other craft jobs are getting a bit hard to come by right now, with also similar pay scales, due to budget constraints and downsizing/reorganization from the top down.

With all this in mind, I’m looking to possibly change careers. Maritime was something that interested me when I first was figuring out what I wanted to do at 18 years of age, and now all these years later I’m strongly considering it again.

The potential for long hours, long stretches away from home (especially if deep sea), unexpected holdovers and needing to work with a multitude of environments and crews is something I know I’d face if I ever the industry. The last two are what appeal to me the most. While I know there is also a sort of monotony that comes with the job, being able to work anywhere from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean to the Great Lakes to the Red Sea, under a variety of ships and crews all really appeals to me. But with that being said, please reality check me if you think I have too much of a romantic fantasy in my head when it comes to sailing.

I say this because I’ve seen posts about people studying to come shoreside or get out, and here I am trying to leave my government job to get in.

Do you think I should/can make the jump at 27? Outside of some concerned parents (natural) and a current lease on an apartment I have nothing holding me down currently here in Ohio. Single, No debt, no degree, no kids (don’t plan on having any but would love a serious partner one day), 60k in the bank and nothing outside of nearby family I’m attached to.

I’m considering applying for Piney Point and if I’m fortunate enough to be accepted, getting my AB and working my way up to Bosun over time. Or maybe going to one of the maritime college like Great Lakes Maritime, which is nearest to me, and getting my 3rd mates license. I am however a bit debt averse and while I did get good grades in HS and the first few years of college (3.7 GPA in HS, 3.6 in the 2 years of college I did), I’m not even sure who I would begin to ask for letters of recommendations as It’s been years since I’ve been in school and the PO Isn’t exactly the best opportunity to network. Nevertheless, that is also a path I could take right?

Do you think I should/can make the jump at 27? To those who have career changed, do you enjoy what you’re currently doing? Anything you would’ve done differently if you could go back and do things all over again?

To those possibly looking to getting out, why? And what are you planning on doing next?

Lastly, what advice would you have for a 27 year old looking to get his feet wet really for the first time and get into the industry?

Sorry for the lengthy post, much longer than I expected. Thanks for taking the time to read and respond. Hope you all have a great day.

As the title says , I was recently talking to a colleague about the matter and turns out we both only knew of one and you kind of have to go hard bargaining to get them to strike that deal, all other companies are only paying for time on board. Any input would be appreciated. ( You can name any field , tanker/ containers / etc)

Good day mates,

Anyone here experienced discharging operation in MAP TA PHUT / RAYUNG THAILAND for VLCC tankers? Do ships usually wait in anchorage for days or does it go direct berthing? Are port authorities active?

Thanks in advance!!!

Anyone know if there are currently opportunities for wipers with MFOW? I'm willing to fly to a hall (I live in Tampa, FL), but can't afford to wait while staying in a hotel.

One more question: Their website says to join one needs VPDSD and SA (Security Awareness) but in 2023 the MFOW HQ account on GCaptain only mentioned VPDSD. Do I really need both?

My info: MMC: Wiper, BT, VPDSD

TWIC

Passport

Medical Cert

Recent Drug Test

20 y/o, no experience, Tampa Florida

Edit: To be clear I know I can join, but I'm wondering how long it will take to actually get a job, how crowded the hiring halls are.

Hi, I'm a freshman in highschool looking towards a degree in either Oceanography or Marine Engineering Technology, (used to be Chemical Engineering, Nuclear engineering, and Naval Science, still kinda is). I wish to join the U.S. Navy after College as either a Nuclear Submarine Engineer officer or METOC, then becoming a Maritime Worker after my service. I would like to get a mentor preferably from Cal Maritime or USNA(but that's for a different subreddit) to help me choose my highschool courses and show me how things would work going down that path. My teacher is also currently wanting to find me a mentor but for a little extra help, I've resorted to reddit. I hope I can find one, I'll make another post on a different subreddit to see if I can also find one from USNA, if possible. Thank you for reading this and understanding, have a good rest of your day.

I'm 35 with only an associates in IT and living in KY so out of region of every academy. Looks like it'll be full price no matter where I go. Which would you recommend in this case?

