An American sailor revealed the surprising amount of money he had been able to accumulate in just five months of working for the Merchant Navy.
In a video uploaded to his YouTube channel, Joe Franta surprised his fans when he told them that in five months of sailing he had saved $41,000 before taxes.
Franta, whose boating YouTube channel has 121,000 subscribers, told viewers that one of the perks of his career is that he doesn’t have to spend money on groceries or other bills while aboard a boat.
But he cautioned that the lifestyle has its downsides, including the fact that salaries are rarely consistent.
“It’s all relative to how it happens at that moment,” he explained. ‘One month, a boat could be fantastic. The next month could be shit.
Sailor Joe Franta revealed that in just five months of working with the merchant navy he earned $41,000 before taxes
The YouTube personality makes a living sailing boats in US and international waters. Along with a large crew, Franta helps oversee the maritime trade industry from a private ship.
Merchant marine vessels may include tugs, ferries, dredgers, and deep-sea vessels.
Franta works on huge ships that carry cargo and occasionally passengers. In the video, she clarifies the “pay scale” for sailors and explains that there is a high degree of fluctuation in salaries.
“I normally work on a unionized offshore vessel, so those who work on inland tugs or those who work on MSC or non-union ships… that will be a completely different pay scale,” the sailor explained.
Franta, who considers being a sailor “the best job in the world,” pulled out of a filing cabinet “pay stubs” and “files for every ship” he has worked on to examine his payment history.
He then described three critical factors that determine the salary to which a sailor is entitled, the first being the job position.
“Obviously, the busboy who washes the dishes is not going to make the same as the captain,” Franta said.
The next factor is the type of contract they have signed. The type of contract available to a sailor depends on that person’s skills and the type of role they have been delegated to on the ship.
The third factor, potentially the most lucrative, concerns the operations the ship will perform.
Depending on the danger level of the operation, the sailor could earn more money. The more dangerous the operation, the more they are paid.
Franta said being a sailor was “the best job in the world,” but warned his fans not to enlist just to earn a paycheck.
If an operation is dangerous, sailors are entitled to a “penalty rate,” a form of financial compensation that supplements their salary.
Hazardous operations could involve anything from “working with certain chemicals” to “entering certain spaces.”
For dangerous missions, which can involve anything from “working with certain chemicals” to entering “certain spaces,” sailors receive a “penalty rate.”
A penalty fee is a payment intended to compensate seafarers for working in dangerous conditions. Franta explained that sailors work by the day instead of the hour, and can earn overtime during their voyage.
Looking at some of his documents, Franta said his daily rate for a ship he had recently worked on was just “okay.”
But the sailor was able to supplement his meager daily salary with overtime pay, as well as a fine.
“For the 250 hours I worked, I earned $5,600 in overtime,” Franta said.
He looked at another pay stub from his time working on a grain ship.
“On that boat, I made $18,000 before taxes, so I still have taxes to pay and that’s not including vacation pay.”
He added a caveat: “But that $18,000 I made…someone can jump on that boat a month later than me and make a completely different amount of money.”
To succeed as a sailor, Franta said a love for the lifestyle is essential. Franta’s YouTube channel, which has 121,000 subscribers, gives his fans a glimpse into the lives of sailors.
Later in the video, Franta said that the 130-day voyage he had just taken “was actually the most money” he had made “in a long time working on a ship.”
“Before taxes, I made $41,000 and that doesn’t include vacation pay too.”
Towards the end of the video, Franta warned viewers not to become sailors simply to earn a paycheck.
Franta said a love of the sailor lifestyle is essential for anyone who wants to succeed in the business. Without that love, sailors are likely to feel “upset and salty” during their voyage, hundreds of miles from shore.
‘Come here because you want to come here. Because you want to navigate. Not for the money.