Sea Year Recs

[theodore.broosevelt]

I'm leaving for first sailing in about a month and have a few questions about packing specifics...

I'm a deckie and will be on a middle east run.

-Should I get gloves that are more lightweight and breathable or heavier duty/ thicker material? I heard gloves, like boots, are super important and would appreciate any specific recommendations for brands or types.

-The packing list says 2 work shirts. Should I bring more or is doing laundry frequently enough to have 2 work shirts practicable?

Any other tips or things to bring that may not be listed are welcome. Also open to any restaurant recommendations in Algeciras, haha. Thanks in advance.

 

[deepdraft1]

I'm leaving for first sailing in about a month and have a few questions about packing specifics...

I'm a deckie and will be on a middle east run.

-Should I get gloves that are more lightweight and breathable or heavier duty/ thicker material? I heard gloves, like boots, are super important and would appreciate any specific recommendations for brands or types.

-The packing list says 2 work shirts. Should I bring more or is doing laundry frequently enough to have 2 work shirts practicable?

Any other tips or things to bring that may not be listed are welcome. Also open to any restaurant recommendations in Algeciras, haha. Thanks in advance.

I would just get a good pair of Wells-Lamont leather gloves.. you don't need anything fancy. I used to wear the ones with the reinforced palm and elastic wrist.. but I've used the non-reinforced palm, ball and tape adjustable wrist gloves too and they worked fine.. You're not going to be wearing them that much that you need to worry about them being 'breathable'.. I'd probably bring a couple more work shirts.

In addition I recommend bringing..

• a good multi-tool [Leatherman, Gerber, SOG, etc.]. When I was sailing as Chief Mate I ALWAYS carried a Leatherman in the leg pocket of my Carhartts when I was out on deck..
• a good pair of sunglasses.
• a hard cover pocket notebook [like the Boorum & Pease #6551 6.5"x 4". A Rite in the Rain 'all weather' soft cover pocket notebook would work too.
• a helmet flashlight [Although I never used one, my son who sails Chief Mate, swears by them].
• SPF-50 Sunscreen...

As for restaurant recommendations in Algeciras, I'd ask the crew.. When you're there make sure you take a pic of the 'Rock' from across the Bay of Gibraltar..
Good luck and sail safe..

 

[kpmom2013]

+1 to DeepDraft1. Also keep in mind that many ships have gloves on board for cadets as well as company coveralls for you. Best bet is to find someone from USMMA who has recently been on the ship you will be sailing on to get the current info. It's a small world in the shipping industry. Fair winds and following seas to you.

 

[deepdraft1]

+1 to DeepDraft1. Also keep in mind that many ships have gloves on board for cadets as well as company coveralls for you. Best bet is to find someone from USMMA who has recently been on the ship you will be sailing on to get the current info. It's a small world in the shipping industry. Fair winds and following seas to you.

@theodore.broosevelt @kpmom2013 makes a couple of excellent points.. Many Chief Mates will give the cadet a pair of coveralls [AKA a boilersuit].. Generally we use to carry 10~15 pair in the Mates 'Gold Locker'.. However, it sometimes can be a crap shoot on availability or having a size that will fit you; so I wouldn't count on it.. The same thing goes for gloves. Just make sure you come prepared in the event you don't get those things from the 'Mate'.
Definitely try and get the scoop on what you should or shouldn't bring from other cadets that have recently been on the ship you've been assigned to.. They really have the most up to date information you're looking for...

 

[KP Eng]

My perspective comes from the engine side mostly in repair. For gloves I like the Mechanix type. I often find my hands getting wet working in a tank or bilge. Those are still pretty functional wet to climb back out of where I’m working. Definitely invest in a quality flashlight, one that can be dropped and still works. I usually have a headlamp and a pocket flashlight. You’ll be happy if the lights go out, or if you’re doing a tank entry and you drop your light, or find yourself seven bays back in an inner bottom and the pocket light dies. I’d add some work shirts as well, but these can just be t shirts that you don’t care about. I always carry a knife, but I could definitely see where a leather man would be useful. For me knives are consumable as I seem to frequently lose them. Good luck, be safe, and learn as much as you can.

 

[KPEngineer]

Advice given to me prior to my first sea year

Lay out everything you plan to take, put half of it back and you will still have too much
Buy a few sets of old clothes from a thrift store for work clothes, throw them away at the end of sea year

Am also an engineer type, currently surveying (KPEng, I just read a report for one of your old vessels before it got moved from ME to VA) . I like the Mechanix type gloves too but I got the ones with the hand protection. Highly underrated depending on what you are doing.

