5 Things They Don't Tell You About Being a Merchant Marine

[@jackedup2007]

Tell me about it. I was working in the engine department on a Cape ship and was operating the trash incinerator with the used oil injection system when a clown threw many cans of PB Blast in the bags needless to say it blew me out of the inclosed space, caught the exhaust on fire, and destroyed the injection spray unit. Damn near killed me, he laughed and I had his ass fired from SIU so he never sails again on any American flag ed vessel.

[@vooo1314]

That's outrageous. The ship I work on now would probably fire you if you mistakenly tossed an aresol can in with your trash to be burned. That can cause injury and a fire. Fires are no joke on a ship!

[@hylndrfan]

We're called mariners. Merchant Marine is the name of the service. Like sailors are in the Navy, Mariners are in the Merchant Marine.

[@dzikijohnny]

I thought that was a baseball team?

[@bill7778]

What about Submariners?

[@purplebandicoot_219]

​@bill7778 we're already tracking the contact. Any ship can be a submarine... once. 😂🐬

[@marcmeinzer8859]

Merchant marine people are most commonly simply referred to as “merchant seamen” even if they are in the engine or stewards department.

[@Notkosher308]

Merchant Marines are called Scum where I'm from. 😅

[@vooo1314]

I work in the galley dept and I have to tell you what happens sometimes. On a ship I was on last year, the Steward placed the proper type of order, however, the vendor delivered a bunch of crap they were trying to unload like cases of milk expiring in 11 days from delivery when we were sailing for 27 days without a port. You know that vendor had fresher inventory but they saw a ship on a tight turnaround and decided to get rid of their 'problem' and foist this expiring milk on us. There is very little a steward can do in that small window of time when we are in a port getting stores. The vendor also put the fresh bananas in a place that froze them before delivery so they looked okay at delivery and then turned black within hours of delivery. Fresh veggies and fruit is the hardest to keep on hand for long voyages, especially the lettuce. You just can't keep that edible more than a couple of weeks, tops. That is why the longer the voyage, the more you will see less lettuce and more root vegetables. I will also say I was very disappointed to see the wide range of skill and attitude in the stewards. Some of them really care about the variety, selections, and quality of their output. They care about the well being of the crew and realize that food can be the highlight of the day in a lot of long voyages. You will get other stewards who don't give a damn and phone it in with stuff like grilled cheese every other day. They don't care and everyone knows it. It isn't fair to the crew to get these people but they way it works sometimes is your cook is there because of seniority, not because they are an awesome cook.

[@partyeffectsdotbiz]

Another great video Dean, people who get along with every type of person are always the happiest on the ships. You should make a video on 'types of bosuns' soon also

[@chrisl2632]

We pulled into Haiti when I was in the Navy. I agree with you. What a shit hole. I didn't even leave the ship.

[@rs2343-o4e]

Sailor Dean I have just stumbled on to your channel. New Subscriber. I am binge watching you. Your stuff is way better than anything on the Discovery channel. Keep them coming.

[@SailorDean4]

Thank you I’ll make sure to keep them coming

[@pirateatfourty]

trash duty? hahahah i worked for maersk lines for over 40 years i never had trash duty but i endedup as captain for 18 years, i hav ebeen retired now for over 12 years, i loved the job i loved the money a few years ago they reached out to me and tried to get me to come back to work, i told them nope i get seasick in the shower now. biggest ship i want to be on is a rowboat , and im afriad of the sea monsters. the krakens the giant octopus and under water aliens lol you can have it, retirent money is better than working. and? no storms no wierdos,

[@simonwhittle5190]

save the money & have an exit plan, many don't & spend it on "the sick buffalo ". 80 year olds at sea unbelievable

[@nomdeguerre13]

Some may still want do it since that is all they know... I saw the same in trucking, majority are still doing it because they have no clue on what to do if they retired. Many are afraid they will die of they stop working. Conversations/general observations i have had anyway. Certainly there are some they may have never prepared to retire as well.

