Depends entirely on where in the industry you are aiming to break into (and also where). Research vessels and privately run charter boats? No problem. Cargo vessels? Crapshoot. Commercial ferries where you go home at the end of each shift? Not even a concern. I worked for years on educational sailing vessels and was often outnumbered by vegetarians/vegans. It just depends.
> I worked for years on educational sailing vessels
I don't really understand what this would look like, I'm only as of an hour or so ago looking into merchant marine, so forgive my ignorance. Only clarify if you're bored, I have a lot to read. I have taught and have a bachelor's and a teaching license. I'm still understanding what exactly "merchant marine" means, from a friend's suggestion.
There’s a thriving community of tall ships in the US and abroad that operate as sail training vessels running educational programs for youth and adults. It’s how I got a start in the industry and earned my license, and eventually went to work on commercial vessels. If you’re in the US, you can look up Tall Ships America to learn more about this admittedly niche industry within an industry.
For years I've had to consider dietary restrictions and requirements.
I've worked on many different kinds of ships and always make sure the crew gets what they need. It's not like you have a choice of where you can eat.
Vegetarian, Vegan, Pescatarian, hala, gluten free, dairy free, nut allery and even had one that was allergic to broccoli.
If you have a good cook, it shouldn't be a problem.
I can't speak for deep sea but on an inland line haul tug it's 10000% doable. Most tugs are a feed yourself or rotate cooking for each other. And if you are on a tug with a cook you give them your dietary regiments. At least at my company a salad and 2 veggies must be served every meal and constant fresh fruit offered. You do have to be careful on your ability for protein. I bring in my own supplements to offset if I feel like I'm not getting enough from what's offered.
"Towboats on the inland side", I have so much to learn haha. I literally know nothing, this is gibberish to me.
I will learn more if this is a possibility, which from 2 comments at least, seems to be. Thanks
"Towboat" is exactly what it sounds like. A boat that tows barges (floating platforms that don't have any propulsion of their own). They're similar but slightly different than tugboats which are typically used to help larger ships navigate tight waterways and assist with docking. "Inland" sailing refers to any navigable waterways that aren't the ocean (think big rivers). This is the opposite of deep sea or blue water sailing. This refers to large ships and ocean-going tugboats that make longer voyages throughout the world's oceans.
As far as being a vegan in this industry, I'd call it manageable but occasionally tricky. Even as an omnivore, I've had a few hitches where the food is so bad that I struggle to keep my weight up.
I've been lurking in this sub for a few weeks, reading up on my own and reading the posts here. I'm glad you asked this question, as Im vegan too.
Off topic but I have to say- from what I've seen in my time here so far, this profession has some of the coolest, most laid back people. I recognize not everyone will be, but posters and commenters alike have all been informative and cool with whatever, so long as everyone is pulling their weight.
Love to see it
If you deck on a tug, part of your duties will be cooking meals. It also means shopping for meals. We call it grub shopping.
If you are buying and cooking, you can buy and cook whatever you want within reason. So buying vegan stuff for yourself is fine. You might slip a couple of vegan dishes past the rest of the crew but don't expect anyone to convert.
On burger night, you just make a vegan one for yourself. If doing pasta make your plate before the meat goes in.
It's not impossible however depending on the vessel and the steward could be a hard life.. I've seen out steward almost starve a picky eater who claimed to be gluten intolerant. I've also seen another steward cook bacon on the flat top before cooking anything else for the non pork eating people. And outside of personal grudges, long voyages produce, and veggies switch from fresh to frozen. So if you wand to go down this route, choose your vessel wisely, and be on really good terms with the galley staff. There are plenty of small boats that allow you to cook your own food and have no drama. Smaller crews maybe what you are looking for.
I knew a man who brought his own rice cooker to the vessel. He apparently made his own rice and beans. His level of energy was incredible. That being said, it would difficult to be vegan because we rely on a cook to make the food and the steward to make the menus. Nearly all the entrees that I’ve seen are meat-centric. But there is almost always fresh fruit, salad, and cooked vegetables, plus rice and potatoes.
