Anyone ever worked on a container ship?

Antique_Guitars

I have had a strong urge to work on a container ship for a few years now and just wondering if anyone has done it before?

I presume much like working on oil rigs I would need to get the correct certification and training before I could seek work in the field.

guitargeek62

Been to see Captain Phillips have you?

Antique_Guitars

No haven't seen it yet actually and if anything I'd guess that would put me off.

I used to work for a big Maritime engineering firm and I think that side of things kinda interests me, I have been half thinking about joining the navy as well...............

Last year being in Egypt rekindled my interest, seeing all the container ships going past after going through the Suez canal really made me want to be on one.

I kinda think its meant to be as I also work for a company that is part of the Suez company so everything is telling me I need to be at sea.

johnnyurq

You can get holidays on cargo and container ships nowadays, some are expensive and some allow you to work some of your passage.

Good way to try before committing. My older bro is ex Merchant Navy and told me about it and it looks a hoot.

A cursory Google turns up this.

http://www.cargoshipvoyages.com

http://www.freighterexpeditions.com.au/life-on-board-a-cargo-ship

wibble

You could try a different angle and join some Somali pirates instead. You'll be able to pick any passing container ship

roundthebend

I worked on a gas tanker operating between Brunei and Japan when I left college. I was training with Shell to become an officer but I quit because I realised that months at sea weren't what I wanted. It is cool though. You need the correct qualifications but if you have something relevant and land based I suspect a company may be interested to here from you.

littlegreenman

I'd suggest investing in one of these and a laptop, with a half-decent AI and the DAW of your choice, before you sign up.

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_K3sJ4lupa-4/TK9ImQQ3kCI/AAAAAAAAC4U/jqzwHt_bluk/s1600/gal00000472kl[1].jpg

And some spares for the crazy double-ballend* strings!







* not to be confused with the bellend discussion elsewhere

chillidoggy

Good luck with that. I'm ex-merchant navy, and I'd never go back. Not that they'd have me.

Emp_Fab

Your turn in the barrel too often was it ?

VimFuego

as I understand it, he volunteered all the time, but got pissed off when no one wanted a go.

 

EDIT: To OP, mate of mine used to be fleet manager for P&O bulk carriers (doesn't do that now, something to do with luxury yachts for rich Russians I think) and he explained the process once for becoming an officer. Can't recall all the details now, but I think it was quite long and drawn out (I assume you want to go officer route, as going deck hand route would be very difficult, seems most of them are recruited from low wage countries).

chillidoggy

@Emp – Nothing to do with barrels, medical grounds. If the OP wants to be a marine engineer officer, then the path used to be a long one. For me in the 70’s, it was 2 years 9-5 full time at marine engineering college, a year at sea (although I had to come back early for re-sits, as I’d spent too much time in the pub, or messing about with music,  and not enough time studying), then another year full time 9-5 at college. Then they let me loose as a marine engineer for a few years, where I proved from time to time by making various cock-ups, large and small, that they may have made a bit of an error of judgement in that. I then had to go back to college again for 3 months for the next bit of certification and examination back to sea for 18 months. If I had gone further, which I didn’t because of impaired hearing, I’d have had to go back to college for 3 months, and then back to sea for 18 months, then back to college for 3 months before the final Chief Engineer’s certification. I dunno what it’s like these days, or what a deck orifice has to do to get qualified.

fretmeister

You sure: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-essex-24541151

Someone on Basschat witnessed that. Poor bloke had to have his leg amputated at the scene to get him out.

chillidoggy

I think that's a contract crane engineer, not a marine engineer, Fret. 

Axe_meister

Can't imagine it's a particularly interesting job.

Weeks at sea in a ship that pretty much guides itself and you can't escape your fellow ship mates

Then a flurry of activity when you dock, unload and reload and the head back again.

Cruise liner would be far more fun

Antique_Guitars

Hey Everyone,

Thanks for the all info it has been very enlightening!  Holidays on cargo ships is paticularly interesting I may have to do that at some stage.

From what some of the peeps on here have said and what the Merchant Navy states it seems difficult if you are in this country to get jobs other than officer type positions, the lower positions what they call Ratings jobs seems very limited indeed.

Although it seems that the Fleet Auxillary offer some of these positions but as per if I tried to join the Navy I would have to get dual citizenship as I currently only hold a Frenhc passport.

In general I don't really want to go for an officer position as I don't want the responsibility and also having just finished 4 years at uni getting a degree and masters I don't want to have to go back to learn stuff again.

I will however keep an open mind about it and now atleast have an idea aboout how to apply etc etc, so thanks for the help everyone I will keep you posted.

Handsome_Chris

@Antique_Guitars,  Hi there my French friend, or should I say bonjour?  How about working as crew on a seismic survey vessel?  I'm going for it myself.

It's five weeks on/five weeks off and Schlumberger have been described to me as a truly international company.

 http://careers.slb.com/experiencedprofessionals.aspx

Antique_Guitars

Sounds pretty awesome actually, please let me know how it goes for you as I am very interested.

Phil_aka_Pip

A drinking companion is ex-merchant navy. He was a navigator. I think you need to be good with vectors & geometry for that, possibly some trig as well. Anyway he always has some damn good stories to tell. He became a landlubber when he acquired a wife and she produced a family for him, apart from that I think he enjoyed being at sea.

musicegbdf

Ok I have worked in container shipping for 35 years. I don't want to burst your bubble but the pay is terrible . The masters and senior officers tend to come from the Eastern Bloc and the ratings from the East. For ratings it is a fairly tough life. You would earn more on a supermarket check out.
On a container ship ypu tend to be in port for only hoiurs so no shore leave
We used to run cadets and british masters , but no longer....
My old company used to take up to 12 passengers . It was expensive and most of the passengers were elderly americans that had done all the cruises and wanted something different. It was not un common for them to die on the voyage (old age not the food)

Bogwhoppit

The life boats suck as well !