[@Declan4253]

The crazy people can actually be a plus for me.

[@marcmeinzer8859]

I was a merchant seaman in the AB rating for eight years on and off after being a submarine quartermaster in the navy on both a boomer and a fast attack. I like the merchant marine and could generally cope with pretty much anything so long as I managed to stay away from the civil service military sealift command which is an abomination compared to commercial vessels. But that said, I preferred commercial vessels that had MSC cargoes as for example on pre-positioning ships where you get lots of shore leave, at least back in the day when there still was a Mediterranean MSC pre-po squadron Gulf War era. And yes, merchant ships can be floating lunatic asylums but that’s half the charm. I strongly recommend to any book-worms out there that they order a copy of STEAMING TO BAMBOULA by Christopher Buckley. I quit the merchant marine to attend barber college and then cut hair for 20 years. I always kept a brass ship’s clock in the barbershop with the Seafarers International Union logo on the face behind glass with the ship’s wheel which says “Brotherhood of the Sea” and sent a photo of that to the union newspaper which they published back in the late 1990s.

[@placebo5466]

Thank you for the book recommendation!! I have been using my google-fu to find a book like that this and have come up empty handed the last few weeks.

[@marcmeinzer8859]

@@placebo5466 Here’s some more titles of maritime books: OCEAN TITANS by Daniel Sekuolich [Lyons Press]; THE COLOMBO BAY by Richard Pollak [Simon & Schuster]; SEIZED by Max Hardberger [Broadway Books]; SAILING ON FRIDAY: The Perilous Voyage of America’s Merchant Marine by John Butler [Brassey’s]. Also check out ULTRAMARINE by Malcolm Lowry, publisher unknown, first novel by the author of Under the Volcano.

[@placebo5466]

@@marcmeinzer8859 you're a legend.

[@marcmeinzer8859]

@@placebo5466 I dug up some more titles from my collection as follows: THE EAGLE MUTINY By Richard Linnett & Roberto Loiederman[Naval Institute Press]; DANGEROUS WATERS: Modern Piracy and Terror on the High Seas; DEAD RECKONING by Dan Acheson [Skyhorse];Captain of the Queens by Captain Harry Gratidge w/Richard Collier [Farrar Straus Giroux] Last Time Around Cape Horn by Ordinary Seaman Wm. Stark; Collision Course by Alvin Moscow [GP Putnam’s Sons]; Until the Sea Shall Free Them by Robert Frump; The Forgotten Heroes by Brian Herbert; SEA STRUCK by William Bunting.

[@placebo5466]

@@marcmeinzer8859 You're a good man. I always appreciate people sharing their book lists. If you're into Roman/Viking Era English history I have some recommendations. Fiction and Non.

[@jonathanhires3235]

My dad was an AB on a tanker during the war, he had similar stories!

[@denisfortin897]

I spent 27 years as an Engineer (+cadet years) aboard American flagged Merchant ships, it was an incredible experience, I found most guys who wanted to work did well, we stayed away from anything that had "passengers". I was able to retire @ 50years old, a good pension and lots of memory's of some good ports and some...well I wouldn't visit again.

[@miapdx503]

The best, most concise and real explanation of life at sea. Wow. Not for the weak. Sail on sir, Salute! 🌹⚓

[@SailorDean4]

Well thank you 😉

[@tylercafe1260]

Actually that's a problem in itself. I have virtually no job experience and I'm already a manager at my store. They literally wouldn't hire me for a lower position so I had to take it.

[@wtfRyantater]

I never considered being a merchant marine until watching your video

[@kennethgrindrod6438]

Yes you get some weirdo,s at sea but it takes all sorts to crew a ship that’s what made the job what it is ,had no time for people who knew it all but knew very little I was never afraid to ask how to do something or too proud to be shown a better way by an older hand

[@jamesbuchanan4414]

Freshly minted mates, equivalent to military butterbars. "Good idea fairies". Gotta love'em.

