Mariner, Sailors

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Jan 11, 2007 | 03:18 PM

rangersvt04

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From: On A Ship, MI

Mariner, Sailors

How many of you guys are mariners? Captains, Chief engineers, Mates, AB's ?
What company do you Sail for? Great Lakes or Ocean?

Jan 11, 2007 | 09:31 PM

fast frank 66

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From: Long Island

I've got a friend that's a captain of a Fire Island Ferry and another currently at Maritime going for his Unlimited License.

Jan 11, 2007 | 09:53 PM

booker250

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From: New Orleans

I once held a USCG 100 ton Inland Captains and a 200 ton Near-Shore Mates liscense. It was the first liscense I could sit for when I was working offshore, after my AB Unlimited. I let it lapse when I went to school to learn how to design ships, instead of live and work on them.

I spent most of my time working swing crew on a pair of 125' ocean-going tugs. We did 4 weeks on, 2 off. Well, really two weeks on one boat, and 2 weeks on the other, while the regular crews had their time off. This is one of them:

We mostly did oilfield work in the Gulf of Mexico, towing jack-up rigs from here to there. We did get to tow a barge filled with corn to Honduras once.

It was probably the best job I have had in my life. I loved it.

Ocean going Tugboats are the true bad-asses of the sea.

Jan 11, 2007 | 10:24 PM

bigdaddyII

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From: Southern Louisiana

Although I dont directly work on one as engineer or such, I do occasionally spend 2 weeks or so on an OSV (offshore support vessel), and my job has everything to do with the chemical mud systems on these vessels.

Oh, and booker, I am very familier with Otto Candies' supply vessels as well. My Uncle is captain on an offshore tug for Harvey Gulf.

Last edited by bigdaddyII; Jan 11, 2007 at 10:26 PM.

Jan 11, 2007 | 10:49 PM

booker250

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From: New Orleans

Quote:

Originally Posted by bigdaddyII

My Uncle is captain on an offshore tug for Harvey Gulf.

Cool! They have some neat tugs. We did several jobs with them.

Quote:

Originally Posted by bigdaddyII

Oh, and booker, I am very familier with Otto Candies' supply vessels as well.

So you know how ugly they are?

LOL

I spent 3 days on the Rita. It may be a nice vessel from an engineering standpoint, or it may not be. I don't know it well enough. I do know that it beats the tar out of you when heading back to port with about 20% consumables, and no ballast.

I worked as a Naval Architect in the office that vessel you pictured was designed in. It looks like a 260' OSV built in either Houma or Larose. I worked at the yard in Larose. Chouest is an interesting company, and one thing for sure is that those coon-asses can build a boat!

Another cool job I've had because of the marine industry.

Jan 11, 2007 | 11:20 PM

bigdaddyII

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From: Southern Louisiana

I never rode out any Otto Candies vessels, mostly Chouest vessels, most of which ride horrible light boat, loaded they are okay though. The one pictured is the "Dionne Chouest"
built by ECOs in house shipyard North Amercian Shipbuilding, in Larose. Lots of these vessels coming out are very interesting, for example, the Dionne is joystick drivin, just like playing a dang video game.

Jan 11, 2007 | 11:43 PM

sierraben

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From: San Francisco, Ca.

A buddy of mine was a sub-mariner in the early 70's; U.S.S Ethan Allen, SSBN-608, Fleet Ballistic Submarine with a bunch of Polaris A-3 nuke missiles (SLBM; submarine-launched-ballistic-missile)

Other than that, I own a 4 person Avon inflatable boat.