Thanks all! Heading back to sea AT LAST!

[CaptainTDK]

After 5 months ashore, I'm finally heading back to sea! Got a Mate's job I applied for months ago. I leave for Alaska on Friday.

I worked at sea for 30 years with a 1 month break between the 2 jobs I've had. Getting laid off of a job I'd had for 10 years was a real wake up call. I'll never take my work for granted again.

I want to say thank you to everyone who offered advice and support. gCaptain has been a great resource and I learned a lot here. I didn't post a lot, mostly because the questions that were on my mind, I found answers to here. I read the job board/forum/job leads every day and it was always informative, helpful and friendly. I will be back after I get off my 6 week rotation. I especially want to thank Navigator, seadawg, Capt Fran, Mike173, cajuntugster, TMac and KJ100 for great ideas and advice. (I got my AB, KJ, I may need it yet!). Also thanks to Ordinaryseaman for researching and posting jobs every day!

To those who are still looking for a job, hang in there. I'm 57 and I thought no one would hire me. Persistence seems to be the best tool. I applied for this online, then stopped in at the office when I was in Seattle a few weeks later, then called a few weeks after that. Best advice I got that I never would have thought of....From cajuntugster, who said you should fill out downloadable pdfs with typing rather than by hand. I found you can do this for free at pdfescape.com! (fill in the form, download to your comp - but keep the file on pdfescape, print the signature page. Sign it. Scan it back in as a separate file. Then you can delete the blank sig page on pdfescape and append the signed page to the file. Resave the file and email it!) Very cool. I've had several compliments from recruiters. They sound grateful! Grateful means they remember you.

Well, I'm off to work. Thanks again to everyone.
TDK

[trekleader]

Good job, sailor, congratulations...

[Jon]

Congrats!!!! And thanks for the tip on pdfescape!

[Ordinaryseaman]

Awesome!! way to go! Nothing better than seeing persistence and work pay off

Who will you be sailing for?

And- ditto for the thanks to Cajuntugster- I'd never heard of pdfescape.

Smooth sailing captain Anthony

[Capt. Fran]

Congrats TDK, and safe sailing!

[roversea]

Also a congrats from someone who is looking hard, fair winds and following seas.

[Shellback]

Way to go TDK...Be safe..

[CaptainTDK]

I'm working for Samson Tug and Barge. Getting on a boat (still don't know the name) at Kodiak Island, heading for a freight run out to Dutch and all the stops in between.

Fran, thanks for the tip on the 500 ton Master's license. I'm working on it.

OS, thanks for all the inspiration and dogged research!

Roversea, keep at it. I know you'll find something soon.

Thanks all for the nice words.

And one last thank you...to my wife. She's the technology and research half of our team here and spent countless hours searching jobs, filling out apps and encouraging me. She's the one who discovered pdfescape. She's been a rock through all of this. My hat's off to her, as it has been for 32 years.

TDK

[roversea]

Cap TDK, thanks for the info on pdfescape, created profile and hope to use the app...again, congrats and good luck.

[Navigator2]

Congrads on getting back to work TDK, Way to go! Nice to know that there are still companies out there that will still hire us Old Sea Dogs, i.e. 55+ yr old mariners!!! We still have a lot to give and a lot of years of wisdom gained from having spent 35 years or more at sea. It is the only job we know how to do!! Hire a seasoned mariner - we have lot's of great sea stories to tell 30 day TOARS! Bon Voyage Cap!