sea year 2nd time round

K

KP2013dramamama

10-Year Member
5-Year Member
Joined
Jul 11, 2009
Messages
554
Is the 1st year sea partner the same for the 2nd year. DS is B split, on first sea adventure, having great time working and seeing the world with his partner. Thanks!
 
They certainly can be, but don't have to be.

I had 3 different "sea partner" situations. 1st: went with one engine cadet (I was deckie). 2nd sea year: first half went with one engine and one other deckie and for the 2nd half of the 2nd sea year I was the only cadet (I chose this based on the chance to go to the west coast of africa)

2nd sea year is considerably more based on what the midshipmen want. If they want the same partner they simply go to the ATR together. I highly recommend all deck majors go on an oil tanker to get their Tankerman PIC qualification complete.
 
Generally not the same. Also, sometimes they don't even have a sea partner 2nd time around. Depends on what they are doing, internships, etc. My son was without a sea partner most of 2nd sea year.
 
A/B Split Question

Can anyone help me develop a clearer of picture of the timing of sea year. DS is 2014 and expects to be A split because he has come to really enjoy the waterfront and sailing sonars. Assuming he is A split...

1. When would he begin sea year?
2. When would he conclude his first assignment? His second? (I believe I read somewhere that they sail aboard two ships.)
3. Is there a break before sea year begins? Between the two placements? At the end?

Thanks for any insight? Also, forgive me if I'm butchering the terminology. I'm still trying to learn the lingo.
 
Last edited:
KingsPtDad said:
Can anyone help me develop a clearer of picture of the timing of sea year. DS is 2014 and expects to be A split because he has come to really enjoy the waterfront and sailing sonars. Assuming he is A split...

1. When would he begin sea year?
2. When would he conclude his first assignment? His second? (I believe I read somewhere that they sail aboard two ships.)
3. Is there a break before sea year begins? Between the two placements? At the end?

Thanks for any insight? Also, forgive me if I'm butchering the terminology. I'm still trying to learn the lingo.
Click to expand...



Answer #1:
A Split:
1st Sea Year is from October (start of 2nd trimester) of their third class year (for example this year the 2013A Splits will be assigned to start shipboard training for their first sea year and the 2012A splits their second sea year October 29, 2010) to March. This academic year, 2013A's Assignment to shipboard training will run through the day before the beginning of Classes third trimester this spring. (They must return to Campus on Sunday March 13, 2011).

2nd Sea Year will start at the end of the first trimester of his second class year (Late October 2011) and then run through Start of Classes the following Summer after the Class of 2012 graduates (Late July, 2012).

The B Splits are basically the opposite:

1st Sea Year from the day after graduation (June 21, 2011) through the day before Classes start for the second trimester (end of October 2011).

2nd Sea Year from the end of Second Trimester (~March 2012) through the end of the following first trimester (~October 2013).

Basically the first sea year is an ~4 month period and the second sea year is an ~8 month period.

Additional re: your comment in Question 2: He will likely sail on more than 2 vessels for his sea year, possibly only one his first sea year but the second sea year they usually sail on 2 or more. They are also supposed to fit their internship into their 2nd sea year sailing periods though some defer that and fit it in sometime between their return to campus from second sea year and graduation.

Answer #3:

Maybe/probably but truth be told if he's a "deckie" he will likely be and should be pushing hard to minimize his breaks so he gets all his required sea days in to sit for his license, especially if he holds over or breaks up his sailing period to compete in any sort of special events like the Bermuda Race, Nationals, etc.
 
Ok, thanks for all the info. My DS is a deckie, who didn't get out to sea until July 19th. His sea partner's papers didn't come in for June 22 departure. Do the Math! He has much time to make up, but will KP let him make it up during his summer's between end of 2/c yr and beginning of 1/c year. and of course he has to do his 2 wk internship, which usually is in the summer....but if he has to make up days lost...well you get the picture. I know from an excellent source that her daughter didn't get all her sea time in. couldn't take the tests. For her, it didn't matter, she got a flight spot at US Air force. That's not going to happen w/ DS. He did get on the Kings Pointer from July 12-??? date, before he left for Japan on the 18th. We were told those days count. Please fill us in as much as possible. By the way,we got a great email from our DS. Now heading to WA, then Mexico, then back out to Japan. Crosses the Pacific 3 times!:yllol::shake::beer1::jump1:
 
KP2013dramamama said:
... He did get on the Kings Pointer from July 12-??? date, before he left for Japan on the 18th. We were told those days count. Please fill us in as much as possible.
Click to expand...

My understanding is that they can get as many as 30 days on the Kings Pointer in lieu of the days aboard other vessels... Though I don't understand what you are saying bout someone elses DD who didn't take their liscence exam? That's a new one to me....
 
late boarder

DS was also a late sea year boarder, not onto his ship until early this week due to helping during indoc. He is also planning on an one month internship next summer.

