<p>KPcheng81, sorry. I went "away" for a while & just now got back to this thread. The boy is a deckie & it is the Horizon Trader. Any ideas how their real time ship tracker works? We've got a map ready to go so we can stick the colored pins in it showing all the places he goes. Too fun. Before anybody flips out that I just posted ship info.... This info is everywhere online & can be obtained by a 3 year old. Not top secret nor MSC. :) I don't expect to hear from my kid much except the occasional 3am phone call to say, "I'm alive & I just ate fish eyes". So it would be interesting if you could give a perspective on what the kids do the first couple of weeks out. You know, a day in the life kinda thing? </p>
<p>KPMom's son, you are our 'new Hobbs'. Your mom can tell you about a letter that guy posted that was an awesome read like yours. This one tops it I think. You've no idea how important (to us newbs) it is to have that kind of information. Its totally different having a civy college kid where you kinda know what they're doing compared to a KP kid who you know is too busy to sit down and answer all your questions. So ya try to back away & let him do the task at hand & hope he'll let you know the next steps he's taking.
Its a different world for sure when you can only take one day at a time. And I happen to love C's in Calc! :)</p>
<p>I let out a sigh of relief that the Jamz said he'd packed a pony. He'd worked on the project some before leaving & said & I quote, "Whoa, they need to update some of this crap". And I promise not to ask if he's ok & say I miss you stuff. I never have bent that way anyhow. My questions are more Frued-isms, like, "What are you looking at right now & what do you feel about that?" LOL Some of the answers are hysterically funny. I can't wait to mess with him with all these new experiences. </p>
<p>You guys are our teachers here. Hope you can post more. KPmom's Son, the best of luck to you on this first journey as a KP Grad. I loved that the Prez hugged you. I'm saving your post for my kid so he can read it when he gets back. $$ information there. Thanks for it a million times. Stay safe. Dads are cool. :)</p>
<p>I'm with Jamzmom...thanks for your insight and candor.</p>
<p>I have lots of friends that are in various industries, and I typically ask them if they would do it over again, given the chance. Surprisingly, most of the lawyers and doctors say no, but engineers (like me) say "YES".</p>
<p>You can get the current schedule by going to the horizonlines.com website. I believe the call sign for the Trader is KIRH, your son can confirm this. You can go to sailwx.info and get the current position. I don't think Horizon uses PurpleFinder or if they do they are not linking it on their website. There is nothing secret about the Traders schedule. It is posted on the web and can be found in the Journal of Commerce. The Trader is a 30 year old steam ship and is a good ship for your first time out. It will be in the States every 30 days. I don't know who the officers are currently. Being it is his first ship I'm pretty sure he'll be assigned a sea watch right away. Usually with the 2nd mate but possibly the chief mate. He will spend his inport time with the chief mate or whatever mate has cargo watch. He will be doing a lot of paper work for the mate as well. You are basically trying to fit in to the routine and learn the location of everything and stay out of the way when neccessary. There is always the first day jitters. Soon your busy and meeting new and sometimes quirky individuals. They are sailors afterall. Each ship has it's own personality. Some are laid back while others are more strict, usually depends on who the captain is and whether or not the deck and engine departments get along. He should have no problem using email. They only want you to use text, they frown on sending attachments and may even block them. He will probably use the bridge computer for email. Remember nothing is private, so don't send anything you don't want read by others. Don't expect a lot of emails either. Also well intended phone calls end up not being made due to schedule, no time, too tired, etc. The longest he will be at sea is the return trip from China to Tacoma which probably takes about 12 days. After that he is in a port every four to five days, and pretty good ports too. I wouldn't be surprised if he does his entire trimester on that ship. He'll be hooked by the time he gets off. A pirates life for me!</p>
<p>Yep that's me. Yes Mike told me he's looking at retirement. He didn't say for sure, but I got the feeling he will. Also heard Mike Buzzard is going, for real this time. Wonder how long his ponytail is now? I'll be heading to China for 2 months. Not looking forward to Nantong, second time there. At least it will keep the Matsonia running another five years and that will be enough for me.</p>
