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Are There Any Professional International Seafarers On Here?

submitted by Scyber to AskUpgoat 7 monthsNov 17, 2024 17:46:42 ago (+11/-0)     (AskUpgoat)

I'm seriously looking to change professions because I'm in a dead-end job with little room to advance & almost zero job security.
I've been watching seafaring videos on YouTube & the profession seems extremely enticing - From what I've been watching, there are tons of jobs available that pay you to travel the world and most folks only work about 6-8 months and make a year's salary upwards of 6 figures. Is it seriously true?

I want to know the requirements needed & how much it costs.
I'm very serious about it and willing to move out of state if necessary.


42 comments block

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[ - ] KurtCobainsBrain 10 points 7 monthsNov 17, 2024 18:12:40 ago (+10/-0)

At the risk of doxxing myself. You don't have to work internationally. I make over 6 figures a year and work 6 months a year. You don't need college, just classes and certifications. The first thing you will need is a TWIC, transportation workers identity credential. Google it, that should tell you how to get it. The coast guard won't talk to you without it. Your next step is to go the uscg national maritime center web page. You will need to get your medical certificate first. You will need form 719 k/e for entry level. Also a clean drug test. Now you will do your application 719 b. This gets you your mmc. Merchant mariners credential. You can now work offshore but most companies won't look at ypu until you have your STCW training. Total cost of everything so far is under 400 plus cost of physical and drug test.Your stcw training ranges from 700 to 2k depending what school you use. You can find accredited schools for the classes you need as well as checklists on the USCG NMC website. The stcw training takes about 5 days. After that you are ready to work offshore. There are a lot of domestic companies that work the oil field and windfarms. Good luck.

[ - ] i_scream_trucks 8 points 7 monthsNov 17, 2024 18:21:51 ago (+8/-0)

what the fuck is this useful helpful advice shit.

all we do around here is racially slur each other and schizpost.

get with the program man.

how much did you say you earn again?

[ - ] Scyber [op] 3 points 7 monthsNov 17, 2024 18:34:28 ago (+3/-0)

LOL.
There's plenty of hardworking people on here. Hi. I'm one of them. And fkn hate my job.

[ - ] i_scream_trucks 1 point 6 monthsNov 17, 2024 19:45:30 ago (+1/-0)

im one of em too man. its generally not hard to tell who actually fucking works for a living around here.

sometimes you can even tell which government employs them XD

fuck i mean im self employed in a federal government paid job... again... but i deal with disabled people, not fucking retards!

and they treat me better than you cunts too...

[ - ] KurtCobainsBrain 2 points 6 monthsNov 17, 2024 20:14:40 ago (+2/-0)

I made a shade under 130k last year.

[ - ] i_scream_trucks 0 points 6 monthsNov 17, 2024 21:04:24 ago (+0/-0)

i keep ending up at 'i should be earning 100k+' in years ive been doing good... but it keeps running out of steam... current job not the kind of job you want to burn yourself out pushing for new clients over but if i was to go nuts with it and do 80 hour fortnights like i used to for $20 an hour in security id be... well lets just say id ALSO be paying a fuckload of tax.

but when i was doing my training gig i willingly worked every booking they would throw at me because it was a fucking fun job and i knew my shit. i dont remember how much i earned in my second year... but that was 'subcontracting' which meant i got the full rate and had to sort out my own taxes and pension... coughornotcough so erm... yeah havent looked. lots of work and money but eh..

[ - ] Sector2 1 point 7 monthsNov 17, 2024 18:22:08 ago (+1/-0)

Informative.

[ - ] Scyber [op] 0 points 7 monthsNov 17, 2024 18:30:52 ago (+0/-0)

Thanks so much!
I really want to travel & see the world & if I can get paid to do it without joining the military - then I'm all for it.

[ - ] KurtCobainsBrain 0 points 6 monthsNov 17, 2024 20:16:42 ago (+0/-0)

If you want to see the world look into military sealift command. They go everywhere the navy does but they are civilians. Make loads of money with all the over time and you get a gs rating but they kidnap people. You may be gone 8 to 12 months at a time.

[ - ] Crackinjokes 0 points 6 monthsNov 18, 2024 04:06:58 ago (+0/-0)

Keep in mind that during World War II the merchant marines suffered as many deaths if not more than actual Navy personnel. Merchant Marine ships were sunk by the enemy all the time.

So if you want don't want to get into the military because you're trying to avoid war and death just keep in mind the only difference between the merchant Marine in the military is in the military you get to shoot back.

