Awakening

It's day 3 of test prep at PMI and I've begun to think that maybe painting and cleaning isn't such a bad thing after all...   Yes, the realization that there is way too much information to be mastered has begun to set in and right now at this point in time, I'm having a hard time fathoming how it will all get organized into this brain of mine.  Topics that were once clear, are fuzzy, yet new topics are crisp and understandable.  I'm accepting the fact that there's no rush for testing and that if it takes me X months to prep, then so be it.

Update:
I realized after reading my initial post above, that it sounded somewhat negative and what I really wished to convey, was that I'm not going to rush things and I'll be ready to test when I'm ready.  I am however, a bit overwhelmed with the amount of information that I have to go over and study before actually sitting for the exam.  It's amazing how much we've learned over the past 2 years and when it's all laid out on the same plate, it's a bit much to swallow.  I/we, will get through it and I look forward to being done with the testing process so that I can just focus on work for a while.

Tomorrow is a new day, so let's play it day by day and see where the currents take us.

Shelter From the Storm

We are in the process of wrapping up a 3-week trip to Whittier and Juneau, AK. This trip should’ve been about 4-5 days shorter, but we’ve been held up in Prince William Sound doing round-turns because of some ugly weather conditions in the Gulf of Alaska.  Upon learning that a bigger, yet uglier storm system was heading our way, we decided to cut our losses and get out of there before we couldn’t.  The crossing from Prince William back to Southeast Alaska is only about 2 days, but the first one sucked pretty good. Winds were in the 30-40’s and waves 15’ and then some.  Not a huge deal, we’ve seen larger, but a crappy ride to say the least.

Our cargo in Juneau was quick and dirty, in and out in about 8 hours, but Whittier was a bit more grueling. It was 2 fairly long days and I logged 24 hours of cargo time during that time. It was rainy, snowy, cold and miserable but as usual, we managed to bust it out and get back underway on schedule.

Anyhow, we are now across and cruising down Chatham Straits heading south towards Seattle.  This Southeast leg of the trip usually takes about 5 days unless we get held up from weather around one of the points or an unfavorable tide going though Seymour Narrows.

The trip has been pretty good for the most part, although I’ve been having to put my mind in study mode during almost every off-watch minute.  I have 6 Murphy books (Study guides) and I’ve been able to make it through 3 of them.  One of the guides is strictly navigation problems, which I’ve worked through a bit and am hoping that the 2 weeks of test prep coming up will address my weaknesses there.  I’d like to be a little farther along right now, but that’s just where I am and I’ll be ready to test when I’m ready and there’s no rushing it.  I’m not going to sit down at the Coast Guard office until I’m damned sure I’ll be able to pass what they have to throw at me.

The next few weeks will consist of 2 weeks of test prep at PMI and then most likely a trip home for a week or two for studying and then back to Portland for testing.  My classmate Jake and I are renting a place in Seattle for the 2 weeks of test prep and I think it’ll be fun, mostly because I think this place is within walking distance to cafes, bars, grub.

 I might opt to test in Oakland if I can find affordable lodging down there, but I still need to do some research on that. Portland is favorable because I can stay with good friends and let off some steam in good company in between testing modules. Oakland would be nice because it’s only an hour and half away, but I’ll probably have to pay a premium for lodging.  

Oakland also has geographical importance for me because that’s where I began my maritime world when I joined the Navy.  It was there that I had my entrance physical and where they shipped me out of for boot camp.  It’s also where I submitted my original paperwork for my Merchant Marine Credentials, not mention where I was stationed and spent a fair amount of time on the water.  As a kid, we would taker boat down to SF Bay and pop around from anchorage spots and visitor docks, exploring the waterline of the Bay.  It’s certainly played a big part in my passion for the water. At any rate, it might be fun to test down there, simply for the symbolic meaning.

So, I haven’t been blogging much, mostly because I’ve been in study mode, but I’ll certainly be posting up important steps over the next few weeks as testing grows close.  Stay tuned as this party escalates…

Packet Approved!