<p>Ooooo! Perfect information! Thanks! I've been using sailwax to track the ship for a while. Its close to Honolulu at the moment. Horizon lines has a link to track their ships in "real time". I can't get the thing to work. I've used the call sign, the hull#, the IMO#, the USGC#'s. Nothing seems to work. Could be I'm just to "duh" to figure it out. :) I use google earth with lat/long to see its prox. to Honolulu. Very cool indeed. Guess I won't worry about the Horizon site because these two work well enough to see where its at for all my pin marks on my map. </p>
<p>He picked this particular ship because it was a smaller one & steam so his sea partner could get in his requirements. He's crazy about it. I have photos & specs on it that he'd sent me. He'd better hope it doesn't get to rolling out there with Hurricane Daniel set to make some good swells around that area. LOL </p>
<p>Already having some of those first experiences..... Got a call at 8am this morning to say "Aloha". Said a lady of the evening latched on to them as they walked down the street. Said he told her thanks but no thanks & she gave him her business card. LOL I was dying laughing with his description. Said he was going to save the card for his scrap book. It was 2 in the morning there & I told him to get his BE-hind back to the hotel! LOL Guess these boys have fell off the turnip truck officially. LOL</p>
<p>Hi Dave, Wow, a 2 month yard in Nantong!! It's going to be hot!!! Try to keep the cadets for the entire time.. I had a couple of my sons classmates when we went through the 3 month yard back on the LURLINE in '03.. They were good help.. young legs and all that. lol. We were able to keep them for 70+ days. I sent them home via Shanghai in the last week of October. It was a fantastic experience for them. I let them go early and they had about 5 days for themselves down in Shanghai. I told them don't do anything that would get them in trouble with the authorities, cause if I had to come down there to spring them from the slammer it wouldn't be pleasant. They were cool and told me later at graduation they had a GREAT time...
By the way, thanks for the scoops on Nantong that you sent to Tobin. It was all right on the mark.
As far as Buzz retiring, I'll believe it when I see it.</p>
<p>Advice on Going to Sea
by Robert Goodwin (a First Engineer)</p>
<p>Now son, if you have a love for the sea
And think you should sailing go.
One little gem of advice take from me,
Because from experience I know.</p>
<p>My advice to you is to become a mate,
Of the wheelhouse and bridge have no fear.
But let me warn you before it's too late,
Don't study to be a first engineer.</p>
<p>A mate's life is one of comparative ease,
His clothes so seldom he soils.
He stands his watch out in the cool breeze,
While far down below the engineer toils.</p>
<p>The engineer's work in the grease and the heat
Boy, take it from me, it's no fun,
Sweating and swearing, trying the job to complete,
While out on the deck the mate suns.</p>
<p>So whatever it takes, my boy, be a mate
Or even the ship learn to steer.
But regardless of place, money, or date,
You'll rue the day you're a first engineer.</p>
<p>KPcheng81 - Good poem, I've seen similar ones before. I just found out this week that my son and yours are room mates. But my son tells me your son is going engine.... Didn't he read the poem??</p>
<p>Really! That's great. Yes he saw the poem awhile ago. He's been on ships a little and seen it first hand. I guess it didn't register, like my most of my advice. Ha Ha!</p>
<p>I am a plebe this year (glb's son). i plan on sailing when i get out of here. i have heard mixed things about which major to choose if i want to sail. i know that the shopper program is designed to prepare you to be a ships officer, but i have heard that sometimes captains would rather not have shoppers for various reasons. can anybody give me a little advice on which major they think would be better?</p>
<p>Mine is a "Shopper" or Marine Operations and Technology Major. It is not for the faint of heart. But the experience is what your after then it is great. Captian Brown is the head of this major and is excellent. </p>
<p>Some "shoppers" have given the impression to Captains that they were indecisive and that is why they chose this major and they work "half-a-job" at both positions and that does not go over well.</p>
<p>My daughter said that when she was on a ship and she was on the deck then she was deck and she worked extremely hard in that position. When she was assigned to the engine room she was an engineer and performed all her duties as such. You have to be the best in both environments. When she was on the ships whatever her position that was the job she did with excellence. There is no middle ground. On the ship especially your second sea year on one ship you are an engineer and the other ship you navigate. </p>
