Who’s at sea and where do you work?
Discussion
Se7enheaven said:
The craic offshore used to be brilliant prior to initially TV’s being installed in cabins and then finally internet. The excitement of finishing shift , the cokes and mars bars dished out and the “latest” movie being shown along with the wise cracks and banter was fantastic. A 12 hour shift tripping pipe or running casing was made bearable by the great laughs. I miss the good old days.
^^^^ that 'pipe and casings' process has alwasy fascinated me and seeing a team really pulling together is a joy to watch. Is it still so 'manual' and risk strewn in a modern world?(sorry for diversion)
Stick Legs said:
ColdoRS said:
hidetheelephants said:
Stick Legs said:
shirt said:
Interesting thread.
What are the routes for careers offshore?
I’m 43, recently made redundant and not really suited for office work. Did my degree in aero engineering, 7yrs in heavy industry (steel) and the last 13yrs in the power industry building power stations in the worst parts of the world you can think of.
I reckon an offshore rotation would suit me. No wife/kids etc.
Hard to start that late but by no means impossible.What are the routes for careers offshore?
I’m 43, recently made redundant and not really suited for office work. Did my degree in aero engineering, 7yrs in heavy industry (steel) and the last 13yrs in the power industry building power stations in the worst parts of the world you can think of.
I reckon an offshore rotation would suit me. No wife/kids etc.
The career structure is aimed at school leavers, so normally you’re looking for a sponsoring company, then they put you on a college course and you blend college time & sea time over 3 years before gainful your first qualification, which these days is a Foundation degree & MCA Officer of Watch (Deck) or (Engine).
I know a guy who was at Nissan Sunderland and left to come to sea at 32.
The 3 years on £1k a month training wage was hard, but his extra experience, maturity & work ethic saw him promoted quite quickly. He’s now Chief Engineer at 41.
If you are serious PM me.
And look here:
https://www.careersatsea.org/
I only explained the normal progression & the fact it’s pitched at school leavers. I am sure that accreditation of prior learning would happen but not sure the MCA would drop their seatime requirement so there may be a bit of time ‘as a cadet’ so to speak.
Either way, it’s possible! There were 40yo cadets in my class back in the day, they done well too, the maturity over a 16yo school leaver is a huge advantage, many of the really young ones didn’t appreciate the opportunity they had.
25 years at sea here.
Started on Stenaline Ferries, and did ferries on and off for four years, before switching to cruise ships.
I'm currently taking a complete break from the ships. I've been away for quite some time now and don't miss it at all. Living in a small box is not great, never being able to have a spontaneous drive or often even a walk. I hope I will start to miss it and want to go back eventually.
Started on Stenaline Ferries, and did ferries on and off for four years, before switching to cruise ships.
I'm currently taking a complete break from the ships. I've been away for quite some time now and don't miss it at all. Living in a small box is not great, never being able to have a spontaneous drive or often even a walk. I hope I will start to miss it and want to go back eventually.
Some years ago—never mind how long precisely—having little or no money in my purse, and nothing particular to interest me on shore, I thought I would sail about a little and see the watery part of the world. It is a way I have of driving off the spleen and regulating the circulation. Whenever I find myself growing grim about the mouth; whenever it is a damp, drizzly November in my soul; whenever I find myself involuntarily pausing before coffin warehouses, and bringing up the rear of every funeral I meet; and especially whenever my hypos get such an upper hand of me, that it requires a strong moral principle to prevent me from deliberately stepping into the street, and methodically knocking people’s hats off—then, I account it high time tozz get to sea as soon as I can. This is my substitute for pistol and ball. With a philosophical flourish Cato throws himself upon his sword; I quietly take to the ship. There is nothing surprising in this. If they but knew it, almost all men in their degree, some time or other, cherish very nearly the same feelings towards the ocean with me.
Been decades since I was a sea, but this was my last ship...
My "office" was the gun on the back (plus the other 2 around the ship)
There isn't any weeks on weeks off shift. There is one full time crew and you get weekends off when you're back in home port (plus leave periods). At sea things are busy, there is always something happening.
[url]
|https://thumbsnap.com/T3d51eKE[/url]
Plenty of foreign trips in my day, but also plenty of exercises and training. Sometimes you do 6 hours on 6 ours off, 7 days a week, for weeks (defence watches in real conflicts, or simulated wars)
Life on board is cramped. You're in bunks 3 high, and as an NCO about 6 people will share a cabin. No internet in my day, so we had a TV in the mess with a DVD player.
Occasionally there will be a day off and a BBQ on the deck.
The mess had a bar though and drinking is allowed lunchtime and evenings.
My "office" was the gun on the back (plus the other 2 around the ship)
There isn't any weeks on weeks off shift. There is one full time crew and you get weekends off when you're back in home port (plus leave periods). At sea things are busy, there is always something happening.
[url]
|https://thumbsnap.com/T3d51eKE[/url]
Plenty of foreign trips in my day, but also plenty of exercises and training. Sometimes you do 6 hours on 6 ours off, 7 days a week, for weeks (defence watches in real conflicts, or simulated wars)
Life on board is cramped. You're in bunks 3 high, and as an NCO about 6 people will share a cabin. No internet in my day, so we had a TV in the mess with a DVD player.
Occasionally there will be a day off and a BBQ on the deck.
The mess had a bar though and drinking is allowed lunchtime and evenings.
