ERR for BC Ferries in Tsawassen

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The Dieselduck
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ERR for BC Ferries in Tsawassen

Post by The Dieselduck »

ENGINE ROOM ASSISTANTS
BC Ferries, Tsawwassen, BC
$26.46 an hour - Casual
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Jenny Chettri

With 47 ports of call, 35 vessels, and more than 500 sailings every day, BC Ferries is the largest independently-owned ferry company in the world. Dedicated to safety, excellence, innovation, and people, we are committed to continuously improving the west coast travel experience of our customers.

ENGINE ROOM ASSISTANTS
Tsawwassen
Casual, on-call positions

You are a self-starter and a positive team player providing essential vessel safety and operation expertise. You have an ability to prioritize and complete tasks in a safe and timely manner while monitoring and maintaining mechanical, electrical, and propulsion systems.

Marine Emergency Duty (MED) STCW Basic Safety and Survival Craft certificates are required. Completion of ELTT in Diesel Mechanics or a Transport Canada Engine Room Rating certificate. Preference will be given to those with a 4th Class Motor Certificate.

Email your resume, in one of the following formats; Plain text, MS Word, or PDF, quoting position title to [email protected] or fax to 604-943-6539 by Friday, January 15, 2016 .

We appreciate the interest of all applicants; however only those selected for an interview will be contacted .
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Re: ERR for BC Ferries in Tsawassen

Post by JollyJack »

Make sure you get every day aboard recorded in your TC Discharge book and in the Testimonial. BCF record books are not accepted as a record of sea service, I have found the records to be very spotty, if they are recorded at all! The employer is required to keep a record of sea service, but it took the threat of legal action to get it for one seafarer. Keep your own record, pester the Chief and Captain for the discharges and signatures they are required to provide by the Canada Shipping Act 2001, section 92. The "form and manner specified" is the TC discharge book, not the BCF record book. If they refuse, message me.
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Re: ERR for BC Ferries in Tsawassen

Post by stokes82 »

I've seen a lot of Engineering cadets taking these jobs lately. My advice is to them is not to waste your time. Get your time, use your exemptions and come back with a bigger ticket. You won't learn much there. Get some real world experience then semi-retire there.

A note for JK:
You will love this.
They have their own testimonials now. Apparently approved. I've heard of one being rejected already.
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Re: ERR for BC Ferries in Tsawassen

Post by camshaft »

Generally good advice I'd say, get out there and see what's up and decide what you like to do. Having said that, I learned a long time ago not to give advice unless I know the subject and the person very well. It's difficult to know what an individual person's goals and aspirations are.

I'm not sure what you mean by "real world experience", I've worked with many engineers who have worked all over the world - and some of them are clueless. And I've worked with engineers who haven't been hardly anywhere and they're excellent.

Also what's wrong with BCF having their own testimonial forms if they're accepted by TC?
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Re: ERR for BC Ferries in Tsawassen

Post by JollyJack »

Camshaft, they are not.

Edwin G Millar, Engineer Examiner, TCMS, Compliance and Enforcement.
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Re: ERR for BC Ferries in Tsawassen

Post by camshaft »

JollyJack, that actually wasn't my question. Let me try this.

Why does TC require Canadian mariners to use its obscure, cumbersome, and antiquated methods of validating sea service? Why would TC not be willing to accept a testimonial form which has all the required information on it but is in a more user-friendly format?
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Re: ERR for BC Ferries in Tsawassen

Post by Max Oiltemp »

That's interesting - Over the years, I've made out countless testimonials for ratings and junior engineers that were Company documents on Company letterhead. True enough, IIRC, most, maybe all of the Canadian engineers presented me with the TC form and asked me to fill it out but worldwide, I remember it being the exception rather than the rule.

I've also been told recently that in order to renew my certificate, TC requires me to have testimonials for the required sea service during the past five years - I haven't obtained testimonials since I wrote my 1M 26 years ago - Seaman's Book entries had always been good enough for certificate renewal. The rules have changed, I guess - or perhaps are just being more rigidly enforced.
I'm not sure what you mean by "real world experience", I've worked with many engineers who have worked all over the world - and some of them are clueless. And I've worked with engineers who haven't been hardly anywhere and they're excellent.
+1 on that, camshaft.

