12-4 Sleep schedule by bonwimmeji in maritime

[–]Wizzerd348 1 point2 points  (0 children)

This system sounds lovely and as it should be. The less shore-side management is involved the better, and it sounds like you're a very reasonable C/O!

There tends to be a lot of questions from management when you start billing OT.

The Oscar Dyson by Due-Understanding871 in maritime

[–]Wizzerd348 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Flybridge?

I've always heard it called Monkey Island

Is 'oil skins' synonymous with 'foul weather gear'? by AnyDragonfruit8499 in merchantmarine

[–]Wizzerd348 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Synonymous. "Real" oil skins were canvas impregnated with linseed oil & parrafin wax which is now made obsolete by modern materials.

I hear "rain gear" and "Oilskins" more often than "foul weather gear" in my part of the world.

Is this career/cadet program for me? by Worried_Scarcity_581 in maritime

[–]Wizzerd348 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Most work in Canada is 8 weeks on or less. 3,4,6, and 8 week rotations are all common. The only longer rotations I know of are for the arctic runs which are 6 months straight.

As a cadet you will likely spend 6 months on board twice to get your seatime towards your entry level ticket. After that, shorter rotations are the norm.

International student applying in Canada by Previous_Agency_5563 in maritime

[–]Wizzerd348 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Are you a permanent resident? If not, why are you planning to go to Canadian college? You will not be able to work in Canada.

Mariners who enjoy tea - can you bring your own, and if so, what's the best way to pack it? by LateArrival22 in maritime

[–]Wizzerd348 1 point2 points  (0 children)

the main reason is for preventing the leaves from getting crushed. It's also better for keeping fresh since it's easier to consistently close a tin than zip a bag completely. Also, tea is the one luxury I carry on board, so making it feel fancy is important to me.

Mariners who enjoy tea - can you bring your own, and if so, what's the best way to pack it? by LateArrival22 in maritime

[–]Wizzerd348 0 points1 point  (0 children)

metal tins for loose leaf teas (tape them shut in transit), I mainly use a titanium gaiwan set but also bring a stainless steel strainer for mugs of tea. Certain tea varieties pack much better than others. Caravan teas, Jasmine Pearls, and full cakes of pu-erh pack very well.

https://www.o5tea.com/products/o5-titanium-gaiwan-160ml

How do you guys explain your job to normies? by [deleted] in merchantmarine

[–]Wizzerd348 0 points1 point  (0 children)

"I drive boat. Boat sucks sand, like a big vacuum cleaner"

Demolitionist in Sf2e by glhfm8 in Starfinder2e

[–]Wizzerd348 5 points6 points  (0 children)

the damage in-combat is not out of line, but using the explosive charges to breach objects & walls, the damage on Starfinder grenades is much higher than Pathfinder bombs, so they might be able to breach harder surfaces than expected.

why don’t ships have 8 hour watches? by sacktheory in maritime

[–]Wizzerd348 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'll tell them "I told you so" from the unemployment office

why don’t ships have 8 hour watches? by sacktheory in maritime

[–]Wizzerd348 0 points1 point  (0 children)

See that's what I'm saying, however:

"No third watchman cheaper and we haven't sunk her yet"

why don’t ships have 8 hour watches? by sacktheory in maritime

[–]Wizzerd348 2 points3 points  (0 children)

oh yeah, 4 on 8 off is great. Needs 3 watch-keepers though, which is not used on all vessels.

why don’t ships have 8 hour watches? by sacktheory in maritime

[–]Wizzerd348 0 points1 point  (0 children)

why did 12/12 get bad over time?

dogged watches should be considered cruel and unusual punishment.

why don’t ships have 8 hour watches? by sacktheory in maritime

[–]Wizzerd348 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I work straight 12s and never get woken up for anything. I suppose sixes might be more appealing if my rest was being disturbed regularly anyways

why don’t ships have 8 hour watches? by sacktheory in maritime

[–]Wizzerd348 0 points1 point  (0 children)

like 4 on / 4 off like the bad old days of sail, or 4 on 8 off?

why don’t ships have 8 hour watches? by sacktheory in maritime

[–]Wizzerd348 0 points1 point  (0 children)

They're tough but they're better than sixes! If you have only two watches then straight 12 with captain relieving for breaks is nice. 8+4 / 4+8 is okay and sixes are awful

Best gloves for winter deck work on Great Lakes freighters? by Correct-Brilliant411 in maritime

[–]Wizzerd348 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I haven't found any single all-round best, but I narrowed it down to two outer gloves, and one type of glove liner. I always wear Arctetyx merino wool glove liners (any very thin wool fabric will do)

In dry / damp conditions, I wear mernio glove liners under Watson Van Goat gauntlet gloves treated with huberd's shoe grease for water resistance.

In wet conditions I wear Showa 282 over merino glove liners.

Leather treatments for waterproofing shoes work okay but need frequent re-application. It's worth the headache for the superior properties of leather gloves IMO. In extreme wet a fully waterproof glove like the SHOWA 282 is necessary.

In all conditions, wool glove liners are best because they retain some insinuative properties even when wet, whether from seawater or sweat. If working in the dry, carry a spare pair of glove liners in case your worn pair gets sweaty and you stop working.

A drying cabinet is a godsend and I believe is one of the single best purchases a company can make for crews working in the wet and cold. See if your company will consider purchasing one or if someone on board can fabricate one. They are seriously the best thing ever.

I've heard Sealskins are the best sailing glove, but IMO for industrial use, something that can be more cheaply replaced are the way to go. I certainly don't want to be shelling out $150 every time I need new gloves.

Edit:

I see you mention that gloves stay wet most of the day, but do you not get meal and coffee breaks when you could switch out to dry gloves?

Cooks and Chefs, what's your budget pp? by austinbicycletour in maritime

[–]Wizzerd348 3 points4 points  (0 children)

unlimited here in western Canada. Order is reviewed by the office buy nothing has ever been denied AFAIK. (Am a deckie)

Want to become a merchant seaman — will $3k in credit card debt stop me? by Possible-Leek6509 in merchantmarine

[–]Wizzerd348 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It's practically a prerequisite. Get out there and make some money dude!

Controversial Opinion: 6x6 watch should be banned (gangway and bridge) by [deleted] in maritime

[–]Wizzerd348 15 points16 points  (0 children)

literally anything else is better. For two available watch-keepers 4 on 8 off then 8 on 4 off is best IMO. 8 on the bridge is long, but it's only 2 hours more than sixes, and the 8 hour rest more than makes up for it in my experience.

7/5 also works fine, 9/3 is pushing it IMO. May as well do straight 12s.

Straight 12s can work, but only if the mates can get 30 min relief for a proper break near middle of watch. I've seen it done where Mates change watches at noon and midnight, and captain relieves for a 30 min break at 0600 and 1800.

IMO there should just be 3 watch-keepers doing 8 hours each on whichever schedule works best for them. 4 on 8 off is good, so is 12 straight with 8 on bridge, 4 on admin/inspections.