Next spring I'm travelling from England to North Carolina by a merchant vessel. The journey should take twenty days.
I'll be staying in my own cabin on the outside of the ship, in the captain's quarters, with a decent view out to sea. There's no internet connection so i'll mostly be reading and writing.
Anyone had any experience doing this? Tips/what to expect? I can watch the captain do his thing up top if I like, and virtually nowhere on the ship is out of bounds. I'm hoping it'll be a small adventure before I reach America.
>>1125338
I was just gathering information for the same thing, also wanted to go to the US from Europe. How much are you paysing and how long is the trip going to be?
>>1125338
That sounds like a cool thing to do OP. 20 days is a long time. I imagine after a few days of seeing everything on the boat you will start to get bored.
Bring audiobooks, mayhe try to buddy up with someone on the boat so you can sit around and talk. Youre talking about 3 weeks on a boat, it could get pretty mind-numbing.
Also i dont know how big and strong the boat is but i hope you arent bothered by seasickness. Going into the middle of the atlantic for that long youre bound to have some wavy days.
Good luck and enjoy
Take some snacks and other luxuries with you. The food will likely be a very limited menu so if there's something you don't like then your options will be very limited.
Most vessels have a DVD and book library but don't expect either to be well stocked.
Things are regimented with set meal times etc. Expect to be on your own alot during the day as everyone else is either resting or working.
In 20 days you will likely meet and get to know the entire crew.
I don't know if you smoke but often the best places to meet and chat are in the smoking areas. Especially if the company has banned smoking in the cabins.
The fact that there is no internet will actually be a good thing as it will make the crew more social as its too boring to hang around your cabin.
Maybe the Captain or First Officer will let you help out a little on the bridge e.g. (keeping lookout with binoculars or something) but if not you might be relegated to just lurking.
>>1125338
Take US dollars on board. If there is a bond you'll likely need to get one of the crew to buy for you. Regardless of where they're from the prices will be in USD and thats what you'll need to pay them. This will also include if you want a phone card for the satellite payphone or the cheapest cigarettes you've ever seen.
>>1125338
How did you arrange this?
Lads
Can you imagine meeting a qt girl on a boat like this and just fucking her brains out the entire time? Then its just over when you arrove?
It would be like the perfect length relationship. I think this is my new fantasy.
>>1125338
Me, personally, I love being on the ocean.on a boat as much as anything in the world.
I spent a few weeks on a NOAH research boat down in the Gulf of Mexico, which was smaller than what you will likely be on. A few thoughts:
Someplace may not be off limits but still be a foolish place to hang out. I used to like to sit on the bow with my legs dangling, until the captain spotted me and kicked my ass back to a safer area of the ship. Working ships are much less into protecting yourself from your own stupidity than a cruise or passenger ship might be. Wjen in doubt, ask somebody.
Unless you are SURE that you are not bothered by motion sickness, bring the medicinal treatment of your choice. Better to have it and not need it than to need it for 20 days and not have it.
Food should be pretty good, depending on where she's flagged -- seamen have a good union that watches out for shit like that.
Don;t offer to a man to do his work, if he takes you up on it and then gets caught, you might make trouble for him. If you want to try and make friends by helping out, ask the boss of the guys doing the job FIRST, then ask them if you can be of any help. Chain of command and all that.
Big ship can be somewhat noisy -- pack some earplugs, again better to have and not need...
Different captains have different standards about porn and such shit. Be discrete.
>>1125509
Google, there are services that set this up. It is generally comparably priced to flying or higher, but if you want the experience, to each his own.
>>1125496
>Most vessels have a DVD and book library but don't expect either to be well stocked.
Make friends, bring some of both that you don;t mind parting with and donate.
>>1125526
>women
>on ships
Does not compute.
OP here, thank you everyone for the helpful replies.
>>1125535
honestly I'm excited at the prospect but obviously do not want to get sea sickness. I don't generally get motion sickness in the car easily. I was going to bring along some dramimine to prevent the possibility arising, is there anything better you would recommend? Thought about bringing those pressure wristbands too to be double sure.