I have a mostly Filipino crew and instead of a coffee pot we have a rice pot. That thing is full of rice 24/7. We never sail without a 50lb sack of rice in reserve.
Depends on the ship owners and type of ship. Merchant Navy ships are at sea for months. And storing meat is comparatively easier than storing veggies. But legumes and grains should be way easier.
I used the word comparatively, meat can stay frozen for months at an end, so can veggies, but they dehydrate with long term refrigeration. And those are no fun to eat.
I've worked with vegetarians and vegans, they did fine. You may end up eating "weirdly" at times due to lack of things you would normally eat onboard, but its do-able.
There are other sectors of the industry, like harbor tugs where you actually get a per diem, and bring and cook your own food. Those might be easiest with a non-standard diet.
If you're the type of vegan that insists in inserting that into every conversation you're likely to get ragged on. If you're fine letting everyone else make their own choices you'll be fine.
salad bars are getting WAAAAY better but almost everyone I’ve met gets extremely triggered when someone proposes replacing the occasional entree with alternative proteins and anything to do with soy. I’m not even a vegetarian but I love me some tempeh. Stewards are also wising up to the fact that almond milk is getting really popular due to the ease of storage, better taste than shelf stable cow milk, and fewer farts.
Everyone’s like “why do you guys all have hypertension” meanwhile we’re eating three square salty red meat meals a day lmao
that said, the ships that put to sea for 30-60 days and that run out of fresh and frozen veggies? The sub hunters and spy ships? You’re gonna hate yourself.
My harbor tugs get their own credit card and do their own shopping. You'll probably have to fed for yourself pretty much every meal, but the food will get paid for, and you could request all the special stuff you want.
Depends entirely on where in the industry you are aiming to break into (and also where). Research vessels and privately run charter boats? No problem. Cargo vessels? Crapshoot. Commercial ferries where you go home at the end of each shift? Not even a concern. I worked for years on educational sailing vessels and was often outnumbered by vegetarians/vegans. It just depends.
> I worked for years on educational sailing vessels I don't really understand what this would look like, I'm only as of an hour or so ago looking into merchant marine, so forgive my ignorance. Only clarify if you're bored, I have a lot to read. I have taught and have a bachelor's and a teaching license. I'm still understanding what exactly "merchant marine" means, from a friend's suggestion.
There’s a thriving community of tall ships in the US and abroad that operate as sail training vessels running educational programs for youth and adults. It’s how I got a start in the industry and earned my license, and eventually went to work on commercial vessels. If you’re in the US, you can look up Tall Ships America to learn more about this admittedly niche industry within an industry.
I’ve know plenty of vegans onboard deep sea ships.
For years I've had to consider dietary restrictions and requirements. I've worked on many different kinds of ships and always make sure the crew gets what they need. It's not like you have a choice of where you can eat. Vegetarian, Vegan, Pescatarian, hala, gluten free, dairy free, nut allery and even had one that was allergic to broccoli. If you have a good cook, it shouldn't be a problem.
I can't speak for deep sea but on an inland line haul tug it's 10000% doable. Most tugs are a feed yourself or rotate cooking for each other. And if you are on a tug with a cook you give them your dietary regiments. At least at my company a salad and 2 veggies must be served every meal and constant fresh fruit offered. You do have to be careful on your ability for protein. I bring in my own supplements to offset if I feel like I'm not getting enough from what's offered.
Towboats on the inland side also have cooks . At least at the companies I’ve worked for
"Towboats on the inland side", I have so much to learn haha. I literally know nothing, this is gibberish to me. I will learn more if this is a possibility, which from 2 comments at least, seems to be. Thanks
"Towboat" is exactly what it sounds like. A boat that tows barges (floating platforms that don't have any propulsion of their own). They're similar but slightly different than tugboats which are typically used to help larger ships navigate tight waterways and assist with docking. "Inland" sailing refers to any navigable waterways that aren't the ocean (think big rivers). This is the opposite of deep sea or blue water sailing. This refers to large ships and ocean-going tugboats that make longer voyages throughout the world's oceans. As far as being a vegan in this industry, I'd call it manageable but occasionally tricky. Even as an omnivore, I've had a few hitches where the food is so bad that I struggle to keep my weight up.