Edited by 98elise on Wednesday 7th February 11:12
wcel said:
DJFish said:
the interesting bit is when the Master is a problem drinker…not that that would ever happen.
The Captain of the ship I'm on failed the breathalyser at check in, and was immediately dismissed (not the only one), so it does happen!20+ years offshore. Currently Arabian Gulf on this jackup. Been international about 6 years now after 14 years in the North Sea. Trying my absolute best to not get dragged back to the cold / wet / helicopters that I hate so much.
Weather good, food OK, internet crap but banter good. Crewchanging by boat takes a huge chunk of time but rather that than a flying coffin tbh.
Weather good, food OK, internet crap but banter good. Crewchanging by boat takes a huge chunk of time but rather that than a flying coffin tbh.
PushedDover said:
Se7enheaven said:
The craic offshore used to be brilliant prior to initially TV’s being installed in cabins and then finally internet. The excitement of finishing shift , the cokes and mars bars dished out and the “latest” movie being shown along with the wise cracks and banter was fantastic. A 12 hour shift tripping pipe or running casing was made bearable by the great laughs. I miss the good old days.
^^^^ that 'pipe and casings' process has alwasy fascinated me and seeing a team really pulling together is a joy to watch. Is it still so 'manual' and risk strewn in a modern world?(sorry for diversion)
This photo is from the drilling rig “Benreoch” and will date from pre-90’s. Just before the old school stuff was stripped out during a refit and hydraulics put into service.
The vid is poetry in motion
https://youtu.be/Ao2G6-zildc?si=iUlFi_MYiKdoZQP_
Se7enheaven said:
What you see in the photo is the spinning chain which is not used any more . Manual tongs will still be used at certain times , but overall hydraulic equipment has replaced most duties.
This photo is from the drilling rig “Benreoch” and will date from pre-90’s. Just before the old school stuff was stripped out during a refit and hydraulics put into service.
The vid is poetry in motion
https://youtu.be/Ao2G6-zildc?si=iUlFi_MYiKdoZQP_
Thank you for that content - post and video.This photo is from the drilling rig “Benreoch” and will date from pre-90’s. Just before the old school stuff was stripped out during a refit and hydraulics put into service.
The vid is poetry in motion
https://youtu.be/Ao2G6-zildc?si=iUlFi_MYiKdoZQP_
I agree : poetry in motion
hidetheelephants said:
I'm ignorant of how a drill floor works; what does the chain do?
The spinning chain was attached to drive of the drawworks ( winch ) and was used to spin in the drill pipe / tubular until the tool joints met , and then the tongs used to torque up the pipe to the required setting.The chain was initially replaced by a stand alone hydraulic pipe spinner and then latterly an “iron roughneck” ( an all in one pipe spinner ,and tong machine ) which significantly reduced finger and hand injuries and meant that Roughnecks could then count to ten without having to use their toes as well
I’ve been away from the job now for a few years, so what they are now installing to current drill floors will have advanced even more, but I suppose there is only so far you can go and can’t totally reinvent the wheel. However a good crew on manual was still quicker tripping pipe than a “remote” system.
PushedDover said:
Se7enheaven said:
What you see in the photo is the spinning chain which is not used any more . Manual tongs will still be used at certain times , but overall hydraulic equipment has replaced most duties.
This photo is from the drilling rig “Benreoch” and will date from pre-90’s. Just before the old school stuff was stripped out during a refit and hydraulics put into service.
The vid is poetry in motion
https://youtu.be/Ao2G6-zildc?si=iUlFi_MYiKdoZQP_
Thank you for that content - post and video.This photo is from the drilling rig “Benreoch” and will date from pre-90’s. Just before the old school stuff was stripped out during a refit and hydraulics put into service.
The vid is poetry in motion
https://youtu.be/Ao2G6-zildc?si=iUlFi_MYiKdoZQP_
I agree : poetry in motion
Looks pretty intense and potentially quite dangerous if you lose concentration.
How long would a team have spent doing that without a break? A whole shift, or just an hour or so?
dontlookdown said:
Those guys are in the zone.
Looks pretty intense and potentially quite dangerous if you lose concentration.
How long would a team have spent doing that without a break? A whole shift, or just an hour or so?
Plenty of fingers lost over the years to a spinning chain unfortunately. Looks pretty intense and potentially quite dangerous if you lose concentration.
How long would a team have spent doing that without a break? A whole shift, or just an hour or so?
Depends how fast the drilling is, or how fast they are pulling out of hole. They would be making connections of the drill pipe after each 10/20/30m drilled depending on the rig and the size of the derrick. Could be once an hour, could be six times and hour.
Ityre said:
.......I currently work for an infamous west of Scotland ferry company that I’ll not actually say as they’ve just brought out a ‘social media ‘ policy , I’m one of their chief greasers, great terms and conditions but couldn’t run a bath.....
Another one working for this firm, in the greasing dept though not a chief greaser! Can concur, good T&Cs, though the company can seem like it forgets its core business is running a fleet of ships and not being a catering firm or tourist board.Have worked on oil and gas support vessels (anchor handlers, platform supply, dive ROV), cruise ships and done a bit of tall ship sailing, and did other 'stuff' prior to getting my ticket. I've done a few jobs in a yard/office, which has just highlighted how much better (to me) it is to work a rotational job rather than the '9-5'.
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