Quote:
Originally Posted by Seahawk
I am sure merchant ships do not, but during sea and anchor events like leaving port, the "after steering: compartment is manned.
The space is at the bottom rear of the ship next to the rudder steering gear (at least on the ship I was on) and the rudder could be manually manipulated from there.
Creepy space I only had to go to once during my qual period.
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Back in the 1980s oil boom one of my buddies was broke, and all his credit cards were maxed out. He joined an Gulf of Mexico off shore rig crew. On the first trip out on an old ship full of equipment, they told him to get some sleep in a room right at the front of the ship. He had been up for 20 hours and fell asleep right away. He said he was awakened by the loudest noise he ever heard, the anchor chain rushing down as they dropped the anchor. He said all the rest of the crew was he hawing and laughing and it was pretty much an initiation to be on the crew as the FNG. He said he was suspicious as there was just two bunks, and he was the only person sleeping in there.
After just a year of working the rig, he had paid off his house, and every debt, and he bought a new car for his wife, and a new pickup for himself and started a business. He said that little cabin is what sticks out in his mind when he thinks back on the job.