Sailor
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| Occupation | |
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Occupation type | Maritime |
A sailor, seaman, mariner, or seafarer is a person who works aboard a watercraft as part of its crew, and may work in any one of a number of different fields that are related to the operation and maintenance of a ship.
The profession of the sailor is old, and the term sailor has its etymological roots in a time when sailing ships were the main mode of transport at sea, but it now refers to the personnel of all watercraft regardless of the mode of transport, and encompasses people who operate ships professionally, be it for a military navy or civilian merchant navy, as a sport or recreationally. In a navy, there may be further distinctions: sailor may refer to any member of the navy even if they are based on land, while seaman may refer to a specific enlisted rank.
Professional mariners
Seafarers hold a variety of professions and ranks. Minimum international standards for merchant vessels are regulated by the STCW Convention.[1]
A ship's crew can generally be divided into four main categories: the deck department, the engineering department, the steward's department, and others.
As of 2021, an estimated 1.28% of workers in the maritime industry were women.[2]
Deck department
A common deck crew for a ship includes:
- (1) Captain / Master
- (1) Chief Officer/ First Mate
- (1) Second Officer/ Second Mate
- (1) Third Officer/ Third Mate
- (1) Boatswain (unlicensed Petty Officer: Qualified member Deck Dept.)
- (2) Able seamen(unlicensed qualified rating)
- (2) Ordinary seamen (entry-level rating)
- (0-1) Deck cadet / unlicensed trainee navigator / Midshipman
Engineering department
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A ship's engineering department consists of the members of a ship's crew that operates and maintains the propulsion and other systems on board the vessel. Marine engineering staff also deal with the "hotel" facilities on board, notably the sewage, lighting, air conditioning and water systems. Engineering staff manages bulk fuel transfers, from a fuel-supply barge in port. When underway at sea, the second and third engineers will often be occupied with oil transfers from storage tanks, to active working tanks. Cleaning of oil purifiers is another regular task. Engineering staff is required to have training in firefighting and first aid. Additional duties include maintaining the ship's boats and performing other nautical tasks. Engineers play a key role in cargo loading/discharging gear and safety systems, though the specific cargo discharge function remains the responsibility of deck officers and deck workers.
A common engineering crew for a ship includes:
- (1) Chief Engineer
- (1) Second Engineer/ First Assistant Engineer
- (1) Third Engineer/ Second Assistant Engineer
- (1) Fourth Engineer/ Third Assistant Engineer
- (1) Motorman (unlicensed Junior Engineer: Qualified member Engine Dept.)
- (2) Oiler (unlicensed qualified rating)
- (2) Entry-level rating Wiper
- (0–1) Engine Cadet / unlicensed Trainee engineer
American ships also carry a
Steward's department
A typical
. All three positions are typically filled by unlicensed personnel.The chief steward directs, instructs, and assigns personnel performing such functions as preparing and serving meals; cleaning and maintaining officers' quarters and steward department areas; and receiving, issuing, and inventorying stores.
The chief steward also plans menus, compiles supply, overtime, and cost control records. The steward may requisition or purchase stores and equipment. Galley's roles may include baking.
A chief steward's duties may overlap with those of the steward's assistant, the chief cook, and other Steward's department crewmembers.
A person in the United States Merchant Marine has to have a Merchant Mariner's Document issued by the United States Coast Guard in order to serve as a chief steward. All chief cooks who sail internationally are similarly documented by their respective countries because of international conventions and agreements.
The only time that steward department staff are charged with duties outside the steward department is during the execution of the fire and boat drill.
