Tuna Spotting, tuna boat ops (incl Guam)
Join Date: Jun 2002
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Korean boats, are tough. Proably one other person who speaks englinsh, lots of fish head soup. You will lose some serious weight. Make the componay you are working for give you a couple hundred to buy some food and get a rubbermaid bin with a lock (rough tote) to put in the freeze (steaks chicken, peanut butter)
A search will do you some good here, myself and several others have answered these questions multiple times.
Curious which company. One out of Guam is way better than the other . You may live through it if you choose wisely!
post specific questions and I will be happy to answer them if I can. It has been awhile since I was on the floating jail
RB
A search will do you some good here, myself and several others have answered these questions multiple times.
Curious which company. One out of Guam is way better than the other . You may live through it if you choose wisely!
post specific questions and I will be happy to answer them if I can. It has been awhile since I was on the floating jail
RB
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Australia
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It doesn't sound easy. A few specific questions I have -
1. Do you stay on the ship for the entire season or get a break onshore occasionally?
2. Do you get a dogbox to yourself or do you have to share?
3. Which month does the season start?
4. How many hours would a pilot get in a season?
5. What do you do when your not flying?
Obviously these questions could be answered by the company if it ever got to job offer time but I'd like to get some feedback from the pointy end before I pursue it any further. I realise that without company names etc these questions may be impossible to answer so I'll do a bit more research. Thanks for the info & advice.
1. Do you stay on the ship for the entire season or get a break onshore occasionally?
2. Do you get a dogbox to yourself or do you have to share?
3. Which month does the season start?
4. How many hours would a pilot get in a season?
5. What do you do when your not flying?
Obviously these questions could be answered by the company if it ever got to job offer time but I'd like to get some feedback from the pointy end before I pursue it any further. I realise that without company names etc these questions may be impossible to answer so I'll do a bit more research. Thanks for the info & advice.
Join Date: Sep 2004
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couple of guys i know worked out of Guam, one kiwi one scot,
for both of them it was their first full time flying job.so both were
very thankful to get the break.when not flying, they checked &
double checked the machine. only the captain could spk a little
English, lot of the crews were from Phillipines.
once the ship had a decent catch they would head in to port,couple of days R&R and back out again. Both were happy
with amount of flying they got,hughes 500, both have now moved onto other jobs. N.B scots guy ditched twice, electrical fire first time(all that salt spray) TR failure the 2nd.
MK10
for both of them it was their first full time flying job.so both were
very thankful to get the break.when not flying, they checked &
double checked the machine. only the captain could spk a little
English, lot of the crews were from Phillipines.
once the ship had a decent catch they would head in to port,couple of days R&R and back out again. Both were happy
with amount of flying they got,hughes 500, both have now moved onto other jobs. N.B scots guy ditched twice, electrical fire first time(all that salt spray) TR failure the 2nd.
MK10
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Keep the info coming as I really appreciate the input. I'm not after a "first job" as I have approx. 2500 hrs piston time doing mustering, charter, firelighting, shooting etc. I'm currently doing the FW instrument rating so I can break into the offshore turbine work, & the more info I have re the tuna boat option the more I think it might be a good move. I'm currently working in Indonesia in the mines to pay for the IR so living with an asian culture is not a problem. I'm on a good deal now but nothing can pay enough to keep me away from flying. Look forward to more comments. Thanks.
Join Date: Feb 2004
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From what I believe as I've tried to get on the boats for some time is 1000hrs pic and 100hrs on type (H369) that part wasnt the problem for me but was that they are now tending to look for more pilot/engineers as opposed to just a pilot.
Join Date: Jun 1999
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You stay on the boat till they fill it, then you come in. These days you could be out 6 months. They will tell you that you should have at least 8 months on a medical left alonq with a BFR or currency check before you set sail. You will share a cabin with the Mechanic, unless you are also the Mechanic, lot of boats like the Pilot to be an A+P as well. There is no season, as far as I know, keep calling and bugging them. As for flight time, could be a lot or very little, depends on how good or bad the fishing is and if the Capt of the Boat likes to fly or not. 300 hours on a 6 month cruise is about right. May be a little more than that. Well you get to watch a lot of Korean Game shows on Video Tap. It get old after awhile, take plenty of books you read a lot. I was given 500 bucks to stock up on the things I wanted, so me and the Mech, made sure we had plenty of beer and Milk and stuff like that. The one thing that you should do, before going out, is take care of any dental problems before hand, go to a doctor for a compleat physical, not the can you hear thunder and see lighting kind for a flight physical. You will loose weight. I lost 37 lbs in the first three weeks! Korean food is well different, after a while it will grow on you. Take a good Multiple Vitamin with you.When I was out, I flew Bell 47's and well there was some questionable maintance issues with that one. There use to be several companies out of Guam that put helicopters on Tuna Boats, I think there is only one or two left. You will be out of contact, so have every thing in order before hand, also take enough money with you, not that you will spend any on the boat, working for the Koreans is well a one way deal, you want to have enough on you to buy a ticket home if the Capt. decides to dump you on Truck Atoll or New Britian Island. One more thing, don't take anything they say for the truth. And if they offer you tonnage or flat monthy, take the monthly. You could get stiffed big time on tonnage, since the fishing has been in real decline since 1980. The days of going out and filling the boat in 14 or so days and making a bunch of cash on tonnage is long gone. Be careful its not an easy job.
Join Date: Jun 2002
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1. Do you stay on the ship for the entire season or get a break onshore occasionally?