As I've posted in prior posts, my application had been submitted to the Coast Guard and I've been waiting patiently for them to evaluate everything in my packet.  I had one little hiccup on sea time, which was resolved, but aside from that it was a pretty painless process.

Well, today I got an email from the National Maritime Center that my application had finished evaluation and was approved.  What that means, is that I've been given the "green light" for testing with the Coast Guard.  Now, I just need to finish studying and make an appointment to go test.

I am scheduled to go up to Seattle for 2 weeks of test prep on April 20th, but in the meantime, I've been studying each day at home.  Going through 2 years worth of information and re-hashing all the formulas, rules, regulations, etc. is a lot of work, but I'm tackling as if I were trying to eat an elephant (as someone suggested)... one bite at a time.

It's been 2 years and one week since I started the program at PMI, and I feel pretty good about everything and just hope I pass those exams the first time around.  I'll keep blogging about the test prep and examinations as they present themselves.

In the meantime, study study and more study, although I might have to go out to sea and do a quick trip in that timeframe as well.  My boss said he might have a short trip for me, which is a mixed blessing considering I need the study time... but the income would be handy as well.

At any rate, thought I document the moment.   Excited and looking forward to finding closure on Chapter 1 of the new career.

Back At It

Well, after a wonderful month home, I'm back in WA awaiting a taxi to take me down to the yards and I'll be heading out on the Polar Viking for a 5+ week trip to Whittier and Dutch Harbor.  I'm sailing with a familiar crew, all good people and things should go fairly well.

The past month home has been awesome.  The weather has been pretty decent aside from a few rain storms, but I managed to get some good projects done around the house and spend some good time with my wife and kids.

For some reason, I decided to sell my car while I was home, so I cleaned it up and put it on Craigslist.  I've always enjoyed tinkering on cars, so my plan this year (once licensing is done), is to buy and sell a few cars in my off time for profit.  My plan is to flip a few cars and build back up to a really nice vanagon camper over the year or so.  I like cars, always have and even though the Subaru has been great, I miss the tinkering aspect of older cars.  I had quite a few inquiries on the Subie, but it didn't sell before I left, so it's still sitting in the driveway.  When I return, I plan to fix the A/C on it and repost it up for sale, however I'll be knee deep in license prep and might not have time.

I received and email yesterday that my Coast Guard License was "being evaluated".  I don't know how long the evaluation process takes, but I'm guessing a week?  I hope to hear something soon on whether or not I get approved for the license I've applied for.  Exciting times.

At any rate, my taxi is almost here, so I'm out.  See you in 5 weeks or so!

Application Submitted and Back to Sea!

I finished up school a few weeks ago and headed home for a while to take some time off.  I had a few weeks left of ATO, so I spent them gathering my paperwork and filling out my application for licensing.  The application process consists of gathering a ton of information and paperwork to copy and send in to prove that you've met the requirements for an upgrade to Officer status.  Course certificates for the past 2 years, Physicals, Drug screen letters, onboard assessment sheets, sea letters from my company and anything else that the Coast Guard might need to deem me worthy of officer status.

So, I gathered everything, (about 100 pages total) made multiple copies and overnighted everything to a licensing expert back east (Chuck Kakuska of Sea K's Licensing) where he then took a look and double checked to make sure I have everything.  Once Chuck was satisfied, he walked it into the local REC about a week ago and submitted it in person on my behalf.  You can submit your paperwork by yourself, but hiring a licensing expert can save you time and money, especially when it's someone like Chuck who was the Executive Officer for the Toledo REC before retiring.  Needless to say, he knows the system and will get you the best bang for your buck.  There's isn't an REC in Sacramento, where I'm from, so I'd have to drive to Oakland, 2 hours away, if I wanted to submit it in person.

Chuck seemed to think that all my Navy time and recent tug time combined, would qualify me for a 3rd Mate Unlimited license, so it was worth the $100 fee to have him give it a once-over and walk the packet in personally.  If for some reason the Coast Guard doesn't approve me for the bigger license, I should at least be guaranteed a 1600 ton Near Coastal and 500 ton Oceans license, which is still a large license and very marketable.  Click here for an overview of Merchant Marine Licenses

So, the packet is in and we wait. Once approval is granted, I can test.  In the meantime, I study daily and try to up the percentage on my practice tests.  It's a lot of information to go over, but it's just like eating an elephant... one piece at a time.