Other departments
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Various types of staff officer positions may exist on board a ship, including junior assistant purser, senior assistant purser,
Working conditions
| Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 am – 8 am | Team 1 | Team 1 | Team 1 |
| 8 am – 12 pm | Team 2 | Team 2 | Team 2 |
| 12 pm – 4 pm | Team 3 | Team 3 | Team 3 |
| 4 pm – 8 pm | Team 1 | Team 1 | Team 1 |
| 8 pm – 12 am | Team 2 | Team 2 | Team 2 |
| 12 am – 4 am | Team 3 | Team 3 | Team 3 |
Working conditions vary according to the nature of the sailor's employment. Whilst sailors may be employed to be at sea for extended periods of time, it is often not the case, according to the U.S. Navy, that sailors will spend the entirety of that period at sea. Since ships are often docked at a port for a significant period, it is more often the case that sailors spend '6 to 9 months' at sea.[5]
Mariners spend extended periods at sea. Most deep-sea mariners are hired for one or more voyages that last for several months. There is no job security after that. The length of time between voyages varies by job availability and personal preference.[6]
The rate of unionization for these workers in the United States is about 36 percent, much higher than the average for all occupations. Consequently, merchant marine officers and seamen, both veterans and beginners, are hired for voyages through union hiring halls or directly by shipping companies. Hiring halls fill jobs by the length of time the person has been registered at the hall and by their union seniority. Hiring halls typically are found in major seaports.[citation needed]
At sea, on larger vessels members of the deck department usually stand watch for four hours and are off for eight hours, seven days a week.[a][citation needed]
Mariners work in all weather conditions. Working in damp and cold conditions often is inevitable, although ships try to avoid severe storms while at sea. It is uncommon for modern vessels to suffer disasters such as fire, explosion, or a sinking. Yet workers face the possibility of having to abandon ship on short notice if it collides with other vessels or runs aground. Mariners also risk injury or death from falling overboard and from hazards associated with working with machinery, heavy loads, and dangerous cargo. However, modern safety management procedures, advanced emergency communications, and effective international rescue systems place modern mariners in a much safer position.[citation needed]
Most newer vessels are air conditioned, soundproofed from noisy machinery, and equipped with comfortable living quarters. These amenities have helped ease the sometimes difficult circumstances of long periods away from home. Also, modern communications such as email, instant messaging and social media platforms link modern mariners to their families. Nevertheless, some mariners dislike the long periods away from home and the confinement aboard ship. They consequently leave the profession.[citation needed]
Life at sea
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Professional mariners live on the margins of society, with much of their life spent beyond the reach of land. They face cramped, stark, noisy, and dangerous conditions at sea. Yet men and women still go to sea. For some, the attraction is a life unencumbered with the restraints of life ashore. Seagoing adventure and a chance to see the world also appeal to many seafarers. Whatever the calling, those who live and work at sea invariably confront social isolation.[citation needed]
Findings by the Seafarer's International Research Center indicate a leading cause of mariners leaving the industry is "almost invariably because they want to be with their families". U.S. merchant ships typically do not allow family members to accompany seafarers on voyages. Industry experts increasingly recognize isolation, stress, and fatigue as occupational hazards. Advocacy groups such as International Labor Organization, a United Nations agency, and the Nautical Institute seek improved international standards for mariners.[citation needed]
Helen Sampson, a professor at Cardiff University, notes that a key challenge facing mariners is an adjustment to timezones as the ship sails through various oceans. An adopted solution is to gradually adjust the timings of the ship which often leads to wake-up times being adjusted periodically. Sampson further notes that ships often have a 'dry ship' or 'no alcohol' policy which prohibits even the possession of alcohol with 'random testing' taking place 'fairly regularly'.[7]
One's service aboard ships typically extends for months at a time, followed by protracted shore leave. However, some seamen secure jobs on ships they like and stay aboard for years. In rare cases, veteran mariners choose never to go ashore when in port.[citation needed]
Further, the quick turnaround of many modern ships, spending only a matter of hours in port, limits a seafarer's free-time ashore. Moreover, some seafarers entering U.S. ports from a watch list of 25 countries deemed high-risk face restrictions on shore leave due to security concerns in a post
Such restrictions on shore leave coupled with reduced time in port by many ships translate into longer periods at sea. Mariners report that extended periods at sea living and working with shipmates who for the most part are strangers takes getting used to. At the same time, there is an opportunity to meet people from a wide range of ethnic and cultural backgrounds. Recreational opportunities have improved aboard some U.S. ships, which may feature gyms and day rooms for watching movies, swapping sea stories, and other activities. And in some cases, especially tankers, it is made possible for a mariner to be accompanied by members of his family. However, a mariner's off-duty time at sea is largely a solitary affair, pursuing hobbies, reading, writing letters, and sleeping.[citation needed]
Internet accessibility is fast coming to the sea with the advent of cheap satellite communication, mainly from Inmarsat. The availability of affordable roaming SIM cards with online top-up facilities have also contributed to improved connection with friends and family at home.[citation needed]
Notable mariners
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Erik the Red and his son Leif Erikson were the first notable mariners known to sail in a primitive, partly man powered vessel across the Arctic and the North Atlantic Ocean.
