Profession ship captain

Ship captains are in charge of a vessel for the transportation of goods and passengers, operating in offshore and coastal waters. The size of the vessel can range from a small vessel to a cruise liner depending on the tonnage that they are certified to sail. Ship captains have vast experience with ships and their operation, and are likely to have worked their way through the ranks of other ship-related positions.

Personality Type

• Enterprising / Realistic

Knowledge

• Vessel safety equipment

  Gain theoretical and practical knowledge of safety equipment used in vessels, including devices such as lifeboats, life rings, splash doors and fire doors, sprinkler systems, etc. Operate equipment during emergency situations.

• Global Maritime Distress and Safety System

  The internationally agreed-upon set of safety procedures, types of equipment and communication protocols used to increase safety and make it easier to rescue distressed ships, boats and aircraft.

• Geographic areas

  Know the geographic area in detail; know where different organisations carry out operations.

• Maritime transportation technology

  Understand maritime transportation technology and stay up-to-date with the latest findings in the field. Apply this knowledge in operations and decision-making while on-board.

• International regulations for preventing collisions at sea

  Fundamental aspects of the international regulations to prevent collisions at sea, such as the conduct of vessels in sight of one another, navigation lights and markers, major light and accoustic signals, maritime signalling and buoys.

• International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships

  The fundamental principals and requirements laid in the International Regulation for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL): Regulations for the Prevention of Pollution by Oil, Regulations for the Control of Pollution by Noxious Liquid Substances in Bulk, prevention of Pollution by Harmful Substances Carried by Sea in Packaged Form, Prevention of Pollution by Sewage from Ships, Prevention of Pollution by Garbage from Ships, Prevention of Air Pollution from Ships.

• Principles of mechanical engineering

  Understand principles of mechanical engineering, physics, and materials science.

• Freight transport methods

  Understand different modalities of transport such as air, sea, or intermodal freight transport. Specialise in one of the modalities and possess a deeper knowledge of the details and procedures of that modality.

• Types of maritime vessels

  Know a large variety of maritime vessels and their characteristics and specifications. Use that knowledge to ensure that all security, technical, and maintenance measures are taken into account in their supply.

Skills

• Use maritime English

  Communicate in English employing language used in actual situations on board ships, in ports and elsewhere in the shipping chain.

• Supervise movement of crew

  Oversee embarkation and disembarkation of crew members; ensure that safety regulations are followed according to specifications.

• Analyse work-related written reports

  Read and comprehend job-related reports, analyse the content of reports and apply findings to daily work operations.

• Conduct water navigation

  Ensure that a vessel carries up to date and adequate charts and appropriate nautical documents. Lead the process of preparing the voyage report, the vessel passage plan, daily position reports, and the pilot's information sheet.

• Supervise crew

  Supervise and observe the behaviour of employees.

• Supervise movement of passengers

  Oversee embarking and disembarking of travellers; ensure that safety regulations are followed according to specifications.

• Communicate mooring plans

  Prepare crew briefings on mooring plans and division of labour. Provide the crew with information on protective gear such as helmets and safety goggles.

• Steer vessels

  Operate and steer vessels such as cruise ships, ferries, tankers, and container ships.

• Plot shipping navigation routes

  Plot the navigation route of a vessel under the review of a superior deck officer. Operate a ship radar or electronic charts and automatic identification system.

• Manage staff

  Manage employees and subordinates, working in a team or individually, to maximise their performance and contribution. Schedule their work and activities, give instructions, motivate and direct the workers to meet the company objectives. Monitor and measure how an employee undertakes their responsibilities and how well these activities are executed. Identify areas for improvement and make suggestions to achieve this. Lead a group of people to help them achieve goals and maintain an effective working relationship among staff.

• Ensure ongoing compliance with regulations

  Conduct tasks and procedures to ensure that aviation certificates maintain their validity; undertake safeguarding measures as appropriate.

• Operate marine communication systems

  Operate on board marine communication systems; communicate with other ships or with on-shore control centre e.g. to send urgent messages concerning safety; transmit or receive alerts, etc.

• Carry out navigational calculations

  Solve mathematical problems to achieve safe navigation.

• Ensure public safety and security

  Implement the relevant procedures, strategies and use the proper equipment to promote local or national security activities for the protection of data, people, institutions, and property.

• Prepare transportation routes

  Prepare routes by chosing the best possible way and foresee adjustments in case of need, by providing additional running time or adapting capacity and timing in response to changes in circumstances, thereby ensuring an efficient use of resources and achievement of customer relations goals.

• Ensure vessel security

  Ensure that security requirements for vessels are met according to legal norms. Check if the security equipment is in place and operational. Communicate with marine engineers to ensure that the technical parts of the vessel functioning effectively and can perform as necessary for the upcoming journey.

• Supervise unloading of cargo

  Supervise unloading processes for equipment, cargo, goods and other items. Ensure that everything is handled and stored correctly in accordance with regulations and standards.

• Use water navigation devices

  Utilise water navigation devices, e.g. compass or sextant, or navigational aids such as lighthouses or buoys, radar, satellite, and computer systems, in order to navigate vessels on waterways. Work with recent charts/maps, notices, and publications in order to determine the precise position of a vessel.

• Operate mechanical equipment of ships

  Operate mechanical equipment on vessels; communicate with engineers if failures occur or should repairs be required during a voyage.

• Assess vessel status

  Assess the status of the operating radar, satellite, and computer systems of a vessel. Monitor speed, current position, direction, and weather conditions while carrying out watch duties.

• Maintain voyage logs

  Maintain written records of events during a ship or aeroplane voyage.

• Follow verbal instructions

  Have the ability to follow spoken instructions received from colleagues. Strive to understand and clarify what is being requested.

• Supervise loading of cargo

  Supervise the process of loading equipment, cargo, goods and other items. Ensure that all cargo is handled and stored properly in accordance with regulations and standards.

Optional knowledge and skills

Source: Sisyphus ODB