Problems with final phase and TRB

[Unregistered]

I am a registered member but wanted to stay anonymous.

I have completed my time at college and successfully passed this and made a good start to my cadetship. My last sea phase however was a disaster. I did 2, 4 month long trips on the same ship with the same crew and suffered from stress. The crew were foreign and officers also. All were unsupportive and treated me pretty unpleasantly and didn't give me any help or support. My training officer wasn't interested in me and just brushed it off as being my fault - you will just have to get on with it kind of thing. As a result I was unable to complete my TRB signings and am now unable to complete my orals. My sponsoring company have just cut me off completely. Is there anything I can do? I desperately want to complete this but have no idea who to turn to. I should have complained more perhaps at the time and asked for more help but just assumed I had to get on with it. Has anyone else had a bad timelike this?

[Unregistered]

Forge the signatures? Its a huge risk but it is an answer.

[size4riggerboots]

^ no no no no no no!!!^^

[Unregistered]

You might have to go back to sea to get the signatures, which of course could be difficult if your sponsoring company isn't interested. Personally I would've just forged them when I was on ship (I know plenty people who had to resort to this) but if your company and the MCA are now aware that you haven't got the signatures then you probably can't do that.

[Lewisscott22]

Firstly, this is only advice and I shall not be responsible for any actions you take. Just to cover my back!

This does sound like a bit of a mess. After the first 4 month trip, did you not mention that you were unable to get the signatures required?

I take it when you say your sponsoring company has "cut you off", you mean that they have terminated your contract? Not just ignoring you?

Unfortunately, this is partially your fault - sorry to be blunt. It is YOUR responsibility to assure the upkeep of your TRB. You should have called up your sponsoring company or training officer informing them that you were about to leave your ship without any signatures. Your training officer should have provided you with some sort of support, but how could he/she do so if you did not inform them?

For any other cadets reading this, DO NOT leave your ship until you have checked your TRB at least three times over to check that everything is dated accurately, signed off and stamped!

My advice would be to contact your training officer and see if anything can be done. If he/she is unable to cooperate or provide a suitable solution/answer then I suggest that you take this to higher management within the company. You can raise the issue that you felt some officers were not helping with your training, but back this up! I have no idea how hard you persisted regarding your training. You should maybe ask your training establishment to back your case and support the fact that you are a good student.

DO NOT forge ANY signatures, names, document numbers or any other form of identification. It is a criminal offence. Punishments range from a fine to prison - or both.

[Unregistered]

Thanks for the advice. Yes I know it is partly my fault but I was in such a bad place at the time that I just couldn't wait to sign off.

[Lewisscott22]

Thanks for the advice. Yes I know it is partly my fault but I was in such a bad place at the time that I just couldn't wait to sign off.

It is unfortunate. The profession is the best for creating difficult situations - I was presented with the offer of buying a bottle of wine for a certain someone to sign off my TRB!

Be persistent and hopefully you will get somewhere.

[laura]

Is it possible to go through 'the office'? Whoever that may be, they usually have ships stamps... I don't know if you're aponsored through CMT/ SSTG but when I say office I mean shipping company. Is there someone you can speak to there? It's a rubbish situation and I ain't going to say it's your fault cause I've been on boats where it has been really sucky so until I've walked in your shoes, sometimes you can be trying really hard but when it's a one way street it can just get too much in the end... hate hearing cadets still putting up with this, but okay that's the past, now you need to look up and get this sorted so you can get going with your career!

Do you need to go to sea again, this might screw things up but it will solve your problem long term? Is that possible? Short term pain in the ass but.... training officer?

Did you get the tasks done and it's just the signatures lacking? If yes, again I would approach the shipping company, it is possible I believe in extreme circumstances to get a sign off from a technical superintendent.

Can you get some support from college? Someone such as a lecturer or course leader sympathetic to your cause to give you some support and advice?

Everyone seems to shoot down Nautilus, but there's nothing wrong with asking for some guidance now and again... particularly if you're being fobbed off by training officer, it's fine if he says 'okay you screwed up' but where to go next to solve your problem is what's needed here!

Hope you get something sorted but don't let it get you down too much, just focus on what's the next step to get the problem solved.

[chris]

I had trouble getting signatures of my first ship, a HAL cruise ship, so I can sympathise.

[Crawf121]

Hey just to go back to basics, what does TRB stand for?

[chris]

training record book

[Unregistered]

I don't feel so use

Thank you for the responses I have really appreciated the support and at least I don't feel useless. I completed all the tasks but the Chief who was the DSTO was just really unhelpful and wouldn't do anything so I just gave up. I didn't know that anyone else on board could sign the book for me. I should have made it clear I suppose to the training officer at my sponsor but he never replied to my other contacts so I felt really on my own on long deep sea voyages.