[ - ] KurtCobainsBrain 0 points 7 monthsNov 17, 2024 18:37:59 ago (+0/-0)

What I have told you is for entry level. You can expect to work 8 months a year and make 50 to 60 k. After 3 months you can upgrade to Able seaman this will put you in the 80k to 100k range working 8 months if you drop to 6 month you will make 60k to 80k. To get a license will take about 3 years (you need the sea time) and will cost you around 20k to 40k but it's a pay as you go and you do it while you are on your off time. No financing needed. It's not easy. The hardest part isn't the work it's being away from home.

[ - ] Scyber [op] 0 points 6 monthsNov 17, 2024 18:52:06 ago (+0/-0)

Is that 3yrs for an international license or altogether one? Because I'd rather start out working on ships on US coasts.

[ - ] KurtCobainsBrain 0 points 6 monthsNov 17, 2024 22:12:39 ago (+0/-0)

3 years is the sea time needed for a license. I am referring to deck, I'm not sure of the time for engineering. You have licensed (mates/masters/engineers) and unlicensed (ordinary seamen/able seamen/wipers/qmeds. From the time you start working as an ordinary seaman you can be working towards your mates license. Some classes expire others don't, or have a longer time limit. You just start taking what you can while getting your sea time. You have to be an able seaman before you can hold a license though so I recommend doing that first then focusing on classes needed for the license.

You can work in the US or international with your mmc and twic. You just need a passport if you will be working international. If you want to work internationally you will most likely have to ship with a union. Seafarers international union an Sailors union of the pacific are the 2 big ones for unlicensed and there is a mates masters union but I forget the name. I have worked union and I saw a good bit of corruption. I currently work in non union in the Gulf of Mexico oil field.

[ - ] Crackinjokes 0 points 6 monthsNov 18, 2024 04:04:42 ago (+0/-0)

If you're talking about deck time my understanding is that if you want to get your captain's license You can count anytime you sailed a sailboat on a lake in your youth. So that means if you spent a summer sailing every day that's a lot of hours. And you self-document.

I know several people have gotten their Captain's licenses this way.

[ - ] KurtCobainsBrain 0 points 6 monthsNov 18, 2024 20:25:07 ago (+0/-0)

No, there are tonnage requirements involved. A sailing license is different. I hold a 2nd mate unlimited. You have to have so much time sailing on vessels over a certain tonnage. I forget how much tonnage It's been a while. Also 1 8 hour day is a day of sea time. In the gulf we work 12 hour days and get 1.5 days for every day worked. You can not self document for your license. The coast guard requires a sea time letter from your employer stating how many days you worked on which vessels and the tonnage of each vessel.

[ - ] Crackinjokes 0 points 6 monthsNov 18, 2024 04:08:02 ago (+0/-0)

What kind of license?

[ - ] i_scream_trucks 7 points 7 monthsNov 17, 2024 17:53:11 ago (+7/-0)

ask @master_foo and @paul_neri

they love seamen.

[ - ] paul_neri 0 points 7 monthsNov 17, 2024 18:21:08 ago (+0/-0)

Dude...that's no way to speak to a fellow aussie ffs!

[ - ] DukeofRaul 3 points 7 monthsNov 17, 2024 17:58:13 ago (+3/-0)

All we do is fish and stink. Mostly the latter

[ - ] Peleg 2 points 7 monthsNov 17, 2024 18:32:15 ago (+2/-0)

A friend at work was a deck hand on a barge on the Mississippi River. This was back in the 1980's/90's. He said he loved it and made great money. The captain was also the owner and wanted to buy another barge and let my coworker captain it. This knucklehead passed up that opportunity chasing a piece of ass to Texas. That only lasted a few months and the gal split leaving him in Texas but he had already missed his chance to captain the boat.

Sometimes we talk about the really stupid shit we have done.

[ - ] Portmanure 2 points 7 monthsNov 17, 2024 17:55:04 ago (+2/-0)

I’m not a sea farer. But a friend of mine from college was. His life was 6 months at sea followed by six months at home. His wife would join him, the ships usually have cabins that could accommodate crew members and their spouses. He said the wives would usually leave the ships at one port and fly ahead to spend a week or two at the fun destinations waiting for the ship to arrive in port. He liked the work and life aboard ship. I was envious, listening to his stories, the pay was outstanding.

[ - ] DukeofRaul 1 point 7 monthsNov 17, 2024 18:01:11 ago (+1/-0)

You need a merchant mariner license. It lets you work on cruises or fishing ships

[ - ] bosunmoon 1 point 7 monthsNov 17, 2024 18:19:24 ago (+1/-0)

Lazy niggers don't fare well at sea.

[ - ] Zyklonbeekeeper 2 points 6 monthsNov 17, 2024 19:22:03 ago (+2/-0)

...especially if chained and shackled

[ - ] i_scream_trucks 1 point 6 monthsNov 17, 2024 21:10:35 ago (+1/-0)

well know hangon a minute what is it that the byzantines were doing that youre not?

the ancient greeks sure managed to figure out how to repurpose outdated farming equipment to power warships.