I'm currently applying for my twic, I was born in wurzburg Germany, on the US Army base, and have always been a US citizen. My concern is, what country, state, and city do I put on the application. Do I just put "wurzburg" "Germany" and then state that I am a US citizen?

Hi everyone hope you’re all doing good! So, I want to get into logistics and maritime shipping(booking containers….) and I need some help, I want to create an excel spreadsheet that contains maritime carriers, with every Port of Loading and Port of Discharging that the maritime company operates on (like mearsk, Pol : Shanghai, Pod: Hamburg) So if any one give a help to do this or can guide me on where I can find the required information, I would appreciate it. Thanks

So i've been tasked with making a report regarding one of the UK Club PandI safe practices posters. I was wondering if anyone had an experience of a bad practice casuing some kind of injuries to people or the loss of work material. Any info or heads up on what I could do further investigation is very much appreciated

I’ll start off by saying that I don’t currently plan on working on ships any longer than 8-10 years. Possibly only for ~3 years.

I’ve been doing some reading, and I’m thinking going to sea to save money to live off of and pay for my degree. Of course, the engine room would apply to what I intend to study, but I heard those jobs are harder to obtain through hawsepiping?

I’m in community college for an Associates in Engineering. I might be able to get a technician job on land with that, but after this I want to transfer to a state-university (cheaper) for a 4-year degree in mechanical engineering. I’d like to eventually do work related to design. The California Maritime Academy has an ABET accredited Mechanical Engineering degree that I’m open to transferring to. But if I go there, I’d feel like I should still do the focus in “General ME” which is intended for those that want to have a career in engineering design, not the 3A Engineer License option. Because of this, I’ll also be applying to other universities since the maritime industry isn’t my main focus/plan for my career.

And just to address why I’m looking towards maritime to save money instead of any land job that might be considered easier: My family is super supportive of the idea, we have a lot of relatives in the maritime industry and Navy. I have experience being sent to remote places working extended hours in less-than-hospitable conditions (disaster response), and the prospect of going away for long periods is a draw for me. I have entry-level electrician experience and certifications behind it, but I’m not sure how useful that would be for unlicensed maritime jobs. I might be open to taking easier classes online at sea but for the most part I’ll be completing my degree when I’m shoreside. Also, I have an interest in yacht sailing, and from the info I’ve encountered so far it seems being able to use a “six-pack” captains license (OUPV) is one of the only ways for it to be financially advantageous, rather than disadvantageous, to have your own sailboat. From what I read, I should be able to accumulate the required sea service time for the license as an unlicensed seaman.

So my plan is to accumulate money and sea hours from unlicensed maritime work, aiming for engine room jobs to learn practical engineering skills and put that experience on future job/school applications, and complete the courses needed for my degree between contracts. If I don’t get a better engineering job on land right after getting my degree, I’m open to working in the engine room still but I think I’d personally want to settle down by my 30’s at the latest. My question is: does anything about the above (especially going unlicensed to pay for college) seem deluded, ill-informed, or like generally an impractical idea? Is there a more optimal track you’d recommend to achieve the education and career goals I’ve stated? I know about apprenticeships and academies, but for my particular situation I’d really prefer to start saving money now instead of accumulating debt while getting my degree.

Howdy everyone, I’ve been having a hard time deciding on what I want to do after I finish college. I’ve wanted to join the merchant marines for a while now but I decided I wanted to get my associates at marine mechanic institute first.

Will this help me make more money from the beginning? Eventually I want to be an engineer on a ship but I’m not sure if I would be able to do that just starting out.

Also I received a class c misdemeanor dui two years ago. Will this prevent me from getting my TWIC and MMC? I’ve completely stopped drinking and go to CR classes but I don’t really have evidence of that.

Thanks in advance!

Just looking to get a feel for the company as I'm looking at employment there. Thanks in advance!

Barge "Texas" Pushed by Seagoing Towboat Mariya Moran

If I receive the AB rating after finishing SIU will that rating transfer to tugboat jobs outside of the union? Even if you received the rating on deep sea vessels?