Transatlantic Lines

[jook]

A few posters have expressed their discontent with Transatlantic Lines, however I've seen few detailed responses. When someone calls its owner a scum bag, one would assume some specific underlying factors. I wondered if anyone would like to take on this subject and elaborate. A rusty boat doesn't cut it for me, crappy maintenance either (have seen both with supposedly much higher ranking outfits), but if someone says that crew had issues getting paid (as in delayed bank transfers or not get paid at all), then I would sympathize. Some also mentioned "their health insurance is way too expansive", what does that mean? It's easy to rant without specifics.

[seadog6608]

I did two hitches with them. Crappy boats that need a lot of inport maintenance.. Pay was regular and ontime. Not the best pay rate at all, but I didn't starve and the checks didn't bounce. Insurance (I didn't buy it) was expensive. The employee deduction for family coverage was about $360 in 2009.

[Jeffrox]

Now I'd go for some "expansive" health care!! The condition of the Baffin Strait was in EVERY aspect DANGEROUS. I wont elaborate, I'm getting old and don't have enough time for that as the list of discrepancies would be too "expansive." I've posted on this topic before, do a search. (FYI, their checks didn't bounce, but the pay was so low there was little danger of that happening!)

[tengineer]

Ask ABS or USCG before you sail with them.

[jook]

Thanks seadog 6608 for your reply,

tengineer, get your facts straight, they're DetNorske not ABS

jeffrox, the post you're referring to I HAVE seen, but I was hoping for more people to come forward, although I have no doubts this is not a company considered as an alternative to employment, the main reason I started this thread was to get some detail exposed, if you will, as I don't like reading "scum bag" references with nothing to prove it with, condition of ships and employment is quite separate (unless, as I stated, crew gets screwed on pay or travel etc.), what I have seen described on here about TAL is not a far departure from conditions on MANY US flag vessels, one needs to see foreign flag ships to know the difference though, there is always going to be a rusty tub still making profit for its owner, but things regarding TAL have been generalized like we've got it really good on the rest of US flag, which we do NOT

[kfj]

I'm 99% Spence has an ABS load line

[jook]

Spence perhaps, the rest is Det Norske, see Det Norske exchange for factual certification data

[tengineer]

[QUOTE=jook;50218]Thanks seadog 6608 for your reply,

tengineer, get your facts straight, they're DetNorske not ABS

Uh, OK. So check with DNV.

[jook]

tengineer, things are not what some people make it out to be in this case (class issues), however, when some actual witness comes forward with factual details regarding the deficiencies one of their vessels was faced with, then I would revise my own opinion accordingly, I have witnessed a number of USCG inspections where a vessel should not have passed, yet it did, and I can assure you there was nobody who knew anybody to make things happen that way, nothing is perfect and US flag vessels have a "crap boat" designation in general, again belonging to mainstream owners thought of to be good, this would certainly apply to the defunct ARCO, Exxon, and several others, some got better at putting out a smoke screen, others did not, here I'm just fishing for dead on facts, as you can see not too many have done so thus far

[c.captain]

Hey Captain Jook...why are you being such an apologist for TAL anyway? I know their vessel GEYSIR from first hand experience and that it is simply a floating shit stain...PERIOD! Don't try to make them seem so much better because other US flagged vessels are also tired and old. The ships TAL operates are lucky if they qualify as being only third rate. As a company they are little more than the loaded Pampers in the bottom of the can!

Now good day to you sir!

[shipmate 1]

Hey Captain Joke,

If TAL was such a great ship manager, why do they go through Mates and Captains like I go through Molsons??
Nix nay on the nasty comments. Obviously, we know where your pay check comes from. Hows that USCG investigation
working out for your company?? Shipmate 1

[c.captain]

Why does jook want to know the "specifics" on what makes TAL stink? You think he's a manager in the company and wants to know why it is so hard to recruit unsuspecting victims? To know those would make it easier to blow more smoke to screen their many hideous facial deformations.

Hey JOOK'er...your company is run by a smug young punk on the backs of the men who are either tricked into taking the jobs on his ships or are sadly unable to find better. I pity all of those poor souls...they do not deserve their very sorry fate.

[shipmate 1]

Just hope to God that one of their rust buckets doesn't go down with loss of life. That would truly be tragic.

[tengineer]

Could be Jooker is a bottom feeding attorney trying to come up with some kind of defense for this cesspool outfit in a lawsuit or the Jooker is just a bottom dwelling troll.
Either way not worth our time.

[Jeffrox]

I actually kept notes for the 3 months I was on the Baffin Strait. I wont waste my time transcribing it all here but I will report that the ship's Not-Under-Command Lights were illuminated 6 different times during 8 weeks underway. These were the 1st occasions I had used NUC Lights and those were the Last times as well.
Here's a couple of tid-bits in my notes about the lifeboat:
21 May 2006 Lifeboat wouldn't start, dead batt. I determined that the battery charging system was never hooked-up the the ships electrical system!
23 May 2006 while cleaning the lifeboat, found cracks in the hull, several inches long each, light and air pasing thru. (never fixed before I left).
BTW, NO component of the Rescueboat nor is davit worked while I was onboard.

[rshrew]

I actually kept notes for the 3 months I was on the Baffin Strait. I wont waste my time transcribing it all here but I will report that the ship's Not-Under-Command Lights were illuminated 6 different times during 8 weeks underway. These were the 1st occasions I had used NUC Lights and those were the Last times as well.
Here's a couple of tid-bits in my notes about the lifeboat:
21 May 2006 Lifeboat wouldn't start, dead batt. I determined that the battery charging system was never hooked-up the the ships electrical system!
23 May 2006 while cleaning the lifeboat, found cracks in the hull, several inches long each, light and air pasing thru. (never fixed before I left).
BTW, NO component of the Rescueboat nor is davit worked while I was onboard.

That's pretty bad eek!

[injunear]

Im just fishing for dead on facts, as you can see not too many have done so thus far

I think this hurdle has been cleared.LOL!

[c.captain]

how much you wanna bet we never hear from the Jookster again now that he has been called out?

What a maroon!

[anchorman]

how much you wanna bet we never hear from the Jookster again now that he has been called out?

What a maroon!

It sounds like it. I have no idea about that company or the condition of their vessels, but the first reply was enough for me to look elsewhere (if I were looking). Jook was obviously on a fishing expedition.

[MMAengineer]

i worked for transatlantic lines llc onboard the geysir as a cadet a few years ago. the people i worked with were all good people and some were a little rough around the edges but all were friendly enough to help me out when i needed it. the ship on the other hand was junk at best. i had to clean the LO purifier everyday by hand. the ME went throu LO so fast that we had to bring a 22' container with barrels of LO. i had to transfer LO with a wizbang pump by connecting a bunch of hoses together and running them back to the tank. the nirex never worked while i was there and we had to preserve water every trip. there was a whole in one of the ballast tanks. when i was there they said the ship was done in a year and that was 3 years agon.