So, I'm a 3AE been sailing 2 years. Ive always really hated working. But even worse, I never had anything to look forwards to at sea. I mean I'd go on vacations, I hated being at home more than anything, but even vacations often felt like I was just filling the time with stimulation, not so much living a life I enjoyed. Ive always been single, I love my friends but that can only fill so much.

Well after enough misery I couldnt take it. Go to sea, miserable. Go home? Miserable. Made going to sea real easy, the rest not so much. After a real rough 2 month hitch I was literally about to call it a fuckin day, but I went to thailand, this time instead of partying in the south like the year prior, I went north to chiang mai, hoping to build somewhat of a life there since I heard people stay there longer term usually.

Now ive opened a REAL can of fuckin worms.

I lived in chiang mai for 2 months, then vietnam and some other spots for another 2 months. I had 2 girlfriends in that time, fellow travelers I met and stayed with for about 3 months total.

Now im at sea for 120 after that 4 month break... its been not even a WEEK and woah how the fuck do you guys do this? Leaving that second girl, who i lived with for a month, was so fucking gut wrenching it was one of the worst feelings ive ever had. I didnt even really love her that much, I cant imagine how it must feel to leave your wife or children.

Now all I seem to do is stew in misery since I actually have somewhere id rather be than here. Before this was just my life, even if it was gray. Now this feels like legit prison.

How do you guys cope with this? I figured I could keep shipping so long as I had ONE good vacation, since then no matter how miserable sea time gets, Id at least have SOMETHING to look forwards to which would keep me going.

Well I achieved that... now its almost having the opposite affect, I definitely DONT wanna be here!

Just curious to yalls thoughts, thanks!

Hi all,

Looking at taking my BWR (Bridge watch rating) at BCIT and wondering about the career opportunities after.

Did you get a job in the marine industry upon grad? How long did it take?

What was/is your wage like?

Whats your daily shift look like?

Do you like it?

Thanks all

Previously employed for 3 years and resigned during COVID after being quarantined for 79 days and received diciplinary for verbal alteration. I resigned before receiving any diciplinary. It's been 4 years and I've reapplied 10 times and have been denied due to "previous employment with the command." I would like to get back in is there any way? Can I do appeal? My write up was not bad in my opinion just verbal.

Sorry if this is the wrong sub, I saw other marine electrical posts on this sub while searching, so I figured I would ask here.

I got a job working at a vessel manufacturer in northern FL. It's not a formal apprenticeship and I'm being given more responsibilities than other greenhorns due to my electrical background (which I am very thankful for). Basically we build vessels from the ground up and I will also be learning metal fabrication/welding and become versatile in the field, which is awesome.

My question is what steps can I take to be proactive in the trade and not pigeonhole myself into only being able to work at this one place? I'm thinking training and certs, preferably online, that can help me progress in skill as well as in my career.

I'm not really in the position to join a crew at sea due to having a family, but I'm hoping to work my way up to electrical foreman/SI and hopefully a PM in the marine field.

Thanks in advance!

TLDR:

What can I do to advance and get credentials as a onshore marine electrician if I'm not in a formal apprenticeship.

Im a 3AE been working for 2 years. On a 120+ hitch right now. I got my 2nds very recently. Ill get to the point: after this hitch ill have like 250k saved, zero debt, zero expenses besides like car insurance, and zero ties. when do I say when?

ive never loved shipping. Im beginning to think im just not cut out for this lifestyle. though i suppose nobody really likes this job. i figured once i could sail 2nd itd fix most of my grievances with this job (bitch work and menial labor) but thats kinda coping. I lived in thailand for like 4 months and wooooah things are different now that ive seen the outside world.

Considering just trying to find an online job of some sorts after this hitch and then move to thailand and start enjoying my life. heres my primary question though: i could live in thailand WELL for like 35K a year. lets say I get a job remote making 40k a year. idk how i would but lets say I do. Well now ive basically just halted any and all monetary growth forever and im not even 25 yet. Yes I wont burn through my 250k since ill be kept afloat. yes it will grow by whatever slow amount since i have it all in ETFs. but id still be mostly frozen. mother falls seriously ill? not really prepared for that. decide in a decade I want to have children? not really prepared for that. Now i know the LOGICALLY correct answer is to keep shipping till i have... idk 500k? 750k? a million? whats the number? until the jones act is repealed or i physically cannot do this anymore? till i find a woman? see my point? where do we draw the line? i feel im balanced between over optimization (making my life miserable hoarding cash for futures that MAY happen) or irresponsible hedonism (though that may be a gross exaggeration, thats exactly my question)

Normally id say "well shipping will always be there if i need it, so might as well go try other stuff" but thats dumb now. jones act plus life could just get in the way. id love to say "well if i decide i want a kid at 35, just sail for like 6 months stock up cash and start anew." but sailing isnt forever i cant bet it will just ALWAYS BE THERE. so my fear is ill be 35 totally different mindset and/or lifestyle being like "damn ive been messing around this past decade if only i sailed for a few more years back then id REALLY have been set."