[@aurorathekitty7854]

One reason why I wouldn't do it if conflict breaks out your one of the first targets the enemy would go after and no way to defend yourself

[@geddon436]

I researched working on ships, but, I'm medically disqualified because of my back and other health issues. I know understand the reasons.

[@SailorDean4]

Sorry to hear that but I bet you are doing great in whatever pursuit you have going on in life best of luck out there

[@geddon436]

@@SailorDean4 Thank you.

[@Mycritterfamily]

Lolol I'm sorry man I was laughing so hard with the old man diaper bless your heart.

[@ruskyexwhyzee9837]

I just applied for this job. Lol not so sure i want to do this after all😂

[@JohnDoe-y5p]

What food is reccomended to bring to have a diet healthy enough to do manual work?

[@SailorDean4]

They will have food on the ship that will keep a healthy meal routine for you

[@genuinsanity]

I always wondered what that job was like...thanks.

[@toejam7606]

Lol, pirates. Been neckin it for year, worst thing is fighting off boredem and stool pushers

[@ricko1321]

Former port trucker at the P.O.O. Oakland USA feel your pain brother!

[@benjaminbrown45]

What do you do for phone service when you are in these foreign ports? Can you get around pretty easy in these foreign ports if you don't have phone service.

[@SailorDean4]

I have an intentional plan through T-Mobile which I would highly recommend getting an international plan through whatever phone service you have considering how often I’m overseas

[@AllenHarris-u5o]

Guess MM don't fill out crew rosters based on DEI guidelines 😅

[@jomama5186]

That was really interesting. ❤ 🙏🏻

[@demondremiller51]

Do you work for MSC or SIU and how much do you get paid for entery level no schooling for MSC??

[@SailorDean4]

I’m with SIU I would say MSC gets paid the same for entry level as we do which depending on the ship would be anywhere from $5k-7k a month

[@WizardsPath-if5oq]

Can i sail if i have a open court case? I haven't been indicted. Will the other countries check background and ask for my id when we pull into port in different countries?

[@SailorDean4]

You can most likely start the process to getting your credentials definitively do the research

[@marconi306]

For : @WizardsPath-if5oq This is one of the stupidest and dumbest questions I have ever heard, seriously 😐 Dude, NOT mean to be rude but are you retard? What a different country have to do with a checking ID?? Or your court litigation process with your presence in that particular country. 1st/The Courts will impose any traveling and therefore the Harbor Master and the Coast Guard will be notified for sure of any of your potential departure since the courts already told you that your passport or Seaman’s Book are already red flagged, or taken away from you too.. Now, if you are a real criminal then you will probably be behind bars or the Interpol is already looking for your dumb a***. 2nd/Although I am not a lawyer, then all I can tell is that, you might have a MANDATORY court appearance and therefore being out of the country that would NOT be possible, so guess what?, your dumb a*** will be waiting an arrest warrant for sure while you will be arrested on arrival immediately….IF somehow all of that was overlooked and you might have slipped without a proper authorities noticing that your are prohibited to sail out of the country which I am pretty much sure stuff like that can happened too, since nothing is perfect in this world. BUT make NO mistake, you will get your ugly day in court for that “escape” later on… Got it! Next question dummy?? Anything else??

[@Usammityduzntafraidofanythin]

Why do lumberjacks die more often though, I never can understand that

[@SailorDean4]

Good question

[@Naijahoy]

Great video!

