Think twice before sailing on a foreign-flagged ship

Think twice before sailing on a foreign-flagged ship

I had been mentoring Shaun, a student from the California Maritime Academy, who was now set to graduate. Excited and ready to go, he was looking forward to entering the industry, making money and paying off his student loan. A few days after graduation, his third mate license in hand, he texted me with news of his first job. He…
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Maritime high schools can prepare the next generation of mariners

Maritime high schools can prepare the next generation of mariners

Back when I was a kid, my dad would tell me what it was like working in the merchant marine. He sailed as an able seaman and boatswain, and I loved hearing his tales of working on a tanker off Venezuela, a stick ship in Africa and a freighter in Alaska.  After dad retired, one of his friends who’d heard…
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Catching Covid-19 on a commercial ship

For mariners working on commercial vessels, the process of obtaining official documents is not the only change Covid-19 has brought. In October, President Biden mandated masks be worn on board all U.S.-flagged commercial vessels. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) backed the mandate and added some recommendations of its own.  Along with wearing masks, the CDC advises crews on…
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