<p>Publicenemy - Sincerely glad to see a post from you! I can't offer you any words of wisdom really....Mainly because, I'm not in the shipping industry. Maybe the other guys can help? When my son thought about it, this same time last year, he said he'd heard alot of mixed advice as well. He went in set on being a Deckie & its where he stayed although he found the engineering part interesting & thought about switching for all of about a week. He's really glad he stayed with Deck. In a recent email, he told me that his free time aboard his ship, he goes down & follows his sea partner around sometimes to see what he does. Laughingly said he's glad he's a deckie. Its just a better fit for him I guess. Best of luck in making the decision. Must be very hard. Its too bad they don't let Plebes shadow each of the jobs on a real ship before deciding. May or may not be helpful but I thought it would have helped to "see" how it all worked. So says a landlubber. :)</p>
<p>Sending the poem in my next email! He'll get a kick out of that. Thanks KP!</p>
<p>There's a first classman in Band Co. that is a shopper and just returned from sea. I sailed with him early this year. I'm sure your redheaded roommate can clue you in to who he is. There should be some down time within the band when you can speak with the upperclassmen. He's a nice guy and can give you his opinion.</p>
<p>Good advice from 8kidsmom for when you are on a ship if you go as a shopper. Put all into the job you are doing. I don't think there is a whole lot of awareness about this major in the industry. I doubt if most captains or chiefs know about it. I didn't until this year when we got our first shopper cadet. I wouldn't let the hearsay opinions influence you too much. Even if you go straight deck and report aboard with a lack of enthusiasm you will receive negative feedback. I doubt if most captains or chiefs care, they just want to see initiative and positive attitude.</p>
<p>The shopper major has replaced the old dual major where you actually graduated with a third mates and a third engineer's license. In the mid 90's the U.S. signed onto the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Standards for Training and Certification of Watchstanders (STCW). As a result the U.S. Coast Guard had to rewrite the rules for qualifying and testing for a license. These rules are constantly amended. The Coast Guard wanted cadets going through the dual program to get over 500 days at sea. There is no way the academy can fit that requirement in. They have tried to get the USCG to accept alternatives but to no avail, thus the shoppers major. </p>
<p>The program is light on engineering. That doesn't mean it is an easier major by any means. Check the catalog for the number of credits required and you'll see. You will only sail 90+ days as an engine cadet. You will only graduate with an unlicensed QMED endorsement. If you sail as a QMED for 180 days after graduation you can then sit for your engineer's license. It is easier said than done. Most shipping companies are unionized with different unions for each department. Sailing between them will take some determination. Each union has its own rules and fees. One company where this might work is NCL Hawaii where one union (MEBA) crews the entire ship top to bottom. You might be able to do it with an oil company.</p>
<p>Like mentioned above, it is not for the faint of heart. Having experience in the engine room and an endorsement (unlicensed or licensed) can only help in your career as a mate or captain or pilot. It's been my experience that a lack of understanding and knowledge between the departments usually leads to problems and even accidents. Good luck in your choice.</p>
<p>kpcheng81 - thanks for passing on the good advice... I have pretty much said the same things but it helps to hear it from someone other than dad. I spent nearly 20 years at sea watching the deck/engine debate from a unique position - I was a sparks. I was fortunate to sail with some extremely talented people both in the engine and deck departments over the years and learned a great deal about both professions. I have encouraged the shopper program for the exact reasons you mentioned, I feel that a deck officer that has a basic understanding of what is happening on the other end of the telegraph is an asset to both departments. I'll be interested to hear about the experiences the upper classman shopper you mentioned has had. It has always been my experience that if a cadet shows up with a positive attitude and is eager to learn and work, the majority of the officers will do everything they can to help them out.</p>
<p>Jamzmom and kpmom06's son, both of you mentioned a pony. Please help. Where should my son find one?
By the way, this thread has some incredibly good advice from deepdraft1 and KPcheng81 among many others.</p>