>>1125540
>I was going to bring along some dramimine to prevent the possibility arising, is there anything better you would recommend?
I've never had motion sickness, so I can only speak second hand, but my wife used Nonine on a trip to the Galapagos that was rough as fuck, and it worked for her. We did not run a controlled experiment to see if Dramamine would have worked just as well... but she swears by Bonine. My father likes the behind-the-ear patches, but he is not usually bothered by seasickness either, and is just a belt-and-suspenders kind of guy.
>Thought about bringing those pressure wristbands too to be double sure.
My opinion is that those are hogwash, but if they are cheap and you feel like trying them, why not? They certainly will not make you worse.
>>1125537
>>women
>>on ships
>Does not compute.
Op is a passenger -- what if they booked passage to A WOMAN as well???? Cargo ships that have one passenger cabin may have a second...
I am told that there are even some women working at sea now, but I don't believe it.
>>1125547
Women at sea are bad luck m80.
>>1125548
You seemed to have typed the extraneous words "at sea" there, old chap.
Still, gotta love 'em, wot?
How do you find these rides?
I know freightercruises.com but i have no idea how this works.
>>1125338
My parents went from Stockholm to Cape Town by freighter in the late 60s. They did a lot of reading, performed music with the other passengers in the evenings, drank with the captain and crew, and basically took it easy. It was rather dull, but I think they're glad they did it.
>I was going to bring along some dramimine to prevent the possibility arising, is there anything better you would recommend?
Can't buy Dramamine in the UK.
This is not going to be like a cruise because:
1) Vessel has no stabilisers like a cruise ship.
2) No-one gives a fuck about your or anyone elses comfort. This is a working ship with a schedule to keep. They will go right through a storm if it stops them wasting time or fuel.
Take sea sickness pills with you. I didn't think I got seasick until my first Atlantic swell and I had many crossings of the North Sea in winter on ferries before.
I find after 2 days on the pills you can reduce or even stop taking them.
If you're rolling out your bed, sleep diagonally ;-)
>>1125338
How do you find out or organise to travel by merchant vessel? Whats the price for the journey/accommodation?
>>1125590
OP here, I'm British so dramamine is probably out then. I'll try Nonine as the other anon suggested. If've never been seasick before, but then I've never travelled through a proper storm on a ship before.... If I started taking the medication a few days before, would that eliminate the potential for seasickness? I ahte puking, and really don't want to on this trip.
>>1125617
I did it through a website, I actually changed from the UK to NY just recently because I decided to stay there a while. It costs a little over a grand but I feel that's worth it for the experience, accomodation, food etc.
>>1125547
>what if they booked passage to A WOMAN as well
From what I've been told and read, it's mostly old folk who do this. People with money and time on their hands who don't like flying.
You are very unlikely to find an attractive women who believes that 3 weeks at sea on a cargo ship with a bunch of Filipino sailors sounds like a pleasant holiday.
>>1125535
>Google, there are services that set this up.
what were some of the services you used OP?
>>1125540
>>1125727
I never get motion sickness in cars either. If I'm the passenger, I can read books and not get sick at all. I don't know how a cargo ship compares to a sailboat, but I crossed the Bay of Biscay once, and I've never been so seasick in my life. It took five days. I couldn't keep anything down for 24 hours. I woke up and ate a whole box of cookies and food had never tasted so good.
Buy whatever OTC pills or patches you can.
>>1125338
I work in the U.S. Merchant Marine. If you're just a passenger and not actually working, you might get bored pretty quick so definitely bring books/games/music. Some ships do have libraries but bring some stuff for yourself just in case.
If your wandering the deck during working hours don't get in the way of people doing shit. Most mariners I've met are welcoming and talkative and will probably show you some cool stuff if you ask but some times you just want to be left alone so you can do what you need to do.
Ask permission before entering the engine room as it can be dangerous sometimes. It's fucking loud and hot as balls but pretty cool to see how everything works. The engines on ships are fucking massive
Try to get up to the bridge and hang out with the guys on watch, maybe they'll let you steer a little bit if they're cool.