 

[NorCal Parent 2024]

I'm leaving for first sailing in about a month and have a few questions about packing specifics...

I'm a deckie and will be on a middle east run.

-Should I get gloves that are more lightweight and breathable or heavier duty/ thicker material? I heard gloves, like boots, are super important and would appreciate any specific recommendations for brands or types.

-The packing list says 2 work shirts. Should I bring more or is doing laundry frequently enough to have 2 work shirts practicable?

Any other tips or things to bring that may not be listed are welcome. Also open to any restaurant recommendations in Algeciras, haha. Thanks in advance.

My son is a 2024 A split. For boots - we got him Irish Setters but you should probably check out Red Wings and Irish Setters. His recommendation was to go to a Red Wing store and actually try on some different styles and sizes to see what gives you the best fit. For second sailing we got him some Blue Tongues which are a branch of Red Back.

 

[cmakin]

For my sea year, I remember getting some generic steel toe lace up boots. They were my "go to" style for my entire time at sea. When I came "ashore", I spent quite a bit of time on offshore drilling rigs and construction equipment. The "pull on" style of steel toe boots are very popular there because of how many times one goes from the rig floor, or out on deck into the accommodations, and wearing boots inside is not allowed. To this day, I still use Red Wing Pecos style boots.

 

[Mr2020]

I'm leaving for first sailing in about a month and have a few questions about packing specifics...

I'm a deckie and will be on a middle east run.

-Should I get gloves that are more lightweight and breathable or heavier duty/ thicker material? I heard gloves, like boots, are super important and would appreciate any specific recommendations for brands or types.

-The packing list says 2 work shirts. Should I bring more or is doing laundry frequently enough to have 2 work shirts practicable?

Any other tips or things to bring that may not be listed are welcome. Also open to any restaurant recommendations in Algeciras, haha. Thanks in advance.

2 pairs of Khaki work pants / Carhartt or Dickies
2 polos for the bridge
a few t shirts for daywork
Decent boots but dont go overboard/ usually wear tennis shoes on the bridge/boots on deck
Gloves will be supplied by the ship. Most likely youll get coveralls too.
Bring a fresh newspaper WSJ from new york for the Capt/Mate...A lot of them like that.

Make sure your working for the C/M or 2/M or experienced 3/M or bosun via the C/m. A lot of guys like to run the cadets around for mundane/noneducational tasks. Focus on learning the bridge and the deck as much as you can. That's your job.

 

[KPEngineer]

I bought a pair of $200 plus Redwings that I have barely worn since. The fit on them once I got on a vessel was nothing like what they felt like in the store. I have been wearing a sneaker style, composite toe safety shoe I got from Walmart for less than $50 that have served me well for the last 3 years as a full time surveyor. Don't overspend, figure out what you really like and what is/isn't comfortable and then make an investment in a high quality boot once you are out and sailing for a living. For me, the easy on/off of the low rise has been the key factor. I will probably go with the pull on offshore style for my next ones because I want something higher but still want the ease of donning/doffing.

The moral of the story ... boots are personal, pick what you want/like and don't listen to us

 

[cmakin]

I bought a pair of $200 plus Redwings that I have barely worn since. The fit on them once I got on a vessel was nothing like what they felt like in the store. I have been wearing a sneaker style, composite toe safety shoe I got from Walmart for less than $50 that have served me well for the last 3 years as a full time surveyor. Don't overspend, figure out what you really like and what is/isn't comfortable and then make an investment in a high quality boot once you are out and sailing for a living. For me, the easy on/off of the low rise has been the key factor. I will probably go with the pull on offshore style for my next ones because I want something higher but still want the ease of donning/doffing.

The moral of the story ... boots are personal, pick what you want/like and don't listen to us

If I had never started surveying offshore, I would probably still be using lace up boots.

 

[KPEngineer]

If I had never started surveying offshore, I would probably still be using lace up boots.

I didn't even think about taller boots that were not lace up until I saw them offshore but for me It was really a lesson I learned at KP. I used to keep the laces loose enough on my leathers to just slip them on and off. It has actually turned in to one of the defining experiences of my life. 30+ years since indoc and I don't have any footwear that I don't slide on/off, laces or not.