If you are prior Navy, then go down to the local Coast guard office and apply for your "seaman papers" and take a test for whatever endorsements you can qualify for. I have "ordinary seaman", Electrician, and Steward's Department (food handler) on mine. The only one I had to take an exam for was the Electrician's endorsement. After obtaining the document card (which is good for life by the way) You will have to go to a local seaman's union such as the SIU, etc and bid for a job that becomes available in your capacity. When I got mine, I was automatically considered a "group 4" member since I had not sailed at least 24 hours on a merchant ship. Once you sail for at least 24 hours, you will become a "group 2" member. When a job becomes available it is posted on the "board" and it is up for bid. Whoever has the oldest card (time since last job on a ship) gets the first choice. Group 1 members have first bid, then group 2, and then finally if none of the above want the job, then they will "consider" letting a group 4 member have the job. Hard to get that first job, but once you have 24 hours on a ship, you then become a group 2.
When I started, I was in New York and was bidding on a job on a ship that was in the ship yard in Bayone NJ that had an ammo contract going to Viet Nam. Of course no one wanted the job, so when it became 2 days before their schedule to get under way, I convinced the union rep to give me a chance for the job. He said that I could go out to the ship and see the Chief Engineer and see if I could convince him for the job as the Electrician. He did not have to hire me since I was a group 4, unless I could sell myself to him. Long story short, I convinced the Chief that I could fix or repair anything on his ship than had a wire tied to it. He was in a bind, so he said ok, but when they got to Charleston SC to load the Ammo, that he would try to get a "real Electrician" then. I didn't care, since it would make me a group 2, and therefore easier to find another job. As it turned out, I stayed on the ship for the entire trip and got off when it returned to the states four months later. He Begged me to stay for the next trip and offered me 200 hours of overtime to stay. Being young and dumb and with a pocket full of cash, I chose to get off for a while. It is hard to get that first job, but worth it if you really like to work on a ship. The life aboard a merchant ship is much different than a Navy ship. For one, the food is much better, and as an electrician then, I had my own stateroom to my self along with my own head. I was considered a "day" worker, which meant that I worked 8 to 5 mon-fri. Any thing else was overtime, so I got a lot of overtime on that old 25 year old T-2 freighter. Lots of fun and great memories.
Blessings,
Omar
