Crew Available: Finding a Job as an AB/Deckhand is Hard

[HeatherW]

My name is Heather White I just graduated from Chapman School of Seamanship. I'm STCW certified and have a certification in assistant towing. I am a fit, well-mannered and an enthusiastic person always ready to tackle a new challenge. I learn fast and am very hard working and most definitely a team player. I take great pride in my work and feel it is a reflection of who I am and what I am worth. I am a people person and get along well with people from all walks of life. I'm currently living in Fort Lauderdale, Fl. Looking for work found some decent jobs in the yachting field but there are currently no job listings for the summer. Please feel free to look over my resume.

And if you have any advice on how or where I can look to obtain a job in the charter,yacht,or any maritime job please let me know.

V/r
Heather White

[Auspicious]

Google for crew housing in FLL and Miami and start visiting.

[Bestathook]

Check out the website of MSC, which is Military Sealift Command.

Contact the Seafarers International Union.

Both are usually looking for ABs, and MSC is the cheapest to start with.

Their jobs are on ships, but it will do you good to get some real experience before you try the yachts. It will also get you free training, and put some cash in your pocket.

[GrowleyMonster]

Originally Posted by Bestathook

Check out the website of MSC, which is Military Sealift Command.

Contact the Seafarers International Union.

Both are usually looking for ABs, and MSC is the cheapest to start with.

Their jobs are on ships, but it will do you good to get some real experience before you try the yachts. It will also get you free training, and put some cash in your pocket.

Indeed. If you sail at least 180 days a year with SIU and keep a good grip on your money, you should be able to buy yourself a boat in a year or two that you can live aboard and hone your sailing skills on. Your time spent on ships will teach you a lot, if you are actually trying to learn. On sea watches with no traffic and good visibility, most mates will be happy to let you learn hands-on navigation. You got paper charts and you got ECDIS. You got radar, and you can practice plotting with ARPA, and manual plotting on a maneuvering board plot sheet. If you are on the 4 to 8 watch, you can take an amplitude and do a compass check. Shoot stars. On the mid watch you can do LAN. Sun lines whenever the sun shines. You will learn about proper radio procedures and the Rules of the Road, how to properly avoid a close quarters situation, how to identify a vessel by its lights, stuff like that. You will also learn a lot of stuff on deck that will carry over into yachting.

Working on somebody else's sailing yacht for a living might be okay but most folks simply don't pay enough or offer any benefits. Union employment on ships gives you retirement options, medical, insurance, vacation pay, overtime and penalty pay, and other stuff. Also free educational and upgrading courses. An AB Unlimited should never have a problem making well over $40k and on the right ships, if you sail a lot and work all your overtime, quite a bit more. Then take the money and the time off and sail your OWN boat.

Heather, how did you get your required sea time for your AB ticket? Were you on tugs?

[tbodine88]

I wish you well, but a video I watched last week implies stateside ship count is down to between 100 and 200, can't be too many berths , but good luck.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mH9kMh4xaY8

[SailRedemption]

I'm a 2nd mate (unlimited oceans) in the Gulf of Mexico. I work on supply/support vessels. The oilfield industry is always hiring for deck hands and the pay is usually better down here then blue water(ships). My company is paying deck hands with just rigger certification $200/day, with OS you get 210/day. Get your AB after a year you can get your AB ticket and get bumped up $285/day, get an AB unlimited it goes to 285/day.

If you want some company names/numbers I'd be happy to oblige.

[MarkJ]

Originally Posted by HeatherW

living in Fort Lauderdale, Fl. Looking for work found some decent jobs in the yachting field but there are currently no job listings for the summer.


Heather White

Summer is over Heather. Now is the time to get sorted out for the winter charter season.
Ft Lauderdale is full of agents so get dockwalking the agents... but dockwalking the boats is definitely out these days.
Between now and 6 weeks time there will be a huge shift in charter boats and superyachts as they head south from all points north in the USA east coast and head to the Caribbean. Many will stop in Ft Lauderdale to service, haul, or just provision. You need to have your CV in every agents office right now.

Remember USA flagged superyachts must have USA crew so you are at a distinct advantage.

Plus many boats from from the Med to Ft L before the Caribbean... and they all get the hell out of the Med in the next few weeks.


Mark

[sy_gilana]

Facebook!!! there are many groups there, start with Crew Helping Crew

Facebook is going to revolutionize (or kill) the crew agency business.

[goboatingnow]

You need to decide which route to take , superyacht crew or commercial marine.

Superyacht crew , especially larger motor yachts are extremely well paid earning €60k tax free , but with little job security. Captains are upwards of €200k.

Facilities are of course to standards you'll never see on a commercial ship.

The two centres for superyachts are Florida and Nice/Antibes /San Remo

Most superyacht crews are placed by an agency these days so get yourself registered. at the very least talk to a few. Few big yachts employ directly anymore.

Commercial marine is an area I know little about , suffice to say all my cousins who joined up left after a few years , citing pay, conditions and the difficulty of living a normal life.

Dave

[engine1218]

Have you looked here:

Job Announcement - Report View - The Neptune Group