[ - ] drstrangergov 1 point 7 monthsNov 17, 2024 18:02:00 ago (+1/-0)

if you have mechanical aptitude you can become useful to the chief engineer. basically the engine room guy. scotty on the starship enterprise. being able to fix problems at sea makes you invaluable. this is in the american commercial fishing industry, anyway. maybe its universal. good luck.

[ - ] FacelessOne 0 points 7 monthsNov 17, 2024 18:05:08 ago (+0/-0)

DOC!

[ - ] drstrangergov 1 point 7 monthsNov 17, 2024 18:06:34 ago (+1/-0)

wha?! what'd i do?

[ - ] FacelessOne 0 points 7 monthsNov 17, 2024 18:13:09 ago (+0/-0)

Made me smile

[ - ] drstrangergov 1 point 7 monthsNov 17, 2024 18:19:09 ago (+1/-0)

the weathers turning on me bit i still have much to do. it always surprises me how fast the days turn short up here. the tamaracks have all turned yellow and the fall color is dropping away. i can feel this winter coming. gonna be a long one.

[ - ] FacelessOne 1 point 6 monthsNov 17, 2024 19:49:13 ago (+1/-0)

Come spring well be in full dystopia

[ - ] MaryXmas 0 points 6 monthsNov 18, 2024 06:51:41 ago (+0/-0)

I had a buddy that was a rigger in east Texas. 2 weeks on, 2 weeks off, something like that. He didn't love it but loved the money. The offshore rigs might be similar.

[ - ] HonkyMcNiggerSpic 0 points 6 monthsNov 17, 2024 23:08:50 ago (+0/-0)

No, but I've watched a lot of Deadliest Catch and Swordfish on the line. AMA

[ - ] Endo_Aryan 0 points 6 monthsNov 17, 2024 22:52:29 ago (+0/-0)

I'm not but I have a friend who is a merchant marine and goes out for several months at a time and then comes home for ~6 weeks. My numbers might be off but as far as I know it works for him and he has a wife and child. His home base is in Vegas which has a HCOL and he's been at it over 15 years. I also knew people who worked seasonally in Alaska (travelled there for work) but they were single and lived frugally in the off-season.

[ - ] KurtCobainsBrain 1 point 6 monthsNov 18, 2024 20:29:52 ago (+1/-0)

Rigs are very similar. My understanding of them is you only need a TWIC to hire on entry level. From there there are lots of pathways to decent money. Crane operator, tool pusher, mud engineer. I wish I had more info forvypu there but I'm on the boats that work with the rigs. My advice would be to look for roustabout or rig hand jobs online to get your foot in the door

[ - ] Cantaloupe 0 points 6 monthsNov 17, 2024 19:33:44 ago (+0/-0)

Nah Part-time pond-pirate here

[ - ] xmasskull 0 points 6 monthsNov 17, 2024 19:30:36 ago (+0/-0)

First & foremost JOIN their Union,non-Union never gets hired,ever.

[ - ] UncleDoug 0 points 6 monthsNov 17, 2024 18:58:04 ago (+0/-0)*

Start with GPH (General Purpose Hand cert 1 marine operations), get STCW95+10, ICC (International Certificate of Competence) & ENG1 seafarers medical as bare minimum.

Read a book like Dick Gandy, understand knots and get some falsh cards for colregs, google marpol and some solas conventions to have at least a rudimentary understanding of these international accords.

Depending on if you want work on as a "WAFI" or on a "stink boat", perhaps look at an IYT bareboat course, VHF marine operators licence, RIB (Rigid Inflatable boat) tickets as well for tenders.

Work towards COX and MED2+M5 dual ticket down the track after you get your sea legs.

[ - ] TheOriginal1Icemonkey 0 points 7 monthsNov 17, 2024 18:00:29 ago (+0/-0)

Try maybe, the Alaskan fishing or oil industry.
I didn’t get the idea from stupid history channel shows.
It’s hard work that pays well.

[ - ] dirtywhiteboy 0 points 7 monthsNov 17, 2024 17:53:13 ago (+0/-0)

its typically something people get into by association early in life, good luck.

[ - ] Scyber [op] 2 points 7 monthsNov 17, 2024 18:17:40 ago (+2/-0)

I'm in my prime & in shape.

[ - ] dirtywhiteboy 0 points 7 monthsNov 17, 2024 18:22:38 ago (+0/-0)

it really depends what industry you want to get into. id look into the oil or shipping industries. rather as well cross the fishing industry off the list.