[@richiehoyt8487]

I always thought since I was a kid (eons ago, now!) that I'd love to go to sea, but unfortunately (or perhaps, fortunately) I realised that, realistically, I wasn't cut out for it - the circulation in my hands is brutal (I suspect I probably have Reynaud's syndrome, but I never got it checked out)... Once the mercury gets down around 0°C/32°F, fifteen minutes of that and I would be incapable of any precise work with my hands, be like I was wearing oven mitts... 30 minutes, and I would be in agony; even wearing gloves, it would make very little difference - and that would be nothing compared to the agony of the circulation coming back, once I got back into where it was warm and dry! Actually, I knew a guy who was in the Royal (British) Navy in the '50's & '60's, and _he'd_ known guys who had been on the Arctic convoys during WW2, and they said that when ships were torpedoed or whatever, and they were able to fish guys out of the drink, they would lay them out next to the ducts venting out hot air, but they said that the screams of these guys as they more or less literally thawed them out was a thing that you would never get out of your head! That guy also told me how a mate of his was the victim of some kind of some kind of explosion of steam under pressure in the boiler room - he tried to lift him out by the hair (apparently the regs about hair in the Royal Navy are, or at least, were looser then in the other branches of HM Forces) - and, yeah, the guys whole scalp just came away in his hand, on account of his having being boiled like a lobster. That was his best mate... So anyway, yeah, me being on deck, even in the waters around the British Isles, let alone up in the ice - "fuhgeddaboudit!" - _definite_ non~starter! And let's not even get into how I feel about heights! That thing you said about the danger of gas pockets - terrifying! And the part you forgot to mention is how many guys have been lost trying to rescue guys overcome by the gas - guy №2 goes in to save guy №1, goes down; guy №3 goes in to save guy №2, with same result, etc... Part of the reason I had notions of going into the Merchant Marine was the idea of travelling the World and seeing some interesting and exotic places (some, maybe, a little _too_ interesting, it seems!) Trouble nowadays is, assuming the port you pull into isn't some 'Mos Eisley' type joint - you know, "a hive of scum and villainy", or whatever the quote is - then, more likely than not these days, the port is going to be maybe 15 miles or more away from the city proper, and with quick turnarounds, it's probably not even worth getting off the ship. Hell, some of these Australian ore - ports can be several _hundreds_ of miles away from anything interesting, I'm told! My own hometown is a port - not a particularly big one by international standards, but important enough - and in my lifetime, I've seen it go from being a place of frantic hustle and bustle, right up in to the city centre, with dockers hanging about, hoping to get a start, and at nighttime, hookers all over; to today, where all the activity has moved downstream, everything now containerised, the grain and feed elevators having being pulled down, to be replaced with luxury flats, and what used to be the plain old Docks, is now being gentrified into the "Dock _lands"_ - or worse, "The Sextant Quarter" 🤮 -- Ye Gods! Oh Well - way of the world, I guess... You can't fight progress - or is that "progress"?! I don't even know - but it's sad to see it pass, nonetheless.

[@SailorDean4]

May not be able to become a merchant mariner but did you ever think about sailing recreationally the sea is a lifestyle doesn’t need to just be a job

[@bejkon4304]

To what rank (position) they pay you for Overtime work?

[@SailorDean4]

Overtime work is for all unlicensed personnel on the ship

[@bejkon4304]

@@SailorDean4 so mates dont get OT money?

[@SailorDean4]

Not always sometimes they are salary

[@bejkon4304]

@@SailorDean4 im askin because most money is from OT in Merchant marine and Base wage in junior mates like 3rd and 2nd are not that big like yours with OT. So there must be a way for them to get some OT money

[@01dumbfrog]

You aught to try working in the oil field natural gas industry as a tanker truck driver twelve hours a day four days on three days off, eight hours of overtime weekly and if you want ask the dispatcher if they need anything covered on the fourth day an extra shift of OT equals twenty hours of overtime for the week heck yeah I can use an extra couple of hundred for the week and just two days off to get laundry done and a little tail. I bought a RV for work so I didn’t have to drive the extra 120 miles to work every day each way. $3500.00 for a used RV it’s a place to sleep and keep your beer cold. And it’s a tax right off. The job is a six figure income with no college required. The easiest trucking job I ever had.

