Is it just me?

[offshoresnipe]

I'm not sure if I am being a pain or what.
I have been offered a position and have been asking questions about rotation, watch, engine room crew size, travel, etc. I have had a hard time just to get them to tell me what my discharge will say. They always say they will e-mail the ship or it is out of phone range. This has now been going on for the last 3 weeks, I feel like I am pulling mollers out of a bear. I am starting to get a bit scared about taking the spot. It seems to me if they are having this much trouble getting this info to me, what do I not know about. The position changed from a 60 on 60 off rotation to 75 to 90 on, they said they are on the open market now.
What gives, I am at a lost. I am feeling very nervous, is it just me?
Hope some of you can give me some input, you don't have any thing to lose one way or the other if I take the job or not.
Thanks to all.
Great Form!!!!

[JK]

I'd be wondering too! 20 years ago their response would be reasonable, but in this day of instant communication with satellites, not so much.
I'd be asking if I was in your position, so don't think you are being a pain. Good luck, hope it works out for the best.

[Big Pete]

I can see your difficulty!!!
In the past I always used to take the first ship that was offered, regardless of Flage, age, ship type, Nationality of owners etc.
NOW IAM OLDER AND MORE SCARED, ( AND HAVE MORE MONEY IN THE BANK) I DON'T!!!
Only once did the owner's fail to pay my wages, and that was only for the last month on board, so I didn't do too badly from that point of view.
I have heard stories of ships where the owner went bankrupt, and the crew nailed a writ on the mast for their wages, along with a host of others. In the end no one wanted to buy the ship so the crew accepted it in lieu of wages and continued to trade her successfully until the ship required major repairs which they could not finance.
The first time I went Foreign Flag, the Mate advised me to make sure that I always had my F U money. i.e. if the ship got too bad I could get a Taxi to the nearest airport and book my own flight home. The knowledge that you have that option can make the worst ship tolerable.
Often the oldest and hardest working ships have a great cameraderie, and the people work hard and play hard, which can be great.
Joining any new ship is a leap into the unknown and a new company a bigger one.
Try to Google the company and the ship to try and get more info and look on this site and others for comments regarding the company. If another job comes up in the meantime, that sounds better take that.
Good luck.
BP.

[offshoresnipe]

Thanks to both Big Pete and Jk.
I have been following the ship for the last 7 months when this position was offered to me. Have been keeping track of its travels through the web, it gets around. I have the feeling that the ship and crew are good, it is just the office that is mangeing the ship, is lost.
I am just to old to just jump with out knowing a little about the job. I was going to take FU cash just in case. I figure I can do at least one trip, can't be any worst then the ship I just spent two years on. My wife finds it all nuts, that we just go to some new ship sight unseen, never met the boss, never seen are living conditions, and that are working place moves around. She said the questions I am asking are the ones you ask in a job interveiw.
Oh well the life of a marine engineer, I think we have to be a little nuts to do this.
Thanks again, always good to get input from others that have been in the same place.
It will all be good stuff for a book some day!

[JK]

I had a laugh at your wife's comments! She is dead on, isn't she?!
I did a brief stint FG for a Canadian company and the shine went off it quick when I went on watch and I had a biker-dude who had Mother issues, as a oiler . Oh, did I mention he stood a foot taller then me and like to wander off and drink? He was just one of several interesting charecters on that ship.
I figured back on the Coast was the place for me, went back and never left again.

I give you fellows who do this year in and out, full credit for your courage.

I don't think anyone would believe the truth if we wrote a book.
I have my stories and each of my friends have theirs , so that when you sit down and talk about the happenings, you are just about in hysterics. One story reminds you of something, which leads to something else. Meanwhile the youngsters are sitting there totally agog wondering what kind of outfit they have stumbled into. Some of the stuff was pure misery at the time, but pretty funny now.