by Guest » December 25, 2018, 9:13 pm
I will add my two cents to the conversation. My background is sailing for 19 years now, the first 6 on the lakes, the remainder on ocean ships (USA and foreign flag). Currently on board a US flag coastwise ship as Chief Engineer.
Today is Christmas. A good majority of readers here spent time with your families, celebrated with delicious food, presents, and surely made some wonderful memories. Here on the ship, we were lucky enough to be in port so I was able to webcam chat with my family. They knew I would be at sea over the holidays, so it was not a surprise, and it was not the first time (nor will it be the last). I said Merry Christmas to them three days ago, assuming our schedule would have us at sea today, but we got lucky with a change in orders.
It's still a melancholic feeling to not be home for special events like this. Sure, I chose my profession, and I knew what I was getting into, but that still doesn't make life easy. My specific employer couldn't care less about their shipboard employees, so much so that the steward had to skimp on food all month just so he had the budget to afford a moderate Christmas meal. I know that's not the case everywhere, but from menus I read aboard US flagged ships posted by friends on Facebook today, my ship actually fared quite well. A friend on another ship had the choice of franks and beans or chicken fingers for their special meal today. That was on a US flagged large container ship.
We are expected to keep up our license, jumping through ever-increasing hoops each year, all for "routine" %2 or 3% increases in our day rate. We receive no holiday pay, no OT, only a flat daily wage. If I work 12 hours or I work 20 hours, it's all for the same pay. 12 hours is standard, but I average 15-16 hours per day. CE pay is about $160,000/year for 180 days work (Master is slightly more). Chief Mate/1AE is $145,000, 2nd Mate/2AE is $110,000, and 3rd Mate/3AE is $90,000. Rough figures, and that includes vacation (equal time working and at home, 90 day rotations).
There is a shortage of qualified and willing people for many reasons, but the one I see come up more often that not when talking amongst colleagues is that the money simply isn't there. This time of the year (but applicable any time), many people travel/work and are away from home who earn less, but few of those, in comparison, have the highly specialized skills, knowledge, and level of credentials that shipboard workers have (officers and unlicensed included). My brother is a MD and he believes I do more work-related off-time training than him. I spent several years working aboard foreign flag ships doing commissioning work aboard newly delivered LNG carriers. Filipino or Ukrainian crew, Indian officers most typically. The ships were built quite well and outfitted nicely. They had internet on board 24/7, anywhere at sea. They ate well, and were treated as valued employees by their company. Sure, their salary was not equal to US or Canadian seafarers, but in context to their cost of living at home, they had more earning power.
I've rambled on enough, and just wanted to add something to the conversation.
I will add my two cents to the conversation. My background is sailing for 19 years now, the first 6 on the lakes, the remainder on ocean ships (USA and foreign flag). Currently on board a US flag coastwise ship as Chief Engineer.
Today is Christmas. A good majority of readers here spent time with your families, celebrated with delicious food, presents, and surely made some wonderful memories. Here on the ship, we were lucky enough to be in port so I was able to webcam chat with my family. They knew I would be at sea over the holidays, so it was not a surprise, and it was not the first time (nor will it be the last). I said Merry Christmas to them three days ago, assuming our schedule would have us at sea today, but we got lucky with a change in orders.
It's still a melancholic feeling to not be home for special events like this. Sure, I chose my profession, and I knew what I was getting into, but that still doesn't make life easy. My specific employer couldn't care less about their shipboard employees, so much so that the steward had to skimp on food all month just so he had the budget to afford a moderate Christmas meal. I know that's not the case everywhere, but from menus I read aboard US flagged ships posted by friends on Facebook today, my ship actually fared quite well. A friend on another ship had the choice of franks and beans or chicken fingers for their special meal today. That was on a US flagged large container ship.
We are expected to keep up our license, jumping through ever-increasing hoops each year, all for "routine" %2 or 3% increases in our day rate. We receive no holiday pay, no OT, only a flat daily wage. If I work 12 hours or I work 20 hours, it's all for the same pay. 12 hours is standard, but I average 15-16 hours per day. CE pay is about $160,000/year for 180 days work (Master is slightly more). Chief Mate/1AE is $145,000, 2nd Mate/2AE is $110,000, and 3rd Mate/3AE is $90,000. Rough figures, and that includes vacation (equal time working and at home, 90 day rotations).
There is a shortage of qualified and willing people for many reasons, but the one I see come up more often that not when talking amongst colleagues is that the money simply isn't there. This time of the year (but applicable any time), many people travel/work and are away from home who earn less, but few of those, in comparison, have the highly specialized skills, knowledge, and level of credentials that shipboard workers have (officers and unlicensed included). My brother is a MD and he believes I do more work-related off-time training than him. I spent several years working aboard foreign flag ships doing commissioning work aboard newly delivered LNG carriers. Filipino or Ukrainian crew, Indian officers most typically. The ships were built quite well and outfitted nicely. They had internet on board 24/7, anywhere at sea. They ate well, and were treated as valued employees by their company. Sure, their salary was not equal to US or Canadian seafarers, but in context to their cost of living at home, they had more earning power.
I've rambled on enough, and just wanted to add something to the conversation.