What exactly do they do with mids who are short on days (even after the Kings Pointer) ? I am sure that this has occured before. Where have they made up days in the past years? :smile:
 
Before everyone reacts to my post...

My comments about sea days pertains primarily to Deck Majors ... the number of sea days required is different and less for those sitting for their third A/E liscence ...
 
Less time out to sea. But they should still do their best to get as many days their first sea term as possible. It opens opportunities for them to do extra fun things. DD is in the running for a spot on the run to Antarctica this winter because she got extra days her first time out (and other reasons). The Antarctica run doesn't leave until 7 weeks into sea term 2. Right now she's glad she stayed a couple of extra days on her ship last Spring instead of leaving at the earliest possible time. She's also looking at aviation internships, time on Naval ships, etc. She should see some nice benefits from having put extra effort in early. It's not always possible with ship timings. But when it is, the mids are usually smart enough to make the most of it.
 
From their ATR, from other mids, from their career counsellor, etc. The mids look out for each other and pass on information. There are different options available for the second sea year that they won't hear specifics about until after their first sea term. DD just learned about this possibility in the last few weeks, or at least that she might be eligible for it.

Rest assured, they share much more information among themselves than they pass on to their parents. If your DS has made any friends among upperclassmen, he will get loads of information. But the big thing is the willingness to work and go the extra mile. Her sea partner left the first day he could. She found out they were going on for 4 days of maneuvers and asked if she could stay for that. Not only did they let her, they even let the engine cadet have the helm for a bit! And the extra effort sure didn't hurt her evaluation and reference from the Captain. Her good performance at sea, and on her projects goes a long way to balance that iffy GPA. It's nice for the parents to see that perseverance and effort possibly pay off in a desired sea assignment. (Fingers crossed it works out for her!!!!)
 
KP2012parent. Thank you for all this information. I hope your dd gets what she wants. She undoubtedly will if she continues to follow through with the path of perseverance and tenacity. Yes, I hope ds has upperclassmen friends and I'm sure he'll pick the brain of his ATR. He just doesn't share stuff w/ his dad and me, and if he does, it's all very cryptic and precise, not much detail. He used to not be that way, but I guess time management skills has also helped him with the ability to communicate effective with fewer words!! :yllol:
 
You're not the only one in that boat:

My parents didn't have a clue as to anything to do with Sea Year anymore than the dates it occurred. It's simply something parents really don't need to worry about at all. The Academy will ensure your mids have all the information they need to get their stuff done. All you really need to worry about is what name the ship is and where it goes once your mid gets the assignment. Anything beyond that is really minute details.

Heck my parents didn't even know what ship I was on once until I was going up the gangway to board her because it was a last minute deal.
 
KPMum2012 said:
From their ATR, from other mids, from their career counselor, etc. The mids look out for each other and pass on information. There are different options available for the second sea year that they won't hear specifics about until after their first sea term. ...
Click to expand...

Actually, the ATRs give a course to them all - it's mandatory and along with the sea stories and other urban legends between the Sea Year prep course and their introductory Nautical Science and Marine Engineering Courses they all get a pretty good primer on the SCTW Licensing requirements... As for a particularly good sea year evaluation making up for "iffy grades" --- that's going to situation dependent and if I were still a Mid, I'd be doing my best to have both excellent sea year evaluations and as good grades as I could in this economy....
 
Oh, I would never advocate not doing her absolute best in class work! Sorry if I came across that way. DD is in no danger of anchor position in the class. She's had a couple of bad draws on professors for some of the tougher classes. But she stuck at it, worked hard and is making it! And it's amazing how as a parent of an engine mid, my perspective on what is a good grade has shifted. (Boy was her brother in trouble when he got a C his freshman year. Of course, that also put him on probation for his scholarship.) But in this difficult economy, every edge helps.

I guess my point is that those sea projects and evaluations also play a role. DD's strength has always been the practical side and it's reassuring to see that taken into consideration.

On a side note, one reason DD doesn't always pass on as much information as we would like is because she knows she would have to explain things that are obvious to her. They get tired of having to explain everything to people outside KP.
 
KPMum2012 said:
Sorry if I came across that way. DD is in no danger of anchor position in the class.
Click to expand...

I don't know about your aversion to the anchorman position at graduation, I hear those pennies can come in handy .... actually we recently had a get together of some of our classmates and were informed by our anchorman that at some point following our 20th reunion his own parents had moved and when they did so his Mother actually threw out his sack of $254.00 worth of pennies.... Of course I guess she figured if they really meant something to him at some point he would have brought them from his childhood home to any of the four homes he and his wife have owned and lived in since graduation...

My reaction was I was shocked he still had them remembering lean times when after we first got married going to a big water bottle we three change in and counting it out to see what we could afford to do on those first few weekends after paying our first home's mortgage .... Those pennies wouldn't have lasted past 1988 in our house....:yllol:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top