Ship Captains direct and navigate all kinds of ships. Some operate cruise ships, while others operate barges, ferries, dredges, freight and cargo ships, and other vessels. Ship Captains may be civilian or military employees. The Captain sets the course and speed of a ship with the help of navigational aids, charts, celestial observations, compass, sexton, computers, and observations.
They avoid hazards and other ships by using buoys, depth finders, lighthouses, lights, ship pilots, and radar. He or she directs the crew in steering the ship, operating the engines, signaling to other vessels, performing maintenance, and loading and unloading passengers or cargo. The Captain’s primary concern is the safety of the ship, its crew, and its passengers.
On large ships, such as ocean liners, Captains may assign some duties to assistants, but they are ultimately responsible for the ship’s business, including the logs of the ship’s activities, weather, fuel consumption, navigational decisions, pollution control records, and cargo. They interview, hire, instruct, and coordinate the activities of such crewmembers as the mates, engineers, deckhands, electricians, machinery mechanics, and the radio officer.
On a cruise ship, the Captain socializes with the passengers on a daily basis, including a Captain’s reception to which all passengers are invited and a Captain’s cocktail party that may be limited to a select invitation list. He or she entertains an even smaller number of guests at the Captain’s table in the dining room. The Captain may also invite passengers to take a tour of the bridge, where all the navigational work is done.
Although the situation may vary, the Captain usually is on duty seven days a week while at sea, standing watch in four-, eight-, or twelve-hour shifts during calm and inclement weather. A cruise Ship Captain works for two months and then is off for a month. The cruise line pays for transportation between the Captain’s home and the ship.
Ship Captains who work on freighters and other vessels in the Great Lakes area may not work in the winter when the lakes are frozen. Ship Captains who work in harbors and rivers may go home every night. Besides the benefit of possibly visiting exotic ports, the cruise’s Ship Captain has the privilege of having his or her family travel with him or her, thus easing the months away from home.
There are few vacancies for Ship Captains aboard cruise ships. Commercial ships and the military have a fair number of openings for Ship Captains. A Ship Captain can move into cruise or freighter line management or start his or her own shipping or charter company.
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