Unlimited Engineer looking for some answers

[dansmith1982]

Greetings,

Forgive me if I'm posting in the wrong forum as I'm a newbie. I'm a Maritime Academy grad with a 2nd A/E unlimited USCG license. Spent the last four years sailing commercially. However, my finance and I want to take a couple years (exit the rat race) and sail aboard motor yachts. I have heard this can be a hard industry to break into for commercial engineers and that the Brit's have the monopoly on this positions. Any truth to this? Also my significant other has some sea time as a student and then a deck hand for seasemester. However, she doesn't have her STCW 95. Is this a must?


So in conclusion what are the odds of us landing a job together
Does she definitely need STCW 95
Does anyone recommend a particular crewing agency or website.

Any help would be greatly appreciated and enjoy your memorial day.

[Stranded Mariner]

You might check out this web site and forum for answers. There are mainly commercial guys on it. I am a marine engineer myself, but know little about the system in the USA.

gCaptain | Resources For Maritime Professionals | About Ships

Good luck!

[GordMay]

Contact Joe Hodgson at just4engineers
Source and Placement of Professional Marine and Yacht Engineers & Crew
Int roaming Mobile: +00 423 663 012338.
From USA: 011 423 663 012338.
French Mobile. 00 (0) 610 042 895.
Uk landline: 44 (0)20 7193 2204.
Skype: joewizz.
E-mail: joe@wizzwazz.com
Web: just4engineers.com/ Just4Engineers

[David M]

Its amazing the sources you come up with Gord.

[dansmith1982]

Thank you all for the quick replies!

Dan

[GordMay]

Take a look at Joe's latest job postings:
http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...tml#post166140

[dansmith1982]

Gord,

Great site, thanks for the info.

Dan

[krisfranson]

If anyody knows which is the best institute for merchant navy training in USA pease tell me.

------------------------

Kris Franson

http://www.goinggreenbuzz.com

[anotherT34C]

Why, the USMMA of course! (went there a few years, x-fered out)

United States Merchant Marine Academy

My second favorite is Ft Schuyler (NY State school across the river... spent lots of time there). Easier to get in, open to more age groups, but more rigorous cadet regiment, IMO.

http://www.sunymaritime.edu/

[dansmith1982]

I would look into Maine Maritime Academy. I'm partial though as I'm a graduate. I hated it while I was there but the training is excellent and I was well prepared for a commercial career. I know plenty of kids from the Merchant Marine Academy, Mass Maritime, and Cal Maritime though that are excellent seamen. Kingspoint (The Merchant Marine Academy) requires a commission in the Naval Reserves though so that is something you would need to look into and it's harder to get an appointment.

[slim496]

hello dan smith 1982
I would like to tell you why the Brits have this sewn up,basicaly it is because,we are the best.
Now I will tell you why.

I am a Scottish engineer (a bit of a stereotype).

When I joined the merchant navy the first thing that i had to do,was,go for a verbal examination on my previous work experience.This examination was carried out by an ex chief engineer that you could not ********.

He would give you a grading there and then.

The gradings started at A1 and worked their way down through A2,B1,B2,C1,C2, to unclassified.

This grading detemined the lenght of deep sea time you had to log before you were allowed to sit your 2nd engineers ticket.

In my case---I served a 5 year apprentiship as a Mech Eng in a very large iron and steel works,and was given a B1 grading,this meamt that I had to log 18 months of deep sea watch keeping time before I was allowed to sit my 2nd eng certificate.

18 months of deep sea time works out about 30 months in the MN.

As you can see,this made me an extremely experienced engineer,before I was allowed to sit my first examination.


Now!!!! if you had lots of millions of pounds,or dollars invested in a ship,who would you trust it to? Some one with my background,or some like yours who went to COLLAGE and got straight AAAAAAA,s for turning up on time

[anotherT34C]

Originally Posted by dansmith1982

Kingspoint (The Merchant Marine Academy) requires a commission in the Naval Reserves though so that is something you would need to look into and it's harder to get an appointment.

Appointments are not really so hard, actually. My recruiter had me get one from a southern state (I'm from NY). As he put it about the state in question: "There's not six people in that whole state we'd want".

And, while I'd prefer the trained technician to run the day to day operations of the ship, I'd prefer the educated professional when it came time to exercise critical judgment. That's why we have chiefs and officers.

[David M]

Originally Posted by slim496

hello dan smith 1982
I would like to tell you why the Brits have this sewn up,basicaly it is because,we are the best.
Now I will tell you why.

I am a Scottish engineer (a bit of a stereotype).

When I joined the merchant navy the first thing that i had to do,was,go for a verbal examination on my previous work experience.This examination was carried out by an ex chief engineer that you could not ********.

He would give you a grading there and then.

The gradings started at A1 and worked their way down through A2,B1,B2,C1,C2, to unclassified.

This grading detemined the lenght of deep sea time you had to log before you were allowed to sit your 2nd engineers ticket.

In my case---I served a 5 year apprentiship as a Mech Eng in a very large iron and steel works,and was given a B1 grading,this meamt that I had to log 18 months of deep sea watch keeping time before I was allowed to sit my 2nd eng certificate.

18 months of deep sea time works out about 30 months in the MN.

As you can see,this made me an extremely experienced engineer,before I was allowed to sit my first examination.


Now!!!! if you had lots of millions of pounds,or dollars invested in a ship,who would you trust it to? Some one with my background,or some like yours who went to COLLAGE and got straight AAAAAAA,s for turning up on time

Having graduated from California Maritime Academy myself, your statement about your system producing the best and therefore having it "sewn up" is arrogant and simply not accurate. You didn't think merchant marine officers from other countries would stand quiet on this did you?

This amounts to the old "coming up through the hawse pipe" versus the academy debate. If you want...lets debate the issue in an adult fashion without resorting to personal insults. I'm up for it.

[Pelagic]

Hi Dan,

As a Superyacht captain I can tell you that good engineers are always at a premium and if you have the right stuff to fit in on a USD 60 to 150mil private yacht you can write your own ticket and have a wonderful life.

It is very different than commercial because you need to be a lot more multifunctional with the owners and their guests and not even think about the clock when they are on board. The payback is standby time when you are in wonderful locations, keeping regular hours and time to explore with your SO.

If you are committed to doing this as a couple, then develop your CV that way, showing what you individually have to offer in water-recreation and service skills.

Circulate a professional presentation to ALL the yacht crewing agencies and let them work to place you. (They invoice the captain upon placement)

The key question for a newbie will be how committed you are to doing this. If it is only for a couple of years, then it is a waste of the Captain and CE’s time to train you.

Goodluck!

[David M]

Pelagic,
How is the pay for megayacht personnel compared to the pay for US Merchant Marine officers working on ships? I have never worked on a megayacht so I have no idea. I would imagine you know of the pay for US Merchant officers and crew.