[@belowfray5251]

Sounds great !

[@mackdog3270]

LoL shipping is the same everywhere. One of my first memories as a new trucker was being at a truck stop somewhere in the Midwest around midnight and seeing a huge Nordic man staggering through the pumps yelling about cocaine and hookers. That stuck with me for some reason.

[@SailorDean4]

Classic

[@-._11]

was shutting down one night at a truckstop and saw a dude running around in his boxers screaming something.half hour later watched him scuffle with cops, get tased, and dragged out. asked the cop about wth happened. apparently he was drunk, threatened a cashier in the TS, and had warrants for smoking weed at a closed weigh station the next state over.

[@johnlorentz2465]

Why would elderly be working on a sjip?

[@SailorDean4]

This guy was working on ships his whole life

[@martinrhoads6168]

Any experience about being a merchant marine in the great lakes?

[@SailorDean4]

Not yet but I’m sure I will make my way over there at some point

[@ogsvibes5302]

Dean is there a sponsorship program for someone who would love to join a merchant ship

[@SailorDean4]

Not sure about a sponsorship program you need all the proper coast guard credentials to get on a ship

[@michaelMTM805]

Had an AB on watch shit his pants while on the helm. Once we went into autopilot I walked around the bridge and found a pile of shit at the helm.

[@SailorDean4]

Incredible

[@michaelMTM805]

@@SailorDean4 truly

[@BuilderofRat]

Have any assholes ever been dumped over the side? It would seem to me that something like that could be accomplished and nobody would be the wiser until a personal check was done.,

[@SailorDean4]

There definitely have been people who fell off the ship and never came back

[@kurtreese7408]

My father was during WWII.

[@delavan9141]

A "merchant marine?" No one told you that you are a "merchant mariner?"

[@Mycritterfamily]

I would do like I wished I did in the Army...I gonna be a Steward to hide from the heat and cold.😁

[@Mycritterfamily]

I just had a thought man be safe out there I guess it's fixing to heat up next year with more tariff wars so watch your back

[@advancedusvsystems6255]

The international community decided that American merchant marine, including unionism, need not apply, so the worst common international standards apply. Our country has a lot of issues, but we could all work together as a team of workers.

[@ArthursAtman]

Thanks for your honesty. May I ask, is there ample opportunity to read books? Sounds like I'd be busting my ass 12 hours a day, 7 days a week for that overtime. Any perspective would be appreciated :)

[@SailorDean4]

Reading Is my favorite way to get through the long days traveling the sea

[@diddymercs]

Not being able to go into New Orleans probably saved your life. I can go anytime I like, and don't.

[@tunnel-stash]

Lmao, about the food scarcity. Ironic when ships carry the vast majority of food supermarkets and restaurants end up throwing away in dumpsters. Yet they will hit people with a misdemeanor for walking out the door without paying a bag of apples. They could have at least advise the sailors about the living conditions before they pack their bags. You have learn to think for yourself, its similar to being in military boot camp, military deployment, prison, jail, a homeless shelter, basically anywhere crowdy with uncertainty. All you have is your initiative and your options. You have to think for yourself and dont wait for people tell you shit. Dont sit around and wait for your boss to tell you what the day is going to be like. Thats how you end up eating peanut butter sandwhiches twelve days in a row. Man, by the end of the first day, me and the cooks will be best buddies and im eating like them. You could miss me with that scarcity nonsense. And that old guy dumping his man diapers is going to get a rude wake up call. Its all politics, you left that big detail out buddy. Politics is everything in crowdy work conditions. Military, prisons, factories, ships, mines, whatever. Its all work politics. The shittier the condition, the more meaningful your disposition is.

[@NicoEl119]

Popeye's son has a KZbin channel. I never knew.😮

[@AI-cp1jg]

Don't people have to retire at 65?

