Outdoors every day in sun, wind,
and rain, with steady legs on a
shifting deck, at times with
no land in sight… the lifestyle of
sailors and marine oilers
isn’t for everyone, but for
those who love life on the water,
there’s nothing like it.
Sailors—also called deckhands—
operate and maintain vessels
and deck equipment, and keep
their ship in good working order.
Sailors stand watch for hazards or
other vessels in the ship’s path,
and keep track of navigational buoys
to stay on course. They clean decks,
maintain lifeboats, and paint and patch
the ship’s surface.
At port, sailors load and unload cargo.
They also steer the ship under the
direction of commanders,
and handle lines to secure the
ship when docking, leaving port,
or to connect barges when
towed by tugboats.
Sailors communicate with other
ships using the international signal
language of lights and semaphores.
Marine oilers are the
engine room equivalent of sailors.
They help engineers with maintenance
and repairs to keep the propulsion system
in working order. To load fuel supplies,
they ensure hoses are secured
and pumps operate correctly.
Marine oilers monitor gauges and
record data to document changes
and that procedures have been followed.
Although formal education
usually is not required,
these workers often need
credentials issued by the
Transportation Security Administration
and the U.S. Coast Guard
National Maritime Center.