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Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels Occupation Detailed Description

Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels career

General Job Description and Education/Training Levels for Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels

The main tasks and work activities of Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels are to operate ships or other watercraft, choose optimal transportation routes or speeds, determine geographic coordinates, measure the level or depth of water or other liquids. In general, for the Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels, judgment and Decision Making, coordination, critical Thinking, operation and Control and other 15 skills are required.
Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels Job Description
EducationMost occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
Related ExperiencePrevious work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations. For example, an electrician must have completed three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam, in order to perform the job.
Job TrainingEmployees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.
ExampleThese occupations usually involve using communication and organizational skills to coordinate, supervise, manage, or train others to accomplish goals. Examples include hydroelectric production managers, travel guides, electricians, agricultural technicians, barbers, court reporters, and medical assistants.
The following chart shows the education/training levels for Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels jobs. 43.06% of Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels have High School Diploma (or the equivalent) and 15.39% of Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels have Post-Secondary Certificate.
Less than a High School Diploma
1.97%
High School Diploma (or the equivalent)
43.06%
Post-Secondary Certificate
15.39%
Some College Courses
0.00%
Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree)
16.61%
Bachelor's Degree and Above
22.97%

Tasks and Work Activities of Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels

  • Steer and operate vessels, using radios, depth finders, radars, lights, buoys, or lighthouses.
  • Compute positions, set courses, and determine speeds, using charts, area plotting sheets, compasses, sextants, and knowledge of local conditions.
  • Inspect vessels to ensure efficient and safe operation of vessels and equipment and conformance to regulations.
  • Measure depths of water, using depth-measuring equipment.
  • Direct or coordinate crew members or workers performing activities such as loading or unloading cargo, steering vessels, operating engines, or operating, maintaining, or repairing ship equipment.
  • Monitor the loading or discharging of cargo or passengers.
  • Calculate sightings of land, using electronic sounding devices and following contour lines on charts.
  • Signal passing vessels, using whistles, flashing lights, flags, or radios.
  • Maintain boats or equipment on board, such as engines, winches, navigational systems, fire extinguishers, or life preservers.
  • Signal crew members or deckhands to rig tow lines, open or close gates or ramps, or pull guard chains across entries.
  • Read gauges to verify sufficient levels of hydraulic fluid, air pressure, or oxygen.
  • Maintain records of daily activities, personnel reports, ship positions and movements, ports of call, weather and sea conditions, pollution control efforts, or cargo or passenger status.
  • Arrange for ships to be fueled, restocked with supplies, or repaired.
  • Assign watches or living quarters to crew members.
  • Purchase supplies or equipment.
  • Tow and maneuver barges or signal tugboats to tow barges to destinations.
  • Perform various marine duties, such as checking for oil spills or other pollutants around ports or harbors or patrolling beaches.
  • Collect fares from customers or signal ferryboat helpers to collect fares.
  • Sort logs, form log booms, or salvage lost logs.
  • Resolve questions or problems with customs officials.
  • Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or EquipmentRunning, maneuvering, navigating, or driving vehicles or mechanized equipment, such as forklifts, passenger vehicles, aircraft, or water craft.
  • Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or MaterialInspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects.
  • Controlling Machines and ProcessesUsing either control mechanisms or direct physical activity to operate machines or processes (not including computers or vehicles).
  • Identifying Objects, Actions, and EventsIdentifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
  • Making Decisions and Solving ProblemsAnalyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
  • Getting InformationObserving, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
  • Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical EquipmentServicing, repairing, adjusting, and testing machines, devices, moving parts, and equipment that operate primarily on the basis of mechanical (not electronic) principles.
  • Monitor Processes, Materials, or SurroundingsMonitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.
  • Updating and Using Relevant KnowledgeKeeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
  • Handling and Moving ObjectsUsing hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials, and manipulating things.
  • Operate ships or other watercraft.
  • Choose optimal transportation routes or speeds.
  • Determine geographic coordinates.
  • Measure the level or depth of water or other liquids.
  • Direct material handling or moving activities.
  • Direct passenger or freight transport activities.
  • Direct maintenance or repair activities.
  • Monitor loading processes to ensure they are performed properly.
  • Signal others to coordinate vehicle movement.
  • Maintain watercraft engines or machinery.
  • Communicate with others to coordinate material handling or movement.
  • Monitor equipment gauges or displays to ensure proper operation.
  • Record operational details of travel.
  • Arrange maintenance activities.
  • Acquire supplies or equipment.
  • Monitor surroundings to detect potential hazards.
  • Collect fares or payment from customers.
  • Sort materials or objects for processing or transport.
  • Resolve issues affecting transportation operations.
  • Recommend personnel decisions or human resources activities.

Skills and Abilities for Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels

  • Judgment and Decision MakingConsidering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
  • CoordinationAdjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
  • Critical ThinkingUsing logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
  • Operation and ControlControlling operations of equipment or systems.
  • SpeakingTalking to others to convey information effectively.
  • Complex Problem SolvingIdentifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
  • Active ListeningGiving 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.
  • Social PerceptivenessBeing aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
  • Management of Personnel ResourcesMotivating, developing, and directing people as they work, identifying the best people for the job.
  • MonitoringMonitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
  • Time ManagementManaging one's own time and the time of others.
  • Active LearningUnderstanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
  • Operation MonitoringWatching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
  • InstructingTeaching others how to do something.
  • Reading ComprehensionUnderstanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
  • PersuasionPersuading others