Graduating! Need Present & Career Advice

**weski** · February 17th, 2009, 04:22 PM

Dear son is graduating from SUNY Maritime in Marine Engineering and loves the grease in the engine room. Looking for advice for graduation present (watch?) as well as career tips as he wants to "go to sea" and get around the world for a while. He's worked on a containership & MSC, plus training ship and will presumably have his license this summer. He absolutely wants out of NY!

**Sandra** · May 20th, 2009, 02:57 AM

I was looking as well online for some graduation presents, but i didn't find something suitable. But then I ask my parents and they told me that the best would be like jewelry for girls and a car or something like that for a guy - pretty expensive no?

**c.captain** · May 20th, 2009, 10:00 AM

a damn fine set of SnapOn tools if he doesn't have em yet.

**mtskier** · May 20th, 2009, 10:34 AM

Hi,
I received a very nice Weems & Plath watch upon graduation:
http://www.weems-plath.com/cgi-bin/s...8&itemNumber=0

As a life long wrench turner I am always looking for good tools. Since it sounds like your son is an engineer he might still be eligible for the Snap-On student program - check out:
https://buy1.snapon.com/sep/about.aspx
Though probably not something that will go to sea with him it could be a start to a great set of tools at home.

All the best,
MTSKIER

**Kingfysh** · May 20th, 2009, 07:33 PM

Engineer? Gojo hand cleaner, Lava soap, Dove soap, and some deodorant, engineers always needed all of the above...... If he was Deck, I would say a good pair of sunglasses and some sandals for the bridge. Looking good, looking out, staying comfortable.

Seriously, a Pelican light that would fit in his back pocket, channel locks, and a good knife. A sailor without a knife is like a whore in church.

**weski** · May 20th, 2009, 08:57 PM

He's getting a nice watch and electronic goodies. Got his knife (ves) a couple years ago. Not sure if he used it in the Guam bar scene

but saw the bill... we parents really don't want to know.

Meanwhile, approx. 600 are graduating(ed) this month or so from the various academies. Assuming that 100 are going active duty, that means another 500 newly minted 3rds are hitting the employement boards (glad gCapt is functional). Any advice or thoughts for the new grads? It's a tough market out there after hearing how they will all get jobs instantly. Ain't happening...

**c.captain** · May 21st, 2009, 06:07 AM

I'd say your son's best bet to find an asst. engineer's position is not on a merchant ship but rather on a DP drillship or semi submersible rig. Board owner John Konrad just put up here the otherday a post that Pride International was hiring for all positions on their new drillships being built in Korea. No, it isn't sailing the world, but the pay is excellent so much so that a person can travel during his time off which in the end is better since you don't spend a month getting there and generally can only experience the port you're in. Plus in many cases you have such little time nowdays in port that it is only a tease.

**weski** · May 21st, 2009, 10:05 AM

As a life long wrench turner I am always looking for good tools. Since it sounds like your son is an engineer he might still be eligible for the Snap-On student program - check out:
https://buy1.snapon.com/sep/about.aspx
Though probably not something that will go to sea with him it could be a start to a great set of tools at home.

All the best,
MTSKIER[/quote]

Snapon's program is interesting - as we are at the tail end of eligibility, what variety of tools do you find you need to actually own - or want to own? Wish we had know about this earlier.

**c.captain** · May 21st, 2009, 11:07 AM

Snap-On is just one of the US brands. There is also Proto and Challenger but like Snap-On, you will pay more but get more in the exchange. If money is tight, then Craftsman has generally been quite acceptable over the years and is in fact a very good value but I believe all their mechanic's tools might come from China now which I am opposed to. I have an older Craftsman set which was US made and it is very good quality.

Regarding what a set should contain, I would have to say it all depends on the machinery your son will work on and where. I have served on vessels with such a limited tool chest that the engineers all brought their own tools to have what they needed. That was an exceptionally cheap company however and I hope your son never has to sail on a ship so poorly supplied. If he is going to do simply work such as his car or truck then a huge set is not needed. If he is going to work on medium speed marine diesels then he will need a 3/4" socket set, combination wrenches up to 2", good quality impact wrench and sockets, torque wrench and of course all manner of hammers, files, pliers, vice grips, screwdrivers, and on and on and on forever. You'ld only be able to give him a start with his graduation set which he would build on for the rest of his days.

Tell him that we all here wish him luck and prosperity in his new career.

**richard8000milesaway** · November 12th, 2009, 07:30 AM

best of luck to the new engineer. I may sound like a complete deckie here (which I am) but a nice looking lockable briefcase to hold his important documents while on the road is a great thing to have. so much better then walking into a job interview with a knapsack like most of us do!

**NAUTICART** · November 12th, 2009, 03:43 PM

Maybe a quality back-pack style bag ( harder to drop or get you off balance going up gangways or docks etc. , you don't know how much you appreciate "hands free" till it's not. )
Maybe put a few Professional books/magazines in it ?
Goll, makes me wan't to go shopping.