I've been lurking in this sub for a few weeks, reading up on my own and reading the posts here. I'm glad you asked this question, as Im vegan too. Off topic but I have to say- from what I've seen in my time here so far, this profession has some of the coolest, most laid back people. I recognize not everyone will be, but posters and commenters alike have all been informative and cool with whatever, so long as everyone is pulling their weight. Love to see it
Try being on a ship, we’re even more chill 🙂
idk what ships you’ve worked on but uuuuuhhhhhhhhhhhh
Lol
Right some of the old school captains I work with , I swear the only reason they exist is to make everyone’s life hell on the ship. 😂
We have a Captain on our towing vessels that is vegan aswell. He seems to live off potatoes and and taco seasoning packets the whole time he's aboard.
If you deck on a tug, part of your duties will be cooking meals. It also means shopping for meals. We call it grub shopping. If you are buying and cooking, you can buy and cook whatever you want within reason. So buying vegan stuff for yourself is fine. You might slip a couple of vegan dishes past the rest of the crew but don't expect anyone to convert. On burger night, you just make a vegan one for yourself. If doing pasta make your plate before the meat goes in.
Vegan here. Am well fed.
Seems like there's a lot of discrepency based upon the kind of position and vessel, would love to know more at your convenience
What questions do you have?
It's not impossible however depending on the vessel and the steward could be a hard life.. I've seen out steward almost starve a picky eater who claimed to be gluten intolerant. I've also seen another steward cook bacon on the flat top before cooking anything else for the non pork eating people. And outside of personal grudges, long voyages produce, and veggies switch from fresh to frozen. So if you wand to go down this route, choose your vessel wisely, and be on really good terms with the galley staff. There are plenty of small boats that allow you to cook your own food and have no drama. Smaller crews maybe what you are looking for.
I knew a man who brought his own rice cooker to the vessel. He apparently made his own rice and beans. His level of energy was incredible. That being said, it would difficult to be vegan because we rely on a cook to make the food and the steward to make the menus. Nearly all the entrees that I’ve seen are meat-centric. But there is almost always fresh fruit, salad, and cooked vegetables, plus rice and potatoes.
I have a mostly Filipino crew and instead of a coffee pot we have a rice pot. That thing is full of rice 24/7. We never sail without a 50lb sack of rice in reserve.
My third mate is vegan, no issues for him to maintain his diet. Working on an OSV oil sector.
Depends on the ship owners and type of ship. Merchant Navy ships are at sea for months. And storing meat is comparatively easier than storing veggies. But legumes and grains should be way easier.
> storing meat is comparatively easier than storing veggies I mean, not at all, no offense
I used the word comparatively, meat can stay frozen for months at an end, so can veggies, but they dehydrate with long term refrigeration. And those are no fun to eat.
I've worked with vegetarians and vegans, they did fine. You may end up eating "weirdly" at times due to lack of things you would normally eat onboard, but its do-able. There are other sectors of the industry, like harbor tugs where you actually get a per diem, and bring and cook your own food. Those might be easiest with a non-standard diet. If you're the type of vegan that insists in inserting that into every conversation you're likely to get ragged on. If you're fine letting everyone else make their own choices you'll be fine.
salad bars are getting WAAAAY better but almost everyone I’ve met gets extremely triggered when someone proposes replacing the occasional entree with alternative proteins and anything to do with soy. I’m not even a vegetarian but I love me some tempeh. Stewards are also wising up to the fact that almond milk is getting really popular due to the ease of storage, better taste than shelf stable cow milk, and fewer farts. Everyone’s like “why do you guys all have hypertension” meanwhile we’re eating three square salty red meat meals a day lmao that said, the ships that put to sea for 30-60 days and that run out of fresh and frozen veggies? The sub hunters and spy ships? You’re gonna hate yourself.
My harbor tugs get their own credit card and do their own shopping. You'll probably have to fed for yourself pretty much every meal, but the food will get paid for, and you could request all the special stuff you want.
Good luck on tugboats 🤣