As Katy was kind enough to point out I do hold a 100 ton license and use it
on occasion in a professional commercial way. However I'm currently
working as An Able Bodied Seaman (Limited) on a largish freighter of some
960 feet. Found out there's much more money as a full time deck hand on the
big boys than as an occasional delivery skipper or party boat operator.
(Full time good size pay check, meals, cabin, etc. etc. and insurance all
included) The main reason though was to fund the purchase of a new and bit
larger boat which now is paid for in full. Next phase is the refit/upgrade
to full cruising status and that will be done about midway through next
year. The job does have it's negatives as well as postives though. Gone
four to six months at a time might be construed as a negative unless in the
absence you lose something that really was a negative.Thereby proving what
my old science teacher taught us. Two negatives make a positive. Don't
worry 'bout it.

By the way I changed the email address and Rick I can't get yours to work.
Do you remember the young guy Chris on the misc.transport.marine newsgroup.
The one that wanted to know about going to sea? He followed our sage advice
and ended up being on this ship as an OS when I arrived in Diego Garcia some
months ago. Said to say thank you for everyone's help. He's now doing
AB/Lifeboatman school and I suspect will end up going for a Third's ticket.

Cheers!

Michael

"Schoonertrash" wrote in message ...
snipped some.
Gone four to six months at a time might be construed as a
negative unless in the absence you lose something that really
was a negative.

I never did see what you saw in Lady Sailor anyway. Talk about
your left coast, confused fluff!

S.Simon

"Schoonertrash" wrote:

As Katy was kind enough to point out I do hold a 100 ton license

Wow, that's heavy! Do you use a crane to carry it around? ;-)

LP (rather have a six-pack, especially when thirsty)

Sure do. We have four heavy lift McGregor cranes up forward. It took all
of them to get that piece of paper on board. You should see the size of the
suitcase I had to buy to carry it! Actually it gives me some advantages.
Once one of the unlimited tonnage licensed mates finds out you did something
to improve yourself they are much more prone to teach a lot of extras. A
lot of good navigation related tricks of the trade for one, the equivalent
of a full length radar operator/interpreters course, all sorts of extras.
All the extra or left over but still current charts, pilot books etc. come
our way. The two of us who have small tonnage licenses do all or most of
the lifeboat and Rhib Rescue boat work. We work with the charts and chart
updates, normally on a merchant ship only the 2nd mate with the third mates
assisting touch those. Another advantage is interviewing people on
different places in the world you might go one day in your own boat. These
people, over the years, have been to darn near every place in the world.
They'll tell you all the good and bad points of every entrance and every
harbor from doing the "Texas Chicken" in the Houston Channel to where the
best "plage au naturale" can be found and how close is required to get
within 20 power range. Because of my small boat time I get a lot of
questions. "WHAT is that blankety blank expeletive deleted so and so
doing?" It's a fair trade of information.

Cheers and fair winds!

Michael

"Schoonertrash" wrote in message
...
Sure do. We have four heavy lift McGregor cranes up forward. It took
all
of them to get that piece of paper on board. You should see the size of
the
suitcase I had to buy to carry it!

Hopefully you bought a Samsonite. Hehhee

LP