Ship Captain: Lead Navigation & Vessel Operations

Course Advisor; United States; On-site; USD 90,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job description

Life As a Ship Captain

Command vessels in oceans, bays, lakes, rivers, or coastal waters.

What Do They Do?

• Signal crew members or deckhands to rig tow lines, open or close gates or ramps, or pull guard chains across entries.
• Measure depths of water, using depth-measuring equipment.
• Sort logs, form log booms, or salvage lost logs.
• Signal passing vessels, using whistles, flashing lights, flags, or radios.
• Compute positions, set courses, and determine speeds, using charts, area plotting sheets, compasses, sextants, and knowledge of local conditions.
• Calculate sightings of land, using electronic sounding devices and following contour lines on charts.

Essential Skills

Judgment and Decision Making: considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.

Complex Problem Solving: identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.

Active Listening: giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

Speaking: talking to others to convey information effectively.

Critical Thinking: using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

Operation and Control: controlling operations of equipment or systems.

Types of Ship Captain Jobs

• Marine Superintendent
• Ship Master
• Ship Captain
• Canal Boat Captain
• Scow Captain

Tools & Technology Used

• Microsoft Excel
• Microsoft Word
• Microsoft PowerPoint
• Microsoft Outlook
• Microsoft Office
• Autodesk Revit
• Computerized maintenance management system (CMMS)
• Log book software
• Jeppesen Marine Nobeltec Admiral
• Maptech The CAPN
• KNMI TurboWin