Captains, Mates, & Pilots of Water Vessels

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Boat Captain, Captain, First Mate, Mate

What they do:
Command or supervise operations of ships and water vessels, such as tugboats and ferryboats. Required to hold license issued by U.S. Coast Guard.
On the job, you would:
  • Direct courses and speeds of ships, based on specialized knowledge of local winds, weather, water depths, tides, currents, and hazards.
  • Prevent ships under navigational control from engaging in unsafe operations.
  • Serve as a vessel's docking master upon arrival at a port or at a berth.

Knowledge

Transportation

  • movement of people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road

Safety and Government

  • public safety and security
  • law and government

Engineering and Technology

  • mechanical

Arts and Humanities

  • English language

Skills

Basic Skills

  • keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements
  • talking to others

Problem Solving

  • noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it

Social

  • changing what is done based on other people's actions
  • teaching people how to do something

Abilities

Verbal

  • communicate by speaking
  • listen and understand what people say

Spatial

  • know where things are around you
  • imagine how something will look after it is moved around or changed

Hand and Finger Use

  • keep your arm or hand steady
  • hold or move items with your hands

Controlled Movement

  • quickly change the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat

Personality

People interested in this work like activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions.

They do well at jobs that need:

  • Dependability
  • Self Control
  • Leadership
  • Stress Tolerance
  • Attention to Detail
  • Independence

Technology

You might use software like this on the job:

Spreadsheet software

  • Microsoft Excel Hot Technology In Demand

Presentation software

  • Microsoft PowerPoint Hot Technology

Route navigation software

  • FURUNO navigational chart software
  • Navigational chart software

Education

Education: (rated 3 of 5)
high school diploma/GED or
certificate after high school
usually needed

Get started on your career:

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Apprenticeship.gov

Job Outlook

Below Average
New job opportunities are less likely in the future.
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