State Maritime Academies - Employment on Yachts

I guess you might be referring to the article in the Triton in regards to recruiting students and graduates from Maine Maritime?
Good article, it was an enjoyable read.

I think that the yachting industry is a resource for employment that could be better utilized by the placement offices of these academys. Maine has added to their curriculum to train those who may be more interested in the yacht side than the commercial side.

I have placed help wanted ads with several academies, the problem is that in my program the vacancies I have are seasonal, and very entry level. The graduates of the academies, like you said, graduate with good tickets, but in many cases do not have a lot of real world work experience to go with it.

I sense among some of the recently graduated that I have talked with, a reluctance to start at the bottom and stay there for a while learning the intricacies of the industry. Some feel that they have been trained to drive the boats, and that is what they want to do. But, then again, this seems to be endemic to a lot of the crew members starting out.

As a recent graduate of SUNY Maritime I have been searching for a job and have found the state of the merchant marine industry and the unions discouraging. Working on a yacht has a great appeal to me but like you said it is rarely ever mentioned at the academies. Anyone have any advice as to how to get started working on yachts? Is MCA COC necessary?I do agree that there are many people who come out of these schools and think that working anything less then mate is below them, they soon realize, or are forcibly shown that they dont know everything. I personally would have no problem working my way up, you cant make someone do something you yourself cant do.

Breezy,
Can I ask what exactly you find discouraging?
I mean, I read Professional Mariner, and articles there state that the tugboat industry needs personnel. Granted, you need to start out with them as an AB until you have time to upgrade your license, but I have always felt starting from the bottom is the only way to truly round yourself out as an all-rounder in any profession.
As a recent graduate, you should have a 3rd Mate Unlimited tonnage, which, unless I am mistaken, the USCG will issue you a 100 ton Masters license as an equivalency?
So you need more sea time to upgrade to a 500 or 1600 ton Masters if you take the lower level deck license path, as opposed to upgrading your mate ticket on the unlimited license path.
As I understand it, with a 500 ton or 1600 ton Masters license, and 30 days of training and a completed Towing Officers Assessment Record, you could now serve as mate or master of a towing vessel....
If you are a recent graduate and want to go to yachts I think it is probably a good idea to get licensed in the MCA system as well as the USCG system, but I am unsure what is the best path for you at this point in your experience level. With my 500 ton Masters upon Oceans, I can take the MCA Business and Law module, then sit for an evaluation with an MCA examiner to obtain a CEC (Certificate of Equivalent Competency)
With your level of licensing and experience, it might be more advantageous to enter the MCA system at the yachtmaster level? I am unsure as I do not have much expereince with that system... the the people at www.yachtmaster.com have put together a pretty informative website that details a lot of these issues.

I didnt mean the tug industry, its expanding rapidly, i was referring to deep sea, tankers, container ships, LPG/LNG, american flag ships are getting rare, if you go MSC your stuck for 10-14 months on a Navy ship that never sees the shore. Thats what I have found discouraging. Ive tried to email the MCA but they havent got back to me yet, was unclear about the CEC and if my third mates unlimited meant anything or if I had to get 1600 ton masters. Thanks

using maritime academy crew

What are typical starting salaries for engineers or mates coming out of the academy's and how easy is it for them to find jobs?

I understand it's important for them to get sea time and the flag doesn't matter. Can anybody give us an overview of how much seatime they have to get for each successive license and if additional studies are needed?

I also read the Triton article and it sounds appealing to us get people with a solid basic knowledge, abeit little seatime and mentor them into fine 1st mates on our (140 NRT, 468 GT) expedition yacht.

The challenge is to find people that also have the people skills be function well on a (charter) yacht.

Thorwald

You hit the nail on the head.

Through the academies, the normal sea time is about 180 days of sea time, which is half of what the USCG requires but through deals with the schools it is enough to sit for the 3rd mate license. For 2nd, chief and captain you need 360 days at sea on your lower license to upgrade. Average starting salary is $40-60,000 (for 6 months at sea) depending on union,flag etc. Whats the best way to get into the yacht industry? through the crewing agencies?

no union on our vessel !!

Breezy,

Run don't walk to the nearest MMP hall and get the 12 months you need to upgrade. An MSC berth for a year will give you more time off than a yacht and the time is more valuable. You will be working on your license and treated with the respect and working conditions you have earned. When you submit the paperwork for your 2nd's ticket apply for the 1600 ton master. DO NOT waste your time with any of the yachtie tickets, your 1600 ton will get you an MCA Certificate of Equivalent Competency that will put you light years ahead of the competition and will have real value in the maritime world away from yachts as well as in the yacht industry. Don't waste your last 4 years. If you move to a yacht after some real sea time and further training you will be in a position to bring some needed professionalism to the industry.

Breezy,

I forgot to mention that since your upgrade falls under the new system, you will have to submit a training record book attesting to completion of the long list of proficiencies required before you can be issued your 2nd's ticket.

Those proficiencies must be signed off by a "designated examiner" who has a license equal to or higher than yours and it is highly unlikely that you will find yourself working on a yacht with a master who holds an unlimited ticket, there are a few but not many.

Unless the yacht is >1600 GRT you will not meet the requirements for an unlimited 2nd's. Finding time and money to attend classes to satisfy the proficiency requirements for upgrade is problematic unless you are independently wealthy.

I don't mean to sound negative but the reality of the yacht industry is that it is based on limited licenses which require virtually no seatime and are therefore very limited in value outside the yacht world. A boxboat AB requires more sea time and qualifications than most "big" yacht tickets.

The yacht industry offers a great deal of satisfaction in many ways but to place yourself in the best position to obtain that satisfaction and protect your future value, you must avoid the trap of the "yacht license." You already have the foundation on which to build a good career in either market. Until you have the unlimited 2nd and 1600 ton master though you will not have much to offer and a (no pun intended) very limited future at sea or ashore if you are among the few who remain in the industry. Few shipping companies have much interest in a resume developed in the leisure maritime sector.

Good luck