Barbarossa Hayrettin Pasha (Turkish: Barbaros Hayrettin Paşa or Hızır Hayrettin Paşa; also Hızır Reis before being promoted to the rank of Pasha and becoming the Kaptan-ı Derya (Fleet Admiral) of the Ottoman Navy) (c. 1478 – 4 July 1546) was an Ottoman admiral who dominated the Mediterranean for decades. He was born on the island of Lesbos/ Mytilini and died in Istanbul, the Ottoman capital.
Merchant seamen have gone on to make their mark on the world in a number of interesting ways.
Members of the British Merchant Navy have won the Distinguished Service Cross and have had careers taking them from 'Deck Boy Peter' to
Since World War II, a number of merchant seamen have become notorious criminals. American
Mariners are well represented in the visual arts. French pilot's assistant
Merchant sailors have also made a splash in the world of sport. In football, with Fred Blackburn in England and the likes of Dan Devine and Heisman Trophy winner Frank Sinkwich in the U.S. In track and field, American seamen Cornelius Johnson and Jim Thorpe both won Olympic medals, though Thorpe did not get his until 30 years after his death. Seamen Jim Bagby Jr. and Charlie Keller went on to Major League Baseball. Drew Bundini Brown was Muhammad Ali's assistant trainer and cornerman, and Joe Gold went on to make his fortune as the bodybuilding and fitness guru of Gold's Gym.
Other sporting notables include Dutchman Henk de Velde known for sailing solo around the world, and Briton Matthew Webb who was the first person to swim the English Channel without the use of artificial aid.
Irish Merchant Navy member Kevin McClory spent 14 days in a lifeboat and later went on to write the James Bond movies Never Say Never Again and Thunderball. Members of the American Beat Movement Allen Ginsberg, Jack Kerouac, Bob Kaufman, and Herbert Huncke were all Merchant Mariners.
It is perhaps not surprising that the writers of Moby Dick, The American Practical Navigator, and Two Years Before the Mast were Merchant Mariners. It might be surprising that the writers of Borat, A Hard Day's Night, and Cool Hand Luke were.
A number of U.S. Merchant Mariners from World War II later played well known television characters. The list includes Milburn Drysdale on The Beverly Hillbillies, Archie Bunker on All in the Family, Peter Falk on Columbo, Jim Rockford on The Rockford Files, Steve McGarret on Hawaii Five-O, Uncle Jesse Duke on The Dukes of Hazzard and Cheyenne Bodie on Cheyenne.
See also
- Airman
- Astronaut
- British Merchant Navy
- Marines
- Sailing
- Sailing (sport)
- Glossary of nautical terms (A-L)
- Glossary of nautical terms (M-Z)
- Glossary of oilfield jargon
- Roughneck
- Sailor suit
- Seafarer's professions and ranks
- Seaman
- The Marine Society
- United States Merchant Marine
- Ocean rowing
Notes
- ^ On smaller vessels with a single mate 6 hours on and 6 hours off are common. Mariners employed on Great Lakes ships work 60 days and have 30 days off. They do not work in the winter when the lakes are frozen. Workers on rivers, on canals, and in harbors are more likely to have year-round work. Some work 8-hour or 12-hour shifts and go home every day. Others work steadily for a week or a month and then have an extended period off. When working, they usually are on duty for 6 or 12 hours and off for 6 or 12 hours. Those on smaller vessels are normally assigned to one vessel and have steady employment.
References
- ISBN 9783825810566.
- ^ "New BIMCO/ICS Seafarer Workforce Report warns of serious potential officer shortage". International Chamber of Shipping. Retrieved 16 April 2025.
- ^ "Top Merchant Marine & Maritime Programs in the United States". 2017-07-07. Archived from the original on 7 July 2017. Retrieved 2025-02-19.
- ^ "Maritime seagoing career – offshore and onshore". Archived from the original on 2017-10-27. Retrieved 2014-02-16.
- ^ "Life Aboard U.S. Navy Ships & Vessels | Navy.com". www.navy.com. Retrieved 2025-02-19.
- ^ *"Water Transportation Occupations". U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2007-03-31.
- ISBN 9781003440123.
External links
