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Agreed.. but I don't know if I'd bet against OldRetSWO.. He maybe in cahoots with the moderators..;)

the over/under is set at 9 for the 'ban hammer' drop.

As I recall the first phone call from my son was 2nd Sunday of Indoc. It was exactly 5 minutes. Back then as KPEngnr90 said it was made from a pay phone.. and while standing at attention..

@KPEngnr90 Yikes.. I can just hear the response of some overworked Chief Mate having to field that call.. :mad2: So you were the 1AE on the KAUAI.. I relieved Captain Cooper for a trip on there back before I was assigned as permanent skipper on one of the 2600's. I liked those 071 class ships. I...

The school started posting photos back when my kid was a plebe. I always found them amusing.. The wife and I would check the pics periodically to make sure he was staying put and hadn't fled the place to head back home. :zip:I gotta say it was 'touch and go' even after indoctrination, as...

Yes sir.. 😁 My kid: Dad, when I grow up, I want to be a sailor. Me: Well son, you have to pick one or the other. You can't do both. 😉

Yep... I asked my son, who's currently sailing skipper on a containership out of the MM&P union, how much he made. He told me that he's pulling down, with his wages, overtime and vacation pay, right around $1,500 a day. He gets day for day paid vacation, so basically he works about 180 days a...

@Sailfish my son had to do summer school for Calculus.. He said with just the one class and no regimental obligations he could really focus on the course material. Despite flunking calc the first time he ended up doing pretty well in summer school. If it’s anything like it was back then the...

I wonder if this has to do with the relatively new [2021] IGF code [International Safety Code for Ships using Gases or other Low-flashpoint Fuels] endorsement for the MMD. More ships are being built or retro-fitted to burn gases or other low flash point fuels; as of April 2022 there are 20 under...

50% pass rate seems awful low, especially if you look at how engineers have historically done on 3rds. Sounds to me like it might be an issue with the exam itself. Possibly bad questions..

This year marks 50 years since the Coast Guard introduced the multiple choice license exam. Prior to 1974 all the exams were essay format.

Ringing the bell after passing license is a nice tradition. Back when my son was at KP the bell ringing was very much informal and there was no ceremony. As a matter of fact, neither my son or I have any pictures of him ringing the bell. He got his test results and just ran out and rang it. That...

States Lines.. It was a sad day when that company went bust.. Clinging to moving breakbulk cargo when other company's were beginning the shift to containers was not a sound decision financially.

Oh yeah.. I sailed on the MATSONIA and the LURLINE; the MATSONIA as 'Mate' and the LURLINE as 'Mate' and captain. However most of my RO/RO time was spent on the LURLINE. I loved those ships. The two skippers on the MATSONIA were Tim Carey and an old Kings Pointer Norm Piianaia. Here's a photo...

Yep.. Five years out of school I'd saved up close to 90 grand [$350,000 in current dollars]. A year later when my wife and I went to buy our first house I almost had enough dough saved up to pay cash for it. My son bought his first house three years out of school. He's since sold that and has...

I also have my old tax returns from when I started sailing. In 1976 on my first job as 3rd mate I made about $15,400. With my MM&P vacation pay it came out to around $22,600 gross [$125,000 currently when adjusted for inflation]. That was pretty good dough back then. I would agree that Chief...

Especially if those 'activities' happened during 'sea year' in places like downtown Olongapo or up on Texas Street in Busan.. 🤫

I've had a couple instances where cadets were injured onboard my ship. The injuries were nothing serious, but they did required medical attention beyond what we could provide onboard. When we got into port I simply filled out a 'masters certificate' and arranged with the agent for them to be...

Yup.. I heard it was a great way to 'lift the safeties' and blow off some steam.. My kid used to refer to it as a 'drinking team' with a Rugby problem.. 🍻

My kid also credited Rugby with being a big help in getting through KP. He told me it was a pretty fun and 'tight knit' group.