Thank you for the welcome. My son aims to be a River Pilot, and was fortunate to be able to do his internship with the Bay Pilots at Jacksonville Port. He 'interns' with a Pilot for two weeks, going onboard ships that come into port, as required by law. Pilots 'advise' the captains as to the channel they must follow, obstacles that are peculiar to a channel, and contribute to bringing ships into port safely. If you 'google' River Pilot, there are some nice articles, including one from the TIMES PICAYUNE out of LA. It tells the job of a River Pilot. My son's major is Marine Transportation. He is on the Offshore Sailing Team, and loves it. He is returning to KP early to help with the Waterfront Team, but due to his internship overlapping INDOC time, he will be there strictly as a volunteer. So, any incoming 'candidates,' take a hint. My son LOVES what he is doing, and has never looked back.
MountaineerMom, glad you found this place! Keep us posted on your son's internship. Would love to hear more about it since I have a newly minted 3rd classman & have alot to learn. That HAD to make your son's day to see the KPer. And he probably thought, Wow, why don't they get that 4th engine running. LOL I hear its just running on three. Please give a description of what his internship entails when you get a chance. Very interesting. And again, welcome!
As for the Sea Duty, I was warned about phone bills and nothing prepared me for some of them! One, I even kept from my husband! For his first travel experience, my son went to Gibraltar, Italy, Spain, the Suez Canal numerous times, SA, Oman and Dubai, UAE. He loved Dubai! If anyone reading this has a son/daughter going there, get your GOLD Wish List printed now! For the second trip, my son did half in the Far East, hitting Japan, China, Okinawa, Guam and the CA ports. He did not get off the ship in China, as they require both a passport and a visa, and he lacked a visa. But the vendors that came onto the ships brought the stores to them. The second half of his Duty was on the East Coast, between NJ, Jacksonville and Puerto Rico. Pretty tame compared to the rest. I believe the alumni when they say they never forget their experiences at sea. Good luck to your son on his first voyage!