2/M looking to join

[u/WitcherFan2020]

Hey all, I'm currently with AMO however due to internal issues with the union and how it's looking to go downhill, I'm looking at switching to MSC for job security.

I've been in talks with a recruiter, and just wanted it fact checked. He's giving me the same numbers that the CIVMAR website is giving: 184k a year, 4 months on, 2 months off. And being a recruiter, of course he's saying that 2 months off is guaranteed now, and that it's very rare to be overdue unless you're a rescue swimmer. He's also saying I could get directly hired into 2/M, instead of starting at 3rd.

What are the actual income numbers I'd be looking at and is the 4on/2off rotation actually happening? Is there also a chance to be hired in as a Cargo 2nd, and not the Navigation 2nd? Last time I talked to anyone from MSC, I was a cadet and my 3rd and 2nd mates had been on board for over 8 months.

I know pay is entirely based on the type of ship. I'd expect to be assigned to a T-AO or T-AKE, due to having a Tankerman PIC, and away from the lower paid ships like the Zeus because I don't have DP.

[u/Dizzy_7274]

The civmar website is mostly correct when it comes to pay. Your base pay*2 from OT. They don't factor in other things like hazard pay or ammo pay though.

The overdue thing is hit or miss. Last number I heard circa June 2025 was that there were 24 people overdue total, and only 2 were overdue past 60 days. If you become overdue they pay you a little extra for the first 30 days, then at 60, they pay you even more extra and you get vacation time 1 for 1 of your overdue time.

The vacation thing is also hit or miss depending on your detailer. Some will hound you at week 6 to start coming back. Other forget you exist until you tell them you're ready. Here's a little tip: MSC won't fire you, and you can stretch that to 3 months if you want. 4/2 is more of a suggestion than a hard line.

As for job security, through government shut downs, oil/metal prices, wars, pandmics or whatever else, there's never been a lay off. They say they have enough money to keep us afloat for a year, then another 4/5 months if they dip into reserve money.

[u/WitcherFan2020 → u/Dizzy_7274]

Thank you for actually answering my questions, I appreciate it!

Is a certain amount of OT guaranteed on board or is that ship specific? For example, my current ship gives up to 4 hours a day, every day. They say it's "optional" but in reality it's mandatory, so we are working 84 hour weeks. I've tried looking online for numbers in MSC, and I've seen anywhere from 28 hours a week, to only 10 hours a week.

[u/Dizzy_7274 → u/WitcherFan2020]

It's dependent mostly on your dept head and ship in general. UNREP ships are big OT cows. While other's just aren't. OT is almost always optional. Engineering casualties is a big one for us, idk for Deckies. Probably during UNREPs and Flight Quarters if I had to guess, maybe navigating through certain waters like the Suez for example.

If you work the weekend, that's, 16 hours on a week by itself. I've never heard of a ship refuse weekend work. After that, it can be 3 hours a day every day. It can be 4. Some times it's 1 for 1 (1 penalty hour+1 OT hour). Either way you won't have mandatory 84 hour weeks.

[u/TheScallywag1874 → u/WitcherFan2020]

Regarding OT as a deck officer, it is broken up into two categories; "operational OT" (i.e., mandatory), and voluntary OT. Operational OT is for UNREPS, and arrivals/departures if they fall outside of your normal working hours. If the Operational OT goes just one minute into the next hour, you get paid for the whole hour. For example, you have Flight Ops from 1700 to 1801, you'd get two full hours of OT. But if you volunteer to do some OT (catch up on office work, do inspections after hours bc you didn't have time during normal hours, special projects, etc.), you need to work the full hour you charge.

Most captains/chief mates have not limited OT for deck officers that I have seen. I had a 3rd mate that did 4 hours of OT a day M-F. I've seen some that don't like to do any voluntary OT. And that is totally okay. No one cares if you don't do voluntary OT, unlike your current situation. Most people's mentality while out here, "I'm on board anyway, I might as well get paid." I normally do between 2-3 hours of voluntary OT a day. Weekends also count as OT. So you automatically have 32 hours of OT a pay period.