Anyone here hold a Merchant Mariner's Document?

[Stella]

I can put you in contact with a few friends who are captains on the great lakes if you need.

[hbliam]

Yeah sitting in class is the easiest part. I'm done with all that. I have to take the test(s) and then start with my paperwork. I have to log all my sea time back to when I was 16 years old, it adds up to years of time. I also have to get pro recs, especially those from captains help. I also presently drive a research vessel for a lab  (unpaid, research being used loosely). I teach sailing on a J/24 (unpaid as well), commodore of sailing club at an engineering school where I studied mech. engineering and naval architecture (USCG wont care about that actually).

The test will have some questions that are doozys...shit you would never encounter in real life. Stuff like "You're operating shoreward of the COLREGS line at night on a trawler and you have run aground, what type of lights do you show?"  "You're on a sailboat and you encounter a crossing situation with a wing in ground effect vehicle on inland waters, who has right of way?" etc etc. It becomes alot easier if you actually have the sea time, most of the items come naturally, for those who don't they may have a tough time passing. I'm not too worried about that part since operating vehicles is my life.

Then I have to take the piss test, get a TWIC card from the TSA, prove the sea time (includes tracking down owners of boats Ive operated years ago), fill the apps, update cpr and first aid, get fingerprinted, get a background check, get a physical exam form signed by the doc, go to USCG and hand it in in person and take the oath.

But yeah there are known problems of the rich guy with a big boat with no experience taking the class and getting his buddys to b.s his sea time, they usually have a hard time passing the test.

Yeah, I was pretty sure there was a bunch of other stuff that goes with but I had to throw out that post for the "toughest thing in his life" reference.

Good luck to you. Is there much of a need for people with your (soon to be) qualifications? Hows the pay?

[Got Duc]

HH:

I worked as a First Mate in the early 90's. Best two years of my life.

Did you look into the NY Waterway. I was going to work for them but the pay was not that good.

[Popeye the Sailor]

Pay is pretty good.


Hours suck.



Sometimes the months suck, if you ship out.



The bow is the pointy end. 

[Grampa]

Pay is pretty good.


Hours suck.



Sometimes the months suck, if you ship out.



The bow is the pointy end. 

Nates head is a bow?

[Airborne]

HH:

I worked as a First Mate in the early 90's. Best two years of my life.

Did you look into the NY Waterway. I was going to work for them but the pay was not that good.

I checked waterway and they said they weren't hiring although I had heard they do need people which is strange, guess you gotta know somebody. I think I have a good shot working at seatow for the summer although I dont know how much I actually want to do that job. Either way it beats sitting at a desk, I've realized I can't be that type of person. I'm thinking I might try to go Navy through OCS but I'm not 100% on that either.

Yeah, I was pretty sure there was a bunch of other stuff that goes with but I had to throw out that post for the "toughest thing in his life" reference.

Good luck to you. Is there much of a need for people with your (soon to be) qualifications? Hows the pay?

Yeah I agree its probably not the hardest thing I'll do, hopefully it will lead me to do something I find more challenging and rewarding, I don't know.

At the level I would be at assuming I get issued, I could pull okay pay for someone my age, the money goes up exponentially as you become responsible for more expensive equipment/cargo etc, gotta start somewhere. An unlimited master can make better money than a doctor and you'd be shocked at how much a harbor pilot can make but that's something you need to be born into. The hours can suck big time depending on what kind of duty you have.

I can put you in contact with a few friends who are captains on the great lakes if you need.

Thanks for the kind offer, but its not really my region and I don't know too much about the great lakes.

[The Architect]

I have my 50 ton masters.

I got it in 1987 +/-.

I remember the test being a pregnant dog because I took it at Battery Park.  The testing facility was right on the water.  Large ships would blow their horns ever 5 minutes and helicopters were landing every 10 minutes.  What a nightmare. 

[Popeye the Sailor]

Running a charter boat/party boat pays decent, hours are fairly good.


Once you learn how to fish, owning one of those pays very well.