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This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Three types of mariners, seen here in the wheelhouse of a ship: a master, able seaman, and harbour pilot. 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. Seafarers hold a variety of professions and ranks, each of which carries unique responsibilities which are integral to the successful operation of an ocean-going vessel. A ship’s crew can generally be divided into four main categories: the deck department, the engineering department, the steward’s department, and others. Officer positions in the deck department include but are not limited to: master and his chief, second and third officers.

Petty Officer: Qualified member Deck Dept. A ship’s engineering department consists of the members of a ship’s crew that operates and maintains the propulsion and other systems onboard 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.

Junior Engineer: Qualified member Engine Dept. American ships also carry a qualified member of the engine department. Other possible positions include motorman, machinist, electrician, refrigeration engineer and tankerman. A typical steward’s department for a cargo ship is a chief steward, a chief cook and a steward’s assistant. All three positions are typically filled by unlicensed personnel. The chief steward also plans menus, compiles supply, overtime, and cost control records.

The steward may requisition or purchase stores and equipment. 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. 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. Various types of staff officer positions may exist onboard a ship, including junior assistant purser, senior assistant purser, purser, chief purser, medical doctor, professional nurse, marine physician assistant, and hospital corpsman.

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. 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. At sea, on larger vessels members of the deck department usually stand watch for 4 hours and are off for 8 hours, 7 days a week. 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. 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. This section does not cite any sources. The tanker SS Overseas Alice takes seas over the bow during a 1981 run from New Orleans to Panama. Portrait of a sailor taken on board the French aviso Ardent, 1857. 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.

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”. Industry experts increasingly recognize isolation, stress, and fatigue as occupational hazards. 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. Further, the quick turnaround of many modern ships, spending only a matter of hours in port, limits a seafarer’s free-time ashore. However, shore leave restrictions while in U.

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. 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. Statue dedicated to Italian sailors at Finale Ligure, Liguria, Italy.