seeleute community

Have a question about the 3 primary deep sea officer unions, AMO, MEBA, & MM&P. Which has the most work available for deck officers?  Are they all pretty much the same as far as limiting how much time you can be at sea?    Is there a big difference as far as wages and benefits?  How about their management, understand the AMO senior leadership is currently in jail.  Thanks

So I decided to go with MSC for my commercial cruise this summer.  We're picking which ships we're going to be sailing with this summer soon but the problem is I have no idea where any of them are in the world.  I'm not sure that you know much more than me but who knows.  Anyways, here's a list of the ships I'm interested in and we have berths on (all the oilers and fast combat support ships we could choose from), let me know if you know where any of them are.  I'm looking for something not sailing out of US ports.
 
USNS Arctic T-AOE 8
USNS Supply T-AOE 6
USNS Bridge T-AOE 10
USNS Henry J. Kaiser T-AO 187
USNS John Ericsson  T-AO 194
USNS Leroy Rumman T-AO 195
USNS Tippecanoe T-AO 199
USNS Rappahannock T-AO 204

Norleen Schumer from maritimelicensing.com wanted me to pass on this note to all US mariners:

Please pass the attached information (SEE ATTACHED FILES BELOW) along to other members of the industry, clients, fellow workers or students.  This is some very interesting reading and things that all should be aware of.  Pay particular attention to the 90 day time frame as this may cause some problems for those who put their applications in and then have to be at sea for several months.
 

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View Tidewater Muse's map







Taken in
a place with no name

(See more photos or videos here)




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<dc:title>Two die, helicopter crashes into the water in boat rescue</dc:title>
<dc:date>2006</dc:date>
<dc:description>A U.S. Coast Guard HH-65A Dolphin search and rescue helicopter sits crashed in the surf after a rescue operation near Eureka, Calif., around 1 p.m. on Saturday, February 11, 2006. Two people from a small sport fishing boat died and two survived after it capsized in ocean surf. The helicopter was hovering low to rescue them when it crashed into the water for unknown reasons. The three crew aboard apparently received only scratches. Photo by Shaun Walker / The Times-Standard</dc:description>
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A
U.S. Coast Guard HH-65A Dolphin search and rescue helicopter sits
crashed in the surf after a rescue operation near Eureka, Calif.,
around 1 p.m. on Saturday, February 11, 2006. Two people from a small
sport fishing boat died and two survived after it capsized in ocean
surf. The helicopter was hovering low to rescue them when it crashed
into the water for unknown reasons. The three crew aboard apparently
received only scratches. Photo by Shaun Walker / The Times-Standard

http://demo.geogarage.com/noaa/

This software from geogarage displays NOAA charts on google earth.  Check it out it's pretty cool...

Hey just wondering if there is anyone working for Crowley or has in the past. I'm getting sick of where I'm at now and really thinking of going to work for them on tugs. Let me know the good and the bads if you got any.

See ya out there!! 

A friend  is a 2nd mate and got a DUI last week. It was the first time he has ever been arrested  and he only had a few beers that night. Anyone know what the CG will do to his license?

MITAGS is looking for a person to head its chief mate/master
training programs. This individual will develop and present the various
courses related to upgrade to chief mate/master.  The ideal candidate
would have an unlimited master’s license and at least five years of sea
experience on that license. Candidate must be skilled in the use of
word processing and presentation software and be comfortable in public
speaking.  Knowledge of instructional system design and online training
programs is a real plus.  MITAGS is looking for a “hands on” person who
can work with minimal oversight and enjoys working in a dynamic
environment. Salary commensurate with experience.  For more
information, please send resume to Pablo Rodriguez, Human Resources, at
prodriguez@mitags.org.  

Hello my name is John from  California Maritime Academy in Vallejo California.  Im not sure if what im doing here is right but I am asking for advice and information on summer commercial cruise.  I am scheduled to go with Edison Chouest Offshore from Louisiana.  I am curious as to know how the company operates and what to expect.  Thanks for the help.  ~John

I know this is late notice but in case you're sitting around bored the Cosco Busan NTSB hearings are being broadcast live on the web.  Here's how to get to them:

Go to:
http://ntsb.gov/Events/hearing_sched.htm

Find the entry for the Cosco Busan Hearing

Webcast links will be listed under "More Information" shortly before the start of the event

The Webcast will also be available for 3 months after the event or you can even request
a DVD (I hear they make a great quiet evening at home date movie).

If you don't like my explanation try THIS.

I've recently switched boats.
On last boat we kept a running year's worth of NTMs aboard.  New one would come in (NTM 14/08), I'd remove last year's (NTM 14/07) from the binder.

On new boat, there is a stash of NTMs going back to 2006.

What is the guidance and where can I find it so it can be cited?

Thanks,
John sends

Many of you have been checking out our Maritime Job Board so I'm happy to announce we finally finished our Offshore Job Board which is located in out TOOLS Section.

-John

A small upgrade but a pretty good one (IMO).... we added a Member's List and the ability to click on any user name and get a list of their last 5 posts.

Also, HERE is the list of the available add-ons to this forum... not all of them work of course but if you find one you would like added please add a comment below.