There's an opinion shared by some that ferry service is not comparable to deep-sea or other commercial sea-time (during the years I spent at BCF and other ferry companies, I was good-naturedly referred to as a 'boulevard sailor' or 'lunchbox sailor' by some of my colleagues) and to a certain extent, there may be some validity to that. A main engine breakdown on the 'New West' meant arriving at the terminal on three engines and calling Deas Dock; the same breakdown in the Bay of Biscay in December while towing a disabled freighter was a horse of a different colour. Pressure to maintain the schedule can be considerable but compared with that exerted by management when your seismic vessel is losing a quarter-million dollars a day and struggling to keep millions of dollars worth of towed array from sinking to the depths and being crushed is again, a different kettle of fish.

That being said, the differences in the Engineering profession are not as great as those on deck. During the aforementioned Bay of Biscay trip, we broke the towline several times in one day and watching the A.B.s splicing a Flemish eye into the broken tow wire while up to their waists in seawater flooding over the deck made me wonder how many ferry deckhands, who are more used to parking cars and doing the occasional drill, would have managed. It was also true that there were vessel Masters whose certification was restricted to specific routes while the Chief Engineers could sail as C/E anywhere in the world.

None of which invalidates ferries as a career choice. Truth be told, if I had it to do over again, I might have stayed with ro-ro coastal work. The whole point of being employed is to support the lifestyle to which you aspire and having spent more Christmases away than at home, missed birthdays, anniversaries and generally being with the family, I can't say which choice might be better. But $26.46 an hour!! For an ERR?? 'Course, you've got to live in Vancouver...

Just my $0.02

Regards,
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Re: ERR for BC Ferries in Tsawassen

Post by camshaft »

"Boulevard sailor" I like that. Actually it sounds like something quite nice to be paid to do - maybe they were jealous. But I think what you say about the deck side is probably correct.
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Re: ERR for BC Ferries in Tsawassen

Post by JK »

I can live with a Boulevard Sailor name tag.
I know of an engineer who worked deep sea for 20ish years then went to the ferries. When he went to write his 1st ticket, the examiner looked at his BCFC time, then put him through the wringer because he was a "channel" sailor with no "real" experience. So essentially this examiner was holding the ferry guys to a totally different standard.
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Re: ERR for BC Ferries in Tsawassen

Post by JollyJack »

No, not to a different standard, but to a standard where there are no shore crews to swarm over the ship every time a light bulb goes out.
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Re: ERR for BC Ferries in Tsawassen

Post by JK »

Maybe so
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Re: ERR for BC Ferries in Tsawassen

Post by JollyJack »

I make a point in saying that the STCW Certificate will qualify an Engineer to sail in full charge of an engine room watch, or in full charge of all ship's machinery (depending on the level) on any ship, of any size, anywhere in the world. It doesn't just apply to tugs, or OSVs, or ferries, or fishing vessels, but to any ship of any kind, of any power anywhere in the world. It's not a Provincial trade qualification, it's not even a National Red Seal qualification, it's a world class Certificate of Competence, and it has my name on it. I take that very seriously.
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Re: ERR for BC Ferries in Tsawassen

Post by Revolver »

An engine's an engine's an engine.
The more your mind opens to machinery the smaller it seems to get, so while machinery can be vastly different if you break it down to basic principals of mechanics, physics, thermodynamics, and electrotechnology the fundamental workings of any machine should be able to be understood....
Or maybe I'm looking at it a bit too simplistically because I'm a fool of sorts...or read the manual again, and again,...and again...ha
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Re: ERR for BC Ferries in Tsawassen

Post by camshaft »

That's interesting JJ. I think this thread might be best moved somewhere else but until then let's explore this anyhow. Just what are we being examined on? I've heard that "I've got my name on it" line when I attempted the fourth class and every ticket since.
The written exams are easy to see, it's learning subjects - math, physics, electricity, hey even EKs can be learned from books. Like all higher education these written exams show that you have the ability to learn stuff, but more importantly to figure stuff out for yourself - very important when you're 500 km from shore.
But this "in charge of the watch" or "in charge of machinery" thing - what's that about?
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Re: ERR for BC Ferries in Tsawassen

Post by Revolver »

Yes, figuring things or for yourself is my sentiments exactly when it comes to the workings on the ship.

But then it gets toward emergency situations, plans, thought process, actions and reactions. If someone starts sweating and shaking trying to answer what they'd do in a fire, what would they actually do in a fire!
Then there's the ethical and moral aspect of seafaring, environment and safety, following rules and regulations, not lying in reports or log books.

Realistically,i guess, the knowledge is already tested during your written - so now the examiner has to get a feel of you as a seafarer, your application of the knowledge, and your understanding of adaptability in such an unpredictable and dangerous environment that is in the most regulated industry in the world.
And try not to ramble on and on like i just did ha
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