I have been looking at taking a job with US Shipping Partners or Seabulk. Does anyone have any information about the companys?
Thanks for any input you may have.

US Shipping may not be a good choice as they are skating on thin ice. As in most dying outfits their CFO bailed out with a golden parachute worth almost $1 billion. Can't say about Seabulk anymore as they have chartered out or sold a few ships. Check out the AMO operated units with OSG or the ATB's with Crowley which are SIU. Both are looking for experienced engineers with heavy fuel experience. Just steer clear of the OSG gas turbine vessels Integrity or Diligence as they are slave ships. Great ships actually to sail on an an engineer however the throwbacks from Chevron and SunOil make life miserable for outsiders. Also check out Monster.com Chevron was looking for a 3rd which is a good opportunity to open the back door into MEBA

Thanks for the info.
US shipping called me today wanted to know how soon I could sail.
I was looking on line on read in one of the maritime rags about US Shipping building new tankers, one to start work soon. Not sure what to think, sure do not want to get on with a company that is going to go under.
I worked for Crowley years ago, not on the ATB's, doing line hauling to the sunny state of Alaska in the winter. So much fun. We did not have any type of rotation, be gone for 100 days come home and get a call 10 days latter telling you, you had to get to Dutch Harbor to meet the boat. If you wanted to be enployed. Not good for the home life.
Thanks again for the information.
And Congratulations on your retirment!
What will you be doing?
Look forward to reading your posts this year......

Crowley now has 30/30 rotation on the new ATB's. Check on their website for contact info. Will be relaxing in my hot tub! If you go with US Shipping make sure you find out what they want to put you on. They still have a few of the old ITB's running and most would rather get a root canal than sail on those. Good luck! And don't forget to check out Chevron. BTW both OSG and Chevron (well actually the majority of US companies) favor the school ship crowd Check out http://www.coltoncompany.com Tim generally dishes out the dirt on outfits that are slipping under.

They want to place me on a ATB doing the run from LA to San Francisco, 35 on, 35 off. I went on line and saw that the ATB fleet is all very new, less then a year old. May do it if the day rate is good just to get off the dredge I am working on. She has been run hard and has not seen the dry dock to many times. At times I feel like I am working in a shipyard. The last two trips we spent 12 days and 11 days at a dock doing repair work. We put band aids on top of other band aids, it seems not much is repaired right, just get it working so we can get back to digging. Just glad that I spent 20 years working in marine construction and know how to pace myself for 12 plus hour days. The school kids don't know what to think, the ship goes through 3rds. I may be next in line.

Is your hot tube wood fired?
I build mysef a heat exchanger one, the tub sits up on a platform, I have a old wood stove that I welded seamless pipe inside it, kind of like boiler tubes, the water just goes around and around, when the fire is going. Got to keep the 10 year boy from thinking it is his own salvage training tank, hard to relax with him swiming around on the bottom of it and me spilling my beer.
Thanks for you info.....