Here's the list of our Top 10 members:

Hi I am a Texas Cadet and we recently had shipping call for commercial shipping. I have never been on a a ship besides a training cruise with California maritime and I am going to be sailing with Alaskan Marine HighWay. I was hoping that some more experienced mariners would give me some advice. Maybe some tips on what it will be like or what to brush up on before I go this summer.
If anyone knows anything they would want to tell me about the company I would appreciate that also.
I have learned that this company is Ferries and such and that supposedly they give there cadets a lot of bridge time, but I do not know if this is entirely true so if you have anything to suggest give me a post.
Thank you,
Texas Cadet

Ok let's have them... what are your favorite nautical pranks and april fools jokes?

New member here and soon to be working for ECO, more than likely.  I would like to talk to you in depth if possibl. If you could contact me at endurrance_1@yahoo.com it would greatly appreciated.  Thanks, Eric

This may be of interest to some of the anchor boat folks on the forum. It brings up some interesting points.

"Key conclusions are:

• The vessel was built and equipped as an all-round vessel AHSV (Anchor Handling Supply Vessel). Uniting these functions poses special challenges.
In addition to bollard pull, anchor-handling demands thruster capacity, powerful winches, big drums and equipment for handling chain. Supply and cargo operations demand the biggest possible, and also flexible, cargo capacities both on deck and in tanks. The “Bourbon Dolphin” was a relatively small and compact vessel, in which all these requirements were to be united.

• The company had no previous experience with the A 102 design and ought therefore to have undertaken more critical assessments of the vessel’s
characteristics, equipment and not least operational limitations, both during her construction and during her subsequent operations under various conditions. The company did not pick up on the fact that the vessel had experienced an unexpected stability-critical incident about two months after delivery.

• The vessel’s stability-related challenges were not clearly communicated from shipyard to company and onwards to those who were to operate the vessel.

• Under given load conditions the vessel did not have sufficient stability to handle lateral forces. The winch’s pulling-power was over-dimensioned in
relation to what the vessel could in reality withstand as regards stability.

• The anchor-handling conditions prepared by the shipyard were not realistic. Nor did the Norwegian Maritime Directorate’s regulatory system make any requirement that these be approved.

• The ISM Code demands procedures for the key operations that the vessel is to perform, Despite the fact that anchor-handling was the vessel’s main function, there was no vessel-specific anchor-handling procedure for the “Bourbon Dolphin”.

• The company did not follow the ISM code’s requirement that all risk be identified.

• The company did not make sufficient requirements for the crew’s qualifications for demanding operations. The crew’s lack of experience was not compensated for by the addition of experienced personnel.

• The master was given 1½ hours to familiarise himself with the crew and vessel and the ongoing operation. In its safety management system the company has a requirement that new crews shall be familiarised with (inducted into) the vessel before they can take up their duties on board. In practice the master familiarises himself by overlapping with another master who knows the vessel, before he himself is given the command.

• Neither the company nor the operator ensured that sufficient time was made available for hand-over in the crew change.

• The vessel was marketed with continuous bollard pull of 180 tonnes. During an anchor-handling operation, in practice thrusters are always used for manoeuvring and dynamic positioning. The real bollard pull is then materially reduced. The company did not itself investigate whether the vessel was suited to the operation, but left this to the master.

• The company did not see to the acquisition of information about the content and scope of the assignment the “Bourbon Dolphin” was set to carry out. The company did not itself do any review of the Rig Move Procedure (RMP) with a view to risk exposure for crew and vessel. The company was thus not in a position to offer guidance.

• The Norwegian classification society Det norske Veritas (DNV) and the Norwegian Maritime Directorate were unable to detect the failures in the company’s systems though their audits.

• In specifying the vessel, the operator did not take account of the fact that the real bollard pull would be materially reduced through use of thrusters. In practice the “Bourbon Dolphin” was unsuited to dealing with the great forces to which she was exposed.

• The mooring system and the deployment method chosen were demanding to handle and vulnerable in relation to environmental forces.

• Planning of the RMP was incomplete. The procedure lacked fundamental and concrete risk assessments. Weather criteria were not defined and the forces were calculated for better weather conditions than they chose to operate in. Defined safety barriers were lacking. It was left to the discretion of the rig and the vessels whether operations should start or be suspended.

• In advance of the operation no start-up meeting with all involved parties was held. The vessels did not receive sufficient information about what could be expected of them, and the master misunderstood the vessel’s role.

• The procedure demanded the use of two vessels that had to operate at close quarters in different phases during the recovery and deployment of anchors.

• The increased risk exposure of the vessels was not reflected in the procedure. The procedure lacked provisions for alternative measures (contingency planning), for example in uncontrollable drifting from the run-out line. Nor were there guidelines for when and in what way such alternative measures should be implemented and what if any risk these would involve.

• The deployment of anchor no. 2 was commenced without the considerable drifting during the deployment of the diagonal anchor no. 6 had been evaluated.

• Human error on the part of the rig and the vessels during the performance of the operation.

• Communication and coordination between the rig and the vessel was defective during the last phase of the operation.

• Lack of involvement on the part of the rig when the “Bourbon Dolphin” drifted.

• The roll reduction tank was most probably in use at the time of the accident.

• The inner starboard towing pin had been depressed and the chain was lying against the outer starboard towing pin. The chain thereby acquired a changed
angle of attack."

Has anyone heard John McCain's current position on the Jones Act ? I know at one time he was trying to get rid of the cargo and passenger provisions .