STEPS TO FOLLOW FOR BECOMING A SHIP CAPTAIN A career as a ship captain can be a tedious task. Ship captains take care of business, navigation and operation of all types of ship vessels. The captain also works with officers and crews to set the ship’s speed and course monitor a ship’s position and adopt every measure to avoid hazards. Hence, it is very important that aspiring ship captains get all the necessary education required. Here are a few steps and procedures that one needs to follow before making a career as a ship captain:
CHOOSE A CAREER PATH People aspiring to make a career as a ship captain, can choose from two different paths. Captains of supply boats on inland waterways or rivers often start their career with entry-level work as deckhands and obtain on-the-job training. After this training, they advance though different ranks by gaining experience. Alternatively, captains of deep-water vessels often gain formal training from merchant marine academies and achieve a certificate before being promoted to captains.
ATTEND TRAINING The Coast Guard regulates entry, training and licensing for more water transportation occupations, including ship captains. People aspiring to make a career as a ship captain could consider getting additional training like attending a coastal skipper course and other such courses to enhance and improve the chances of getting a better rank.
EXPERIENCE The most important step of becoming a ship captain is gaining as much as experience as possible. As one continues to gain experience and receive on-the-job training, deck officers may qualify for promotion to captain. However, one should take into consideration that getting promoted to ship captain may require years of experience based on the time spent on levels and ranks.