Thanks for the advice guys.
I do plan on calling option 4 this thursday (a week after instead of 2) to ask the 'status'.
One of the # 1 reasons i dont want to take option 2 is because i know i am probably not going to want to hang around for more than a few months and i agree whole heartedly that i dont want to be labeled as unreliable..especially with a industry like this where everyone seemingly knows each other through a few connections.
And that is great advice regarding thinking career wise at this time.. a very good point. I have thought about this a little and talked to my friend who is working with them and he loves it. Having talked to him about it, i think its basically everything i am looking for (at this point atleast). The big things being it does not require relocation and the rotations are short enough that thinking about a family down the line is not out of the question. Other things like being near the coast all the time are a huge plus.. always have internet and phone service. Other gigs are 4+ months out at sea..and i mean deep sea, middle of nowhere.
All options (with the exception of the union work) are wanting long term commitment as they are essentially looking to get a chief engineer out of me.. i am currently a 3rd engineer and need 5 years or so on my license to get to that point. Option 2 i honestly cannot see myself doing for long. Option 1 and 4 i could easily see doing for atleast a couple of years. Who knows, i may take option 2 and end up loving it, but realistically i dont see it.
I did talk with option 2 when they said 'hired' and said i was still trying to weight the options to make the best decision. I just dont know how long i can possibly hold them off. It really comes down to a big gamble in the end.
Gaijin, correction.. 5 years in school
. I do want to sail but would much rather pick up a coastal route. I am considering just taking option 3 for the time being.. but would hate to get stuck doing this for more than a few months.