As if all that fishing wasn’t enough fun, when we got to Isla Grande there was another little adventure waiting at the dock. My captain was the Crowley docking master here in PR a while back and he’s familiar with a lot of local mariners – so one of the San Juan pilot boats came by this morning and I got to go for a ride around the harbor! They even let me operate the boat – it’s a cozy little 34-footer with enough room for two very powerful engines and about 6 people max. The operator and the engineer probably didn’t understand half of what I said, but they were super friendly and very welcoming, as Puerto Ricans tend to be.
i love the unmistakeable bow of Z-One in SJU and the story of mahimahi fishing from the tug. keep up the chronicles from yr transits.
LikeLike
Hey Elizabeth, thank you so much for this very informative blog. Like yourself, I did the college thing and have worked an office job for a number of years but have always wanted to work on the water. I’ve been heavily researching Workboat Academy and some of the maritime academies and am getting ready to jump into my second career, so blogs like yours really help.One question for you – you mentioned that you briefly worked on a ship assist tug in Tacoma and seemed to enjoy it. I was wondering why you didn’t pursue this? For me, schedule is going to be a huge factor and more important than pay. I know there will be 60+ day hauls while attending PMI, but I’m trying to ultimately find a maritime job with a shorter 1 for 1 schedule or even home every day / on-call schedule. Thanks again!
LikeLike
Thanks a lot! All the best to you.
LikeLike
Whew – ok man, I've got an earful for you. I loved working on the ship assist tug in Tacoma, and I would have stayed but I got booted in favor of someone who had more seniority. You will find at most companies that the general feeling is you need to do your time on the outside before you can snag a spot on the inside. Also, you will not likely find a company who will sponsor you through the workboat academy on an inland boat. You could get lucky (some people do!) and find a job inland, but it's a competitive environment. I wish you nothing but the best of luck, and if you have any more questions I can email you to discuss it further. Take care!
LikeLike
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
LikeLike