[@SailorDean4]

You can work as long as you want as long as you pass the coast guard physical

[@Juan-getithowyouleave]

Does the dishwasher have to go to the bad oxygen areas ☠️💀☠️ 😂😂😂

[@jjosephm7539]

“Merchant Mariner”

[@SailorDean4]

Merchant marine and merchant mariner are the same thing 👍

[@scottfurtney1544]

My comment is. U make alot money. Young man. B safe

[@jamalelhamdigarcia190]

A lot… may B I’m one of them😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@bobjacobs-x1i]

being an AB nowadays is about as dangerous as being a bus driver

[@terrelldubose]

I'm a bus driver and it's not all that safe, each day I carry pepper spray, knife and brass knuckles for personal safety. And the kicker if I use those to protect myself I'll get fired even if I'm attacked

[@AaronErickson-d2e]

Said someone who never pushed the envelope, Try working as a hard hat diver in the gulf of mexico you have all the fun like he said and you get to go swimming! (I was a bosuns mate in the USCG the USN, a hard hat diver and a AB in the Merchant marine) Normally it is a fairly safe job until every thing goes wrong, then your screwed.

[@TheYtTurks]

this video's background music isn't annoying enough

[@ScaredyZ4Walls]

Sounds like key West

[@vlnow]

In my industry it would be an honour to deal with the diapers of an 80 year old still in the game.

[@feelinghealingfrequences7179]

what industry r u in?

[@leemlost5725]

i have locs and plan on getting into merchant marines, will they make me shave my hair?

[@leemlost5725]

dreadlocks

[@SailorDean4]

If you go into the SIU apprenticeship program yes but if you just become a merchant mariner no

[@malthus101]

Sobering.

[@Darius-y1e]

Your first statement about the 5 things and the diapers 🥴🤢🤮 and I was eating 😩 But you earned a subscriber 😅

[@InMyBrz]

THE BIGGEST problem I found was inter-department fighting For example the CE may have a hardon for a Mate or the REO or just is jealous of other departments on the ship. Some of the biggestassholes were Chief Engineers Mates are usually pretty chill and won't give you a problem. Some Captains are perfectassholes, their power has gone to their head and they are giant POS Adding to the comment below me, and something I remarked on in another one of your videos ; We are MERCHANT MARINERS in the MERCHANT MARINE. WE are NOT MARINES

[@SailorDean4]

Yeah haha agree with everything there

[@Kaycee18888]

The yogurt is good! You’re just don’t know what you’re talking about lol. Everyone old lady waits for the milk to get soiled before they use it for yogurt brother

[@kpw84u2]

Did they tell you about how they were created to protect slavers and their ships and the human bodies the called and treated like cargo?

[@cbhlde]

You don't like yoghurt? :) Little joke. :p

[@larrynoe6162]

You found life brother. This is the world you live in. These “old men” are making a living , you do the same and you will be happier.

[@CinnamonSpeaks]

months worth of shitty diapers. oh hell nawww 😭

[@jimbergmann8633]

Lost me at shitty diapers. Good luck with all.

[@SailorDean4]

Hahaha

[@tonyjones6904]

Do you ever think that it might be you and the reason that they put you on poopy diaper duty?

[@SailorDean4]

Haha could be but other people had to do it on occasion

[@tonyjones6904]

@SailorDean4 I shouldn't talk s*** I've done enough lousy jobs in my life too

[@aml1234561]

Have you really been to sea? I have to ask the question because there is no such person as a Merchant Marine. You might be a mariner or a sailor or more accurately a seaman or seafarer but you are most certainly NOT a Merchant Marine….As a Master or Captain in the Merchant Navy for the last 25 years and 49 years sea service I can only say please stop this.

[@SailorDean4]

Haha yeah I’m in the merchant marine I’m a merchant mariner my apologies for saying it wrong

[@darkstar18498]

A shitty conversation

[@BobE.Dancho]

This guy is a jerk.