magnetic field

[Tony Taylor]

I have a 100 ton license here, pretty much the lowest of the low professionally.


A very experienced UK master told me that if the USCG/companies spent as much time actually dealing with the issues as they do avoiding or looking for exceptions it'd be a much safer enviroment.


SDG

The person I refer to claimed to be a reformed alcoholic, he always disappeared when we got back to Jebel Ali, was rarely seen when he came back, but locked himself in his cabin until it was time to sail.
When I first joined he was off ashore asap and when I enquired about who was to stow the cargo he told me that it was my job; on British ships, it is the mates job.
However, when he went on leave he was replaced by a young guy from Texas who was switched on and much more amiable and capable fellow (still had to load cargo though).

[j.sabourn]

The biggest problem I see in the future and is probably already with us, as regards uk maritime certification is there is more than likely a shortage of what we would consider proper examiners. They are the new breed. And have been brought up with the new knowledge, if one can call it that. And are not the usual old ex master Mariners. I had one bloke on board in Adelaide here to do a safety survey. He came on board with a check list and and a biro pen. Absolutely no sea going experience, in fact was a university student. I had to explain to him how to do his job.. A seaman of 50 years ago would have a few problems conversing with one of today , as even most of the terms and language has changed for starters. I don’t blame the youngsters of today , I blame the government departments who have let a lot of knowledge of the past be made redundant. Even sea going measurements like the basic fathom today is rarely mentioned or used. Without a computer today the modern Mariner would be no better than the dumbest shore person. I gave a talk yesterday to about 30 of an audience and believe me apart from doing holiday trips on passenger ships they have very little or no idea of a seaman’s life as such. The talk was limited to half an hour so really was only a skirmish round the edges. Probably the reason why a lot of us hang around this site as is one of the very few places where we all speak the same language and can understand one another into the bargain. Even though the usual squabbles which without , we wouldn’t feel as at home. JS

[happy daze john in oz]

On the bridge last year of a fairly new cruise ship.

No steering wheel or any equipment any one of us would know.
I asked the 'helmsman' how she was steered.
All done automatically similar to an aircraft.
Set the course and just keep look out.


The compass variation he said is usually overcome by the computerized system.

But as my good friend ex Blue Funnel told me all ships compasses must be checked once a year for accuracy.

[j.sabourn]

John even I have been on ships like that, but maybe before or after have had to join ships with the basics ... right hand propellor and telemotor steering gear. Most seamen of our era would not find too many problems with that. The problems are going to be very shortly that people can’t handle a ship with the basic propellor steering gear and rudder. Most ships in 2002 the majority were basic, most seamen today think that all ships should be of the futuristic types. It will be many years yet, if ever for that to occur. JS

[Shaun Gander]

The person I refer to claimed to be a reformed alcoholic, he always disappeared when we got back to Jebel Ali, was rarely seen when he came back, but locked himself in his cabin until it was time to sail.
When I first joined he was off ashore asap and when I enquired about who was to stow the cargo he told me that it was my job; on British ships, it is the mates job.
However, when he went on leave he was replaced by a young guy from Texas who was switched on and much more amiable and capable fellow (still had to load cargo though).

I'm unreformed I think!

I think maybe I was spoiled in the UK with my crew and vessel as apparently it's much worse elsewhere.

As a 'captain' I want an engineer that fixes things without being told to, a mate that is as competent as me so I can sleep at night, a stew that knows how to cook a great meal or make basic sandwiches and able to fold a sheet, a deckhand that is able to tie basic knots and listens to their seniors. Oh and why do I trust some stews with deckhand duties than some of my deckhands?! I need to stop the rum as it makes me rant...

