Working conditions vary with the nature of the route traveled and the type of ship. The workweek is considerably different from that on land. At sea, most sailors are required to work seven days a week--generally in two separate four-hour shifts every twenty-four hours. While persons in the engine room must be able to withstand intense heat, deck workers have to contend with rain and cold. Modern ships have clean, comfortable quarters. On older ships, rooms are shared; on newer ones, each crew member has a room. Meals are taken in the mess hall, and the food is usually plentiful and good. American sailors have some of the highest salaries in the world; they also earn ample overtime. Some Americans work on the ships of other nations or on vessels owned by American companies and registered abroad. Fringe benefits such as insurance and vacation time are very liberal, and opportunities exist for advancement. Additionally, seafarers have the chance to travel the world. However, with the trend toward quick turnaround time in port, touring is limited.
If this lifestyle appeals to you, you can obtain additional information by writing to the various maritime schools and associations.
MERCHANT MARINE OFFICERS
Today's ships, costing in the hundreds of millions of dollars, require expert knowledge and skills on the part of the ships' officers. Modern vessels perform some amazing tasks. Some barge ships can carry barges weighing five hundred tons each on three decks, and many container ships carry 2,100 forty-foot containers at average speeds of over twenty-five miles per hour.
In command of every oceangoing vessel is a captain or master. The captain has complete responsibility for the ship's operation and the safety of the crew, passengers, and cargo. While at sea, the captain has complete authority to run the ship within certain guidelines. In port, the captain may serve as the ship owner's agent in relations with port officials and may act as paymaster. Captains coordinate water and food supplies, piloting, towing, and stevedoring services.
The head of the deck department is the chief mate or chief deck officer. This person serves as the captain's assistant in assigning duties to the deck crew and in managing personnel. The chief mate, working with the deck crew, plans and supervises the loading and unloading of cargo and assists the captain and pilot in taking the ship in and out of port. To comply with Coast Guard regulations on the safe and efficient operation of ships, deck officers must be certified for radar, gyrocompass, and radio directional equipment.
The second mate, by tradition, serves as the navigation officer. This person maintains navigational equipment, checks instruments, and makes sure that appropriate, up-to-date charts are available for navigation.
Some third mates generally function as signal officers. They coordinate loading and unloading cargoes, inspecting lifeboats and lifesaving equipment, and determining the ship's position. Most deck officers serve watch.
The chief engineer supervises the engine department and its personnel and has responsibility for the safe and efficient operation of the engines and mechanical equipment. While at sea, this person oversees the operation of the propulsion system and auxiliary equipment and performs other functions such as calculating fuel consumption.
Serving under the chief, the first assistant engineer supervises the engine room personnel. The maintenance of equipment and machinery falls under this person's direction. The boiler and related equipment come under the direction of the second assistant engineer, who ensures that proper steam pressure and oil and water temperatures are maintained. The third assistant engineer supervises the lubrication of the engine room equipment and distillation of saltwater to freshwater. On some ships, the electrical and refrigeration systems also fall into the domain of the third assistant engineer. Also serving aboard ship is the radio officer, who sends and receives messages from shore and from other ships. Passenger ships and some freighters may employ a purser. This person assists passengers, assists with the paperwork necessary for a ship to enter or leave port, and, in some cases, serves as the physician's assistant.
Certain requirements must be met to enter the ranks of officers. In addition to age and health qualifications, the candidate must have three years of work experience aboard ship or be a graduate of an approved training program. Coast Guard examinations test the knowledge of the candidates. To advance in rank, officers must pass progressively more difficult examinations. Although no formal education is required, most officers attend school. The surest way to become an officer is to attend one of the fine programs at the maritime academies.
Maritime academies across the country are committed to pre-serving and fostering our country's maritime tradition. Their impressive programs--theoretical knowledge combined with practical experience of life aboard ship--can be immensely rewarding and enjoyable. At the same time, maritime programs are not without challenge, as illustrated by the comments of Gregory Snyder, a former midshipman at the United States Merchant Marine Academy:
The most difficult challenge in coming to Kings Point was adapting to a complete and radical change in lifestyle. I had to be willing to exert my greatest effort in everything I did. I feel that Kings Point has made me more responsible, more confident, and a much harder worker.
In addition to general studies courses, comparable to those at regular colleges and universities, the maritime academies require course work in maritime history, marine chemistry and engineering, oceanography, international trade, all forms of electronic navigation, and cargo operations. While most college students attend class for nine months each year, maritime academy midshipmen have eleven months of school. The longer program reflects the time necessary for students to obtain their practical training.
It should be noted that all maritime academies welcome qualified women candidates. In fact, the Texas Maritime Academy and the Maine Maritime Academy have the joint distinction of having graduated the first women in the history of the United States Merchant Marine. Deborah Doane from Maine and Susan Carter from Texas both graduated in 1976.
The programs vary at the above institutions. For example, the Great Lakes Maritime Academy offers two three-year associate of applied science programs: one leads to a Coast Guard license as a Great Lakes mate, and the other leads to a Coast Guard license as a third assistant engineer. New York State's Maritime College offers the following academic programs: Marine and Power Systems Engineering, Marine Transportation/Business Administration, Marine Environmental Science, Naval Architecture, Facilities Engineering, and Humanities. The following is a sample of titles of specialty courses: Nautical Science-Tugs and Towing, Marine Transportation-Marine Insurance, Law-Admiralty Law.
In Canada, Dalhousie University, located in the port city of Halifax, Nova Scotia, offers a unique program entitled, Master of Marine Management. It features courses "on all aspects of the uses of the seas" such as Coastal Zone Management, Marine Science and Technology, and Contemporary Issues in Ocean Management and Development.
The future of maritime enterprise promises that those aboard ship or in harbor activities will lead exciting lives. Ship's officers and harbor supervisors will be in the forefront of many new developments. Salaries, working conditions, and vacations are very attractive. Job opportunities are fair, and during good times off shore oil drilling is excellent. Little-known opportunities exist for academy graduates among the Army Corps of Engineers' dredging operations, as pilots and tugboat captains in the Panama Canal Zone, and aboard research vessels belonging to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the United States Navy and Coast Guard. Researchers have predicted a moderate increase in positions in most areas. If certain factors occur, there could be a serious shortage of maritime officers in the twenty-first century.
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