Submariner time at sea

[PCT91]

Hi guys, Im going through the recruitmemt process for a Marine Engineering Officer Submariner. Ive spoken with my local careers officer who advised me that typically you will do one sea trip per year, for V boats it would be a 3 month trip once a year, and for A boats 6-9 month trips once every 12-18 months.

Ive spoken to a few people who are currently serving on subs, retired from subs, or know someone on subs, and I have had alot of mixed information, some people are agreeing with this, and others are saying its alot more time away than this.

Just want to see what you guys experience is on this?

 

[Sumo]

@WreckerL you are closer to the coal face than I, but doesn't look to unrealistic for a running boat, but how many sea drafts does a MEO get?
I know WEO's did get that many.

 

[Polto]

The time at sea is indeed varied as would seem to be indicated by the answers that you have received. Whilst there might be an 'ideal' regular system of rotation, particularly for V boats, you will find that for A and T in particular there is a lot more irregularity as these submarines tend to be more susceptible to changes in their program as well as having a more varied calendar of events.

 

[Sumo]

@Polto you mean go to work as a normal day, and the wife gets a phone call later to say we have sailed and cannot be told of a return date?

 

[WreckerL]

A Marine Engineer Officer will typically get 3 sea drafts as AMEO, DMEO then MEO. As @Polto says, V boats (if your on the patrol cycle ones) are pretty much regular, SSN are varied, could be 2 weeks, could be 3 months, could be up to 9 months.

While the boat never sailed (the ones I was on, all SSN's) without warning, wifey got many phone calls saying we wouldn't be coming back until much later. A shutdown reactor takes at least 48 hours to flash up and get steam down the range so you have some warning, albeit not much, especially in the ME branch as a flash up requires most of the ME branch onboard.

 

[Sumo]

A Marine Engineer Officer will typically get 3 sea drafts as AMEO, DMEO then MEO. As @Polto says, V boats (if your on the patrol cycle ones) are pretty much regular, SSN are varied, could be 2 weeks, could be 3 months, could be up to 9 months.

While the boat never sailed (the ones I was on, all SSN's) without warning, wifey got many phone calls saying we wouldn't be coming back until much later. A shutdown reactor takes at least 48 hours to flash up and get steam down the range so you have some warning, albeit not much, especially in the ME branch as a flash up requires most of the ME branch onboard.

not much changed in 20 years then?
So ME & WE Officers about same amount of sea drafts, out of a 20 - 30 year career they may get less than 1/3 sea time, when ME/WE ratings get 75%+

 

[RabC]

not much changed in 20 years then?
So ME & WE Officers about same amount of sea drafts, out of a 20 - 30 year career they may get less than 1/3 sea time, when ME/WE ratings get 75%+

Come, come they have papers to shuffle ashore don’t you know?

 

[Sumo]

Come, come they have papers to shuffle ashore don’t you know?

commonly known as shinny arse draft dodging

 

[MCC is the place for me]

commonly known as shinny arse draft dodging

Don't forget using that massive 5-8 years sea experience to educate the sea goers how to do their job better!