SDG

[Des Taff Jenkins]

Reads like a salty old poem.
Des

[happy daze john in oz]

John even I have been on ships like that, but maybe before or after have had to join ships with the basics ... right hand propellor and telemotor steering gear. Most seamen of our era would not find too many problems with that. The problems are going to be very shortly that people can’t handle a ship with the basic propellor steering gear and rudder. Most ships in 2002 the majority were basic, most seamen today think that all ships should be of the futuristic types. It will be many years yet, if ever for that to occur. JS

Interesting guy on the radio this morning.
Ex pilot speaking about how many pilots on long haul flights fall asleep at the 'wheel'.
But he went onto say that the computerized system is recalculating at the rate of 20 times a second, he then said many of the new guidance systems for aircraft and shipping operate in a similar manner.

[Bill Cowe]

I have a 100 ton license here, pretty much the lowest of the low professionally. You can get this with absolutely no experience other than the sea days and passing the exams - until recently the questions and answers were officially available to anyone.

Our 4 biggest vessels are almost 500 tons and carry up to 350 passengers but under the USCG rules because of the way they're built I can be in command of them. Some of our captains have never worked anywhere else - I don't want this to be negative as some of them are excellent at what they do and are great captains who the crews respect.

My issue is how easy it is to get a license or certification here without any practical experience or any oral examination of he candidates. People can memorize answers but an experienced examiner will find those out I'm an oral exam.

I can't run drills with passengers aboard for obvious reasons, when we do some crew see them as an annoyance other than as a learning experience.

A very experienced UK master told me that if the USCG/companies spent as much time actually dealing with the issues as they do avoiding or looking for exceptions it'd be a much safer enviroment.


SDG

I worked offshore Australia for 20 years and the American drillships and semi-submersibles that I encountered had yanks with USCG tickets which I think were off a cornflakes packet. One skipper took a look at OUR tickets - photocopies of which had to be displayed behind perspex on a board outside the chart room - all the mates had master foreign-going, engineers had chiefs tickets, R/Os had 1st class, radar, electronics, DP tickets etc. All our ratings were certified and could work anywhere and could service winches, cut and weld etc etc. The USCG exams are multiple choice answers - real Mickey Mouse stuff. The yanks were told to "soft peddle" the Aussies as we would go on strike for no reason. I told them that I had never had a day's strike in 46 years and they were amazed at the actual work that was being carried out on board which normally (for them) would have required shore labour. They also had never been fed so well, seen so many safety drills, and could not believe the salaries we were on. They were on less than half what we were earning, but probably about right for what they actually did on board - apart from a very few virtually unskilled/semi-skilled labour.

[Shaun Gander]

I worked offshore Australia for 20 years and the American drillships and semi-submersibles that I encountered had yanks with USCG tickets which I think were off a cornflakes packet. One skipper took a look at OUR tickets - photocopies of which had to be displayed behind perspex on a board outside the chart room - all the mates had master foreign-going, engineers had chiefs tickets, R/Os had 1st class, radar, electronics, DP tickets etc. All our ratings were certified and could work anywhere and could service winches, cut and weld etc etc. The USCG exams are multiple choice answers - real Mickey Mouse stuff. The yanks were told to "soft peddle" the Aussies as we would go on strike for no reason. I told them that I had never had a day's strike in 46 years and they were amazed at the actual work that was being carried out on board which normally (for them) would have required shore labour. They also had never been fed so well, seen so many safety drills, and could not believe the salaries we were on. They were on less than half what we were earning, but probably about right for what they actually did on board - apart from a very few virtually unskilled/semi-skilled labour.

You can also test at the school you took the instruction at until you get to the 500 ton license. No STCW 95 basic training is required until the 500 either.

When I took my exams some of the multi guess papers didn't even have the correct answer as a choice! The charting was probably the hardest due to the scale of the chart meaning if you stated a plot on say the starboard side of a channel, as I wold expect to, rather than the middle it would give you the 'almost' right answer result.

SDG

[j.sabourn]

#38... Do I know you Bill ?. I worked offshore here from 1991 to 2002. Working for Total Marine, Mermaid Marine , both of Fremantle, Tidewater and Swires. Mainly off the NW shelf , but a lot of run jobs taken ships to and from Singapore. The Americans I came across on rigs and ships I was surprised as most think they were on film star wages , they weren’t and would have preferred our conditions. Cheers JS.