goldensun22

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What is sea year like? How do people get sea projects done with work (particularly for engine majors)? What might a daily schedule look like? What opportunities are available during sea year? What different types of boats are available? Tug boats, massive cargo ships, etc? What are advantages or disadvantages of one type of boat over another? I have heard that it is possible to go on Navy ships. Is this limited to aircraft carriers or are other types allowed? Also this is a silly question but through sea year, are there opportunities to visit Antarctica, the Arctic, or Alaska/Bering Sea? If not, it's perfectly fine, just curious.
Regarding A-split or B-split, what are the advantages/disadvantages of each one (if given the option to choose)?
 
All interesting questions, but not easily answered. Sea year experiences vary hugely from person to person, ship to ship, and crew change to crew change. It is generally a time where Midshipmen (called cadets while they are aboard ships during sea year) get a lot of hands on experience with their future career possibilities. Engine cadets report to the engine department, while deck cadets report to the deck department. Usually two cadets are assigned per ship, one deck and one engine, and they are referred to as sea partners. (The exception to this standard is on MSC ships which generally have more than two cadets.) You generally get to select your own sea partner as long as you are the same split and the opposite department. How much you get to do as a cadet varies depending on the company, your supervisor, and your performance.

Getting sea projects done can be difficult. It is expected that you will work a full eight hour or longer day, usually seven days per week, then do your projects on your own time. It can be done, but it requires self-discipline, particularly second sailing where it is easy to procrastinate when you know you have eight months to complete everything. Sometimes you get lucky and only work six days per week so you can work projects on your day off. Daily schedules vary a lot depending on what ship you are on, whether you are in port or at sea, and if in port, whether or not you get to go ashore.

Many different types of ships are available; yes, including tug boats and massive cargo ships, as long as they are U.S. flagged. You will learn more about the different kinds of ships available while at KP. There are advantages and disadvantages of each. You also may want to graduate with a particular kind of endorsement on your license which will require sailing on a particular class of ship and performing specific tasks.

Yes, you can go on Navy ships of many different types during part of your sea year. You can have opportunities to go to Antarctica, but they are limited and competitive to get, and usually only two cadets per split. It is more common to be able to go to Alaska or near the Arctic. Although you may have some input into the type of ship and region you sail in, you are assigned a ship by your ATR (Academy Training Representative), and you may need to accept graciously whatever ship you are assigned in order to get your required sea days in.

Regarding A or B split, there are fans of each. Most mids are assigned depending on what sport they are in so they do not miss the season their sport is in. If you are not in a sport you may get to choose. Which you prefer may depend on what split most of your academy friends are in, how you like New York summers or winters, how important it is to you and your family to have you home for Christmas, and lots of other considerations.

Keep in mind that you will have a specific class at KP before you go out to sea which will explain all your options and obligations during sea year.
 
What is sea year like? How do people get sea projects done with work (particularly for engine majors)? What might a daily schedule look like? What opportunities are available during sea year? What different types of boats are available? Tug boats, massive cargo ships, etc? What are advantages or disadvantages of one type of boat over another? I have heard that it is possible to go on Navy ships. Is this limited to aircraft carriers or are other types allowed? Also this is a silly question but through sea year, are there opportunities to visit Antarctica, the Arctic, or Alaska/Bering Sea? If not, it's perfectly fine, just curious.
Regarding A-split or B-split, what are the advantages/disadvantages of each one (if given the option to choose)?

Usual schedule is 8 hours work with the exception of special times like maneuvering for instance in the engine department. The engine department has to be manned and ready to respond to engine casualty or similar under pilotage. On my ship that includes the ChEng (Chief), First A/E, and watch engineer. As a cadet you're probably looking at 5 or 6 days a week. On a Jones Act tanker you might work 7. There's a lot of downtime for cadets especially if you're on a ship that circumnavigates.

Navy ships are possible, but some of the systems are classified making it impossible to do certain projects. Tugs sound good, but they don't count for unlimited tonnage seatime unless the plant is over 10,000 HP or 10,000 GT for deck. A tug isn't going to be 10,000 HP unless its an ATB pushing a tank barge. For reference an Arleigh Burke class destroyer is slightly under 10,000 GT.

Going to alaska sounds great, but you'll probably hate it. My captain once told me, I'd rather work in the Gulf of Mexico than get the sh*t kicked out of me in Alaska with ConocoPhillips.

B split gets the winter holidays at home, A Split gets summer vacation. I was A split and it was the right choice for me.
 
time off will vary and is specific to the ship/route/personnel.

My first ship was Tacoma-Anchorage, 7 days round trip. 1A/E said I can have weekends off or days in port off. I took days in port off. Alaska was awesome in the summer, not so much in the winter. When going Seattle-Tokyo we went through the Bering Sea due to a great circle route. Not so much fun in November.

Tug sea time can definitely count towards your license but only a limited amount so if that is an interest you will only be able to do a shorter hitch on a limited tonnage vessel.

As an Engine Cadet the smaller/older the vessel the less automation typically so you will do more. The larger/newer the more you will watch gauges and take readings. Not always ... just a rule of thumb.

I also had a 1A/E give me the last 10 days I was on the vessel off work just to work on my sea project.
 
time off will vary and is specific to the ship/route/personnel.

My first ship was Tacoma-Anchorage, 7 days round trip. 1A/E said I can have weekends off or days in port off. I took days in port off. Alaska was awesome in the summer, not so much in the winter. When going Seattle-Tokyo we went through the Bering Sea due to a great circle route. Not so much fun in November.

Aren't days in port when the majority of actual engine work gets done?
 
Regarding A-split or B-split, what are the advantages/disadvantages of each one (if given the option to choose)?
My KP son was an A split and he told me the reason he wanted that split was it fit better for playing Rugby. That and he also wasn't wild about spending five straight trimesters at Kings Point after finishing his second sailing period.. Initially he was scheduled as a B split but he was able to switch with a guy that was looking to change his split from A to B..
When going Seattle-Tokyo we went through the Bering Sea due to a great circle route. Not so much fun in November.
'Dutch' and Unimak Pass Baby!! :cool: I've done that more than a few times with APL on the PNX run.. Ya better hang on for dear life in the Gulf of Alaska in the winter.. but as an old Chief Mate I sailed with used to say 'Get used to it kid.. you're goin' to sea, not to Sunday school..' ;)
 
Aren't days in port when the majority of actual engine work gets done?

Maybe, maybe not. Depends on the ship. I was on a ship where we did all our work at sea and left only the duty engineer on board while the rest of us went ashore.
 
'Dutch' and Unimak Pass Baby!! :cool: I've done that more than a few times with APL on the PNX run.. Ya better hang on for dear life in the Gulf of Alaska in the winter.. but as an old Chief Mate I sailed with used to say 'Get used to it kid.. you're goin' to sea, not to Sunday school..' ;)
I was on a S/L D9 and woke up one night to the sound of my TV sliding across my desk heading straight for my head. Instinct kicked in and I put my hand up to stop it or it would have taken me out. That injury report would have made for interesting reading.

For you kids out there, this was way before flat screens when TVs weighed 30 pounds.
 
Some of my time as an engine cadet included standing watch with the 2AE. I would usually work the 4-8 in the morning and then with the day workers unit noon. As I have stated in other threads, I don't recall investing too much time in my sea project, either split. . . but I graduated, so I guess I did okay. It's a shame that the variety of vessels available is less than my days, however I don't recall a lot of cadets on tugs back then. Ironically, most of my post graduation sea time was on tugs and ATBs. . . .
 
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