There really is not season. they fish year round. You will get off the boat while they unload, if they unload at a port. Unloading can take from a week to a month depending on how many boats are in line, what needs to be fixed on the boat and how much stuff they need to tak onboard ( fuel, food). Many of the Korean and Taiwanese boats trans-shipp, which means they unload on another boat at sea on ina harbor so you may not get off the boat.
Fishing is lsow these days from what I hear so expect 3+month trips
As George said monthly only, tonnage would be bad these days. I hear the monlty is 4500 or so these days with a month's bonus if you complete your 6 or 12 month contract and dont bend anything.
Again, negoiate for some food money for yourself if you are on an Asian boat.
2. Do you get a dogbox to yourself or do you have to share?
Yourself or sharing with a mechanic. way better than the 6-man room
3. Which month does the season start?
Which ever month they lose the current pilot and need a new one
4. How many hours would a pilot get in a season?
these days figure 400-600 hours year
5. What do you do when your not flying?
sleep, read, play x-box, watch korean porno, run laps around the pilot house for hours, teach your self how to navigate, find new ways to occupy your mind. Help your mechanic get your a/p.
Boats do perfer pilot/mech, but desperation is usualy how it is and they will take whoever they need when the time comes.
Some guys like it , some dont, you will get to go into and see places mosdt of you friends have never heard of. For me it was a way to get 500 time and has made my careerr in many ways. It got me my next job beaqcuse of the 500 time. I dont regret it at all, but was ready to leave the boat when I did. Everyonce and a while I think about doing a trip (usually I am drunk or the missus has just kicked me to the curb).
If you have the oppertunity go for it. you can alwys walk off the boat when it gets into port!
RB
There really is not season. they fish year round. You will get off the boat while they unload, if they unload at a port. Unloading can take from a week to a month depending on how many boats are in line, what needs to be fixed on the boat and how much stuff they need to tak onboard ( fuel, food). Many of the Korean and Taiwanese boats trans-shipp, which means they unload on another boat at sea on ina harbor so you may not get off the boat.
Fishing is lsow these days from what I hear so expect 3+month trips
As George said monthly only, tonnage would be bad these days. I hear the monlty is 4500 or so these days with a month's bonus if you complete your 6 or 12 month contract and dont bend anything.
Again, negoiate for some food money for yourself if you are on an Asian boat.
2. Do you get a dogbox to yourself or do you have to share?
Yourself or sharing with a mechanic. way better than the 6-man room
3. Which month does the season start?
Which ever month they lose the current pilot and need a new one
4. How many hours would a pilot get in a season?
these days figure 400-600 hours year
5. What do you do when your not flying?
sleep, read, play x-box, watch korean porno, run laps around the pilot house for hours, teach your self how to navigate, find new ways to occupy your mind. Help your mechanic get your a/p.
Boats do perfer pilot/mech, but desperation is usualy how it is and they will take whoever they need when the time comes.
Some guys like it , some dont, you will get to go into and see places mosdt of you friends have never heard of. For me it was a way to get 500 time and has made my careerr in many ways. It got me my next job beaqcuse of the 500 time. I dont regret it at all, but was ready to leave the boat when I did. Everyonce and a while I think about doing a trip (usually I am drunk or the missus has just kicked me to the curb).
If you have the oppertunity go for it. you can alwys walk off the boat when it gets into port!
RB
Join Date: Feb 2004
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Hi all,
Anyone know if any of the tuna boat ops still work out of San Diego or the west coast of California or anywhere in South America?
Thanks guys.
Anyone know if any of the tuna boat ops still work out of San Diego or the west coast of California or anywhere in South America?
Thanks guys.
Join Date: Jun 2002
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PPRUNE as a great function on the top of the page it is called SEARCH. Wonderfull tool.
Its not that I dont want to answer but to answer the same question time and time again ....
A couple of old threads will answer all your qestions, if you still have any post them and Ill bet they will get answered!
Could someone merge some of these old ones... Or should we create a Fish Boat FAQ?
rb
Its not that I dont want to answer but to answer the same question time and time again ....
A couple of old threads will answer all your qestions, if you still have any post them and Ill bet they will get answered!
Could someone merge some of these old ones... Or should we create a Fish Boat FAQ?
rb
Join Date: Jan 2006
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Tuna spotting in Guam
Hello all
First post here, watching for a while and think it's a great resource.
Anyway, anyone flown the tuna spotting helos in Guam? It would be good to know the pitfalls, what to watch out for etc.
I've heard they pay very good money, and was wondering the reason.
First post here, watching for a while and think it's a great resource.
Anyway, anyone flown the tuna spotting helos in Guam? It would be good to know the pitfalls, what to watch out for etc.
I've heard they pay very good money, and was wondering the reason.
Re: Tuna spotting in Guam
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Re: Tuna spotting in Guam
Hey Flyagain, I've sent you a long letter that I wrote to all my buddies when I was on a tuna boat, out of Guam. You will here all kinds of stories form people who have done that job! I was with Hansen Heli for about 9 months. Nothing wrong with the company and the aircraft should be ok. Just make sure you have some familiarity with the aircraft type BEFORE you go. And I mean PROPER traing, not just a quick look at one at the local airfield. If you don't like being on your own, don't go, if you can't manage without all your usual amenities, don't go.... in fact if you have any worries about not being able to do it, or think, "I'll give it a go" don't go!
That said It was a great experience and I'm glad I did it. Talk to as many people as you can, there are loads of Aussies/Kiwis who've done that job.
That said It was a great experience and I'm glad I did it. Talk to as many people as you can, there are loads of Aussies/Kiwis who've done that job.