Offshore Fleet (Offshore): Space-Age Technology, Short Contracts — But How Do You Break In?

Hey everyone! A topic that gets a lot of merchant fleet sailors excited — Offshore (AHTS, PSV, Supply, drilling platforms, pipe-laying vessels). It's attractive for the conditions: short contracts (6 weeks on, 6 weeks off or 2 on, 2 off), travel paid, excellent food, and ships that represent the pinnacle of engineering with dynamic positioning (DP).

But the main problem is it's almost impossible to get in without experience in this segment. A merchant fleet background (from bulk carriers or tankers) is often not considered by recruitment companies. A deck officer needs at least a DP Basic/Advanced certificate and accumulated DP experience. It's easier for engineers, but you need to understand hydraulics, powerful thrusters, and high-voltage equipment. The work demands jeweler's precision: keeping a vessel a few meters from a platform during heavy seas while pipes are being unloaded.

Has anyone managed to jump from the merchant fleet to offshore? What loophole or recruitment company did you use, and was it worth it?