This morning, I finally got word from my boss that he has a trip for me and I'll be leaving on Friday the 13th, bound for Dutch Harbor via Whittier.  This should be a 5 week trip, so it'll give me plenty of time to study and get ready for licensing. I had a trip last summer that left on Friday the 13th as well, which is a double negative since it's considered bad luck to leave port on a Friday, let alone, Friday the 13th.  Always an Adventure...  :-0

School: DONE!

Today, one-year and 10 months later (to the day) I successfully finished my schooling!  I had passed my final class yesterday (Flashing Light) and needed to do today's assessment in the simulator with my company representative, and that was it.  Done.

It's been an amazing journey to this point, and it's gone by extremely fast, but the journey is still only in its beginning phases.  Over the next few days, I will organize all my paperwork, certificates, sea time letters, medical physical results, etc. and put them into a nice packet that will get sent to my licensing expert back east.  He will walk the packet into the Coast Guard for me and from that point, we wait.  The Coast Guard will then forward the application to the National Maritime Center and will make sure I have everything needed for the upgrade to Officer status.  If they approve the packet, they will give me the green light to test for my license.  This approval process can take anywhere from 2-8 weeks and from what I hear, it's been taking more in the 8-week range.  Once I get the green light, I will take part in a 2-week test prep session somewhere, maybe Seattle, and then take my exams in Portland, OR at the Coast Guard REC.  There's an REC in Seattle and Oakland, but since my good friends lives in Portland, I can stay with them and have a nice place to study each night before the next module.  Testing will take a week and consists of 7 modules, 2 per day.  If I pass all 7, my license will be issued shortly thereafter and the next phase of my career will be underway.

I'm still in shock that school is over and it'll probably sink in over the next few days.  I've met some really cool people and I'm going to miss sitting in class with my schoolmates.  We've had a good time, and I'm sure we'll keep in touch as we move forward in our careers. I will most likely see them during test prep unless I get approved really early and decide to do test prep in another location.

At any rate, I will post up the progress of my packet as it gets submitted and obviously the steps towards testing.  I'm nervous about testing, mostly because it's a lot of information to get tested on in a short period of time.   I'll make it though somehow, just like everything else...

Best quote I heard last week from a senior officer giving advice for new deck officers:  "Don't be the senior guy with a secret".

that tiz all.

Driving Ships

I'm back in school and plugging away at my last class session.  This time around, we are learning about ship handling for a week, which consists of a morning lecture and an afternoon of practice in the simulator.  We've had to practice turns and stopping in current, wind, tight corners on rivers, shallow waters and even anchoring.

There's much to learn about the hydrodynamics of a ship and how other ships can effect you when passing closely, so we practice and practice until we get it right.  Bank effect can cause your ship to veer off in the opposite direction when passing closely to banks or other large structures and even ships.

Today we had to pass an assessment of anchoring a large bulk carrier in South San Francisco bay and it was a little nerve racking.  A fairly simply task, but we had to meet certain criteria (speed restrictions, distance off, etc.) and it's always stressful when your instructor is watching and grading you.  I pulled it off without any problems, as did everyone else.

Next week we do our flashing light (Morse Code) assessment and then we do our final simulation assessment where a representative from our company comes in and watches us navigate a boat for a few hours in the simulator. We have to make all the regular called to VTS (Vessel Traffic Service), make navigational passing arrangements with other ships and safely navigate from one point to another without any problems. This will be our final day of class and hopefully the company rep likes what they see and will offer the students a full time position afterwards.  I'm fairly certain that my company is already counting on my becoming an officer for them, but who knows... I could crash a boat in the simulator and they might have second thoughts.

Anyhow, I'm staying in a cool little apartment with my friend Jake and we'll be driving back to Sacramento after our assessments are done next week.  Then it's on to packet submittal and the waiting process before I can test for my license.