The captain of a ship is a profession associated not only with romance and travel, but also with high responsibility not only to the shipowner, but also to the entire crew, as well as passengers (if it is a passenger ship). Most often, it is chosen by men with high willpower and excellent health. Management skills are no less important. The captain is the main specialist who manages both the ship and the crew; This is the first person on any ship, to whom everyone on the ship is obliged to obey unquestioningly.
Features of the profession
Captains can specialize not only in sea transport, but also in river or even mixed transport. It all depends on the education he received and the experience he has over the years of service in the navy. Regardless of what kind of transportation the ship carries out (passenger, fishing or cargo), all the responsibilities of the captain are reduced to the following list:
Ensuring safety and ensuring that every crew member and every passenger adheres to established rules.
Compliance with work schedule. This applies to the movement of the ship during the voyage and loading and unloading operations in the port. At the same time, it is important to focus on weather conditions and the current situation.
Compliance with all rules that are prescribed in the rules of international law in the field of shipping.
Maintaining all necessary accompanying documentation during the voyage, as well as drawing up reports.
In the event of force majeure or damage to cargo, the captain is obliged to immediately notify the shipowner.
Managing the entire crew, as well as ensuring the safety of passengers and the safety of transported cargo.
Assessing the technical condition of the transported cargo, as well as ensuring its timely maintenance.
However, this is only a list of the basic responsibilities of a ship captain. After all, he is responsible for the ship, for the entire crew, for the cargo or passengers being transported. In addition, the list of his responsibilities may differ depending on the ship itself.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Being a Ship Captain
It is only in romantic stories that “ship captain” sounds dreamy. In fact, this is a very difficult profession that requires a lot of dedication. Like any other job, you can find both pros and cons. Let's start with the advantages of such a romantic profession:
This is a highly paid and very prestigious job.
Over the years of his work, the captain visits a huge number of continents and different countries of the world.
A very long vacation, subject to equally long flights.
Captains, like all seafarers, are provided with full security during the voyage, as well as excellent social protection.
A large number of crewing agencies and shipowners will hire a competent and qualified captain.
However, we should not forget that their work is very stressful due to high responsibility. In addition, this is quite a dangerous job, because the ship can get caught in a storm or be attacked by pirates. But the biggest drawback is problems with his personal life, which often arise due to his long absence from home during flights.
Personal qualities that a captain should have
Many crewing companies provide a large number of vacancies for captains of various vessels: from barges to tankers of international companies. Crewplanet, Jobs At Sea, Maritime Zone offers vacancies for seafarers of different skill levels. But it is important to remember that any captain must have basic personal qualities, namely politeness, competent speech, tact, pedantry, as well as leadership and organizer skills. In addition, you should not forget about excellent health, because without this you cannot go to sea.
If you want to become a captain, then you need to invest time in training as well. If you are interested in and understand mathematics, physics, chemistry, computer science and English, the job is ideal for you.