When the ship is mooring, it's best to stay off the main deck if you're not actually going to be doing anything. It can get pretty hectic and most injuries I've seen are during mooring operations (lines snapping, tripping hazards, etc.)
Just be nice and respectful and you'll probably make some new friends. Do you know what kind of ship you'll be on? What country is the ship flagged to?
>>1125968
Hey, thanks for the suggestions. It's a pretty standard freighter, I'm not sure what country it's flagged to. I'll be on one of two ships, one of which is 20,614 dwt and the other is ~40,000 dwt. I know that doesn't include the weight of the ship but I'll hopefully go on the heavier one to reduce the choppiness.
>>1125878
Man, that sounds rough. I know the cargo ship will be thousands of tons, so probably less choppy than your sailboat. Did you take any seasickness medication leading up to your voyage or did you just chance it thinking you wouldn't get seasick? What made it stop?
>>1125338
I have been on US Naval vessel. A laptop is great to have with single player games, like Sky rum or something. And have your laptop or an external HDD loaded with movies, TV series, and porn
>>1126114
Tablets work well, too. And a smartphone
>>1125526
>>1125537
>>1125547
>>1125796
In the Navy there are qt women to fuck onship, but you get in trouble if you get caught fucking on ship.
As far as civilian vessels, I have seen woman working on them, but rarely attractive, and the ones that are I have to assume are getting regularly gangbanged . Or at least getting fucked by multuple dudes regularly. Probably for cash
How do I do this? Anyone got any tips for finding a ship?
Merchant marine officer here. I second most of the advice in this thread, especially regarding seasickness medicine. If you get into a storm in North Atlantic, chances are you're going to spend the next few days puking and generally feeling like shit. You can't tell how your body is going to react to ship rolling until you've experienced it, and not being carsick means nothing really.
Do bring lots of entertainment for yourself, as the crew won't have a lot of time (and/or desire) to hang out with you. Officer are generally less busy, especially during ocean passages, so you might be able to spend time on bridge with them.
>meeting a woman on board a ship
Hahaha, NO.
If you have more questions, ask away.
A quick way to make friends is to have a portable hard drive with the latest moviez on it.
>>1126149
How do I get a spot aboard a ship?
>>1126118
Sounds like the horrible skanks who work in the mining camps here in Ausfailya...they make a couple of grand a week (shit you not) doing laundry or cleaning out dongas (mobile housing buildings) and then extract more cash from some of the more loserish types in camp to fuck.
>>1126424
If you mean work, then you go to a crewing company. But you got to have proper training and documents even for the lowest ranks.
>>1126448
And just for passage?
>>1126465
As mentioned above there are companies that book the couple of staterooms many cargo ships have -- Google will find them.
Be prepared for sticker shock, almost always it will be notably more expensive than flying the same route.
>>1125338
How can you travel via merchant vessel OP?
>>1126493
Read thread.
>>1126486
How would it compare to say Cunard or a legitimate cruise ship operation in price? Who does transatlantic cruises? Cunard is the only one that came to mind.
>>1126587
About 1000-1500 pounds for a transatlantic crossing
I'm fascinated by transoceanic travel. Who is 'the best'? In terms of cruise lines...Cunard, Silversea, Viking, Windstar, Holland America, etc. i know some do river cruises versus like AMAwaterways vs say Cunard that offers 120+ day cruises around the world.
>>1126789
Thanks btw.
>>1125535
>>1125968
>>1126149
Hey guys, green, east coast tugboater of about 8 months here. Not sure if any of you are still checking this thread, but if you are, I would love to pick your brains and hear about your experiences. There's so much I don't know and understand about the industry and it would be awesome to hear from some actual mariners who aren't my coworkers or the grumps at gcaptain.
My situation is this: Current job's been an amazing learning experience and I've met a bunch of cool people, but there are some things I really dislike about my company and so I'm considering going elsewhere. I'm 24, single, and ready to move.
Trying to decide what direction to work towards. I've been interested in sailing deep water since before I knew anything about the industry, although by most accounts it's a tough field to get into as a newb. Research vessels seem interesting too, while I understand the Gulf to be in very bad shape. I also haven't ruled out just looking for a better tug company.
So far, I've kind of just been coasting towards an AB Special, which I think would take another year or so to reach. My only endorsement right now is STCW-Basic Training, but I'm definitely game to pursue new certs.
I don't really have any super-special needs or wants, maybe other than that I like having ample time off as an option, as I currently work 4 weeks on 2 weeks off (on call) and wish I had more time off.
Do you have any suggestions or tips or advice (about anything) for someone in my shoes? Really interested to hear your thoughts, if you care to share them. Would also love to just hear about what you've done in your own careers. Thanks.
Also, sorry OP for the shameless hijacking; I hope you don't mind. Just don't see much maritime stuff pop up on /trv/
>>1127791
Officer here. I'm European, so no American insights from me.
Anywho, my advice is to get more certificates first. PSC/Lifeboatsman is a must for an AB, and also Tanker Familiarization certificate if you plan getting aboard tankers. Then, try sending your CV to every company that seems decent and call them every now and then asking if they have a vacancy for you.
Generally, it's hard to move from a smaller ship to a bigger one, especially in higher ranks, so if you want to sail aboard large ocean-going vessels, try getting there as soon as possible.
I've been working as a deckhand aboard tankers and as an officer aboard general cargo vessels, so I can tell you about these kinds of ships. Also, a little about many other kinds that I heard from my colleagues.
>>1126088
I dunno if you're still here m8, but I took dramamine every day of the crossing. We sailed upwind most of the way, which can be uncomfortable because not only are you bouncing up and down but the whole boat is tilted over on its side. I don't know what the motion would be like a on a big boat. I'm not much good at science but if you're higher off the water, wouldn't the swinging motion be greater? The way the tops of skycrapers swing around? As some other people have said those ships can handle some rough seas.
The seasickness stopped when we got to Spain :3
>>1127819
Hey, thanks for responding!
So would you say, if I want to try deep water, I should wait until I get my AB Special (as opposed to trying now as an OS)? Your point about getting new certs is well taken. It's also interesting that you say to send my CV directly to companies; I had sort of assumed that in the US you have to go through a union. Maybe that's just how it works for most US-flagged ships.
>I've been working as a deckhand aboard tankers and as an officer aboard general cargo vessels, so I can tell you about these kinds of ships.
Yes, please. So I assume you worked deck first and then graduated to being an officer? How've you liked the change? How long are your hitches, and what kind of life do you live off the ship? How'd you get started in the industry? Do you work overtime? Do you have any particular career goals you're working towards? What are your coworkers like? Of the ships you've worked on, what type did you like best?
Sorry if that's a lot of questions, answer whatever you feel like.
>>1127868
I'd say, try deep water as soon as possible, if you get the chance. You can then easily get back to ships you have experience on, in case you don't like it. I don't know how employment works on US-flagged ships, but everyone I know in Europe works through crewing companies. I do sometimes see US vacancies online, so try googling them.
>So I assume you worked deck first and then graduated to being an officer? How've you liked the change?
Yes, I worked on deck in between my college studies. Being an officer feels quite nice compared to deck: you can work at your own pace, very little manual labor and you only have one boss. It can be stressful, though, especially at first.
>How long are your hitches, and what kind of life do you live off the ship?
I work 8-10 weeks on/off, which is a nice schedule. Most companies have 4 months on, 2 off. Up until now, most time ashore I studied and did a bit of traveling. Got married 2 years ago.
>How'd you get started in the industry? Do you work overtime?
I went to maritime college right after school, and started out as a cadet while studying. Overtime, not really. Just normal nights and holidays, nothing extra.
>Do you have any particular career goals you're working towards?
I should really be a Chief Mate by now, but I don't like the duties. Therefore I'm looking for a different type of ship or even something in a related industry.
>What are your coworkers like?
Mostly alright guys, very few conflicts. I work with my fellow countrymen, though
>Of the ships you've worked on, what type did you like best?
I like general cargo ships, because work is not so intense, and the atmosphere on board is relaxed.
>>1127967
thanks for the great reply. safe travels