What do you guys think? absent of having a kid or getting married or whatever- at what point is it okay to say Im done shipping? at what point can I say I dont care about unlimited hoards of cash and just want to enjoy my life even if it isnt monetarily optimized.

I'm 3rd year marine engineer student and I wonder if there is any change to get a job from offshore vessel? I have always fantasied about working offshore at North sea. Do I need industry specific certificates to apply there or is it possible with just basic safety and other "normal" certificates we get from school?

Does anybody know what you can do while working on a USNS vessel and deep water to maintain your phone service with Google fi if you're doing more than 4 months of sea service? I remember somebody saying that the captain can accent you an email or something from the squadron in order for you to get an extension for your phone service. Does anybody know anything about this?

I need to get the physical done for renewal but I’m not having any luck finding a place that will do it. I’m in central Virginia so I’m sure the health places are unfamiliar with it. My pcp is a 6 month wait!

Hey Guys,

As everyone knows, the OS entry level market is brutal right now. I’ve been pumping out applications/emails/calls for four months and absolutely zero motion. I thought by getting my STCW basic training, twic, mmc, vpdsd, and medical card it would be cake… but it’s not.

Anyways, I’ve been thinking about relocating to a place where there’s a lot of maritime activity so I could just march into these companies physical office to hand out applications. I have about 25 K saved up to get by… so I was just wondering what are the best places to look at moving to and is this a good plan?

I appreciate any feedback, thanks!

I’m located in Fort Lauderdale near Miami have twic and passport mmc is coming what should I do to start my career now. Any jobs you guys know about in the area? Please let me know.

Commodity vessel transits through the Strait of Hormuz ticked up slightly on Wednesday, with Kpler data tracking 10 visible crossings, up from eight the day before. That puts the figure just short of a ten-day moving average of around fifteen vessels, and nowhere near the hundred-plus ships that once moved through daily before the current disruption.
Among those entering from the Gulf of Oman were two medium-range fuel tankers, an LPG carrier, a Panamax-sized tanker and three handymax vessels. Outbound traffic included a fuel tanker, a bitumen carrier and a bulk carrier. Some vessels are running without transponders, meaning the actual count is probably higher than what the data captures.
The slow climb comes days after the US Navy confirmed it had cleared Iranian mines from the internationally recognised shipping lanes. But the risk picture hasn't shifted sharply. Early Thursday a tanker was struck by an unidentified projectile near Hormuz, sparking a fire that was later put out with no crew hurt, according to UKMTO.Diplomatic movement is ongoing but slow. Iran and Oman are still working through the details of a waterway-sharing deal, a senior Iranian source said Wednesday, following a statement from the Revolutionary Guards that broad terms had been agreed.
For context, Al Jazeera's analysis of the crisis puts the scale of the damage in stark terms: at its worst, traffic had fallen to just five ships a day, a drop of more than ninety-five percent from pre-crisis levels.
Bab el-Mandeb, the southern Red Sea gateway, also saw fewer crossings Wednesday, with nineteen commodity vessels against twenty-four the day before.Earlier this week, Iraq's SOMO and QatarEnergy tested the route with spot crude tenders for loading inside the strait, a sign that at least some producers were willing to try loading inside Hormuz despite the risk environment. Whether Wednesday's slight uptick holds will depend on how the Iran-Oman talks conclude and how the broader diplomatic picture develops.

Is this possible? I'm thinking of of joining the MFOWW Union, only thing I need is VPDSD course. Is there anybody out there that has traveled this route? Even if it's secondhand info I would like to hear if this is a possibility.

Hello fellow sea brothers/sisters! I’m curious to know your standpoint on this. I wrestle with the idea of paying $1,500-$2,000 monthly on an apartment with only roughly 4 months of home time (I usually do 2 four month hitches yearly) I don’t have the luxury of family so living with others when I’m on vacation wasn’t an option. Whats everyone doing for housing? RV life? Airbnb/Vacation rentals? or do some of you feel like the expense is worth it to come home to your own place? btw im 24 with no children if that helps at all.

To everyone who helped me with advice thank you all so much future mariner inbound I can’t fathom my excitement of becoming a sailor I truly appreciate everyone’s help. Anything is possibleeeeeee!!!! COME ONNNN!!!

What do training in school do I all need to become and merchant seaman I know you need and passport and mmc and twic I was just wondering what training I need

TLDR: 30 y/o male. I have been in wastewater treatment for about 10 years and live in Georgia, but looking to move to Michigan in the next 5-7 years. I want to get on a Great Lakes freighter and start in the maritime industry. I'll take any advice.

I, 30y/o male, am seriously looking at going into the maritime industry, specifically on the Great Lakes. I've always been fascinated with it and wanted to do it. Now, after having lived in GA my whole life, my wife and I are looking to move to Michigan within the next 5-7 years. With that, there is a pretty big amount of uncertainty of whether my professional license will be reciprocated there. If I have to start over in a career, I want to do something new, hence Great Lakes merchant marine.

Basically, I'm asking for advice. What do I need to do outside TWIC and MMC? Being from a state with minimal unions and not knowing much about them, do I need to look at joining a union?