Tankers

[gadget123]

If you need a tanker endorsement to work as an officer on a tanker. And you need experience on tankers to get the endorsement.

Does that mean you cant work on a tanker unless you sailed on one as a cadet. Or am I missing something?

[GuinnessMan]

To work on a tanker of any kind, yes you do need the endorsement. You can sit the speciality course provided you have either: A)A valid tanker fam certificate or B) 3 or 4 months seatime on a relevant tanker (serving on an oil tanker won't work if you're after a Gas DCE).

[gadget123]

And can you do the tanker fam without time on tankers?

[Ducki52]

This whole tanker experience sounds like the catch-22 affecting the jobs market as a whole; 'I can't get a job without experience, but how am I meant to get experience without a job?'

Are tanker crews made up of salty old sea dogs with pipes (not lit, obviously) and beards because the young thrusters simply can't get on tankers due to the catch-22 mentioned above?

[GuinnessMan]

Yes as the Tanker Fam is a mandatory course for service aboard a tanker of any description. It's a two and half day course that teaches you the basics of tankers, enclosed space entry (it's done a damn sight more on Tankers than bulkers), basic atmosphere testing equipment, basic simulated cargo loading (even the engineers do it and we finished a full hour ahead of the deckies in my course) and some of the hazards of carrying certain petro-chemical cargoes. Obviously they can't go into the full specifics of the dangers of each cargo as there are that many but they do go over the big issues like LEL, H2S, methane etc. If you're lucky enough to go on one, then I advise you to pay attention.

The experience part you describe generally boils down to the top sailing four as the oil majors demand X number of years experience before they will allow a vessel to carry their cargo. This can be a catch 22, but some are more lenient than others that allows your officers to build up the time they need in rank and what not. Others are a lot bloody stricter and tend to be a bit dogmatic about it (not naming names here).......

[Ducki52]

So you could, if you very keen, offer to do an unpaid/expenses only 4O placement on a tanker to get some experience in? Or would insurance/charterers regulations get in the way?

[GuinnessMan]

So you could, if you very keen, offer to do an unpaid/expenses only 4O placement on a tanker to get some experience in? Or would insurance/charterers regulations get in the way?

No, there is no legal reason that I can think of as to why they would say no to that. As you would join as ship's crew, you'd be covered by the P&I and you'd also be included on the OCIMF crew matrix, but you are too junior for them to kick a stink up over as you're not responsible for cargo operations.

I would still advise getting on one as a cadet though as it does help the process a little.

[gadget123]

I would still advise getting on one as a cadet though as it does help the process a little.

Wish I'd known about this before I started as it's very unlikely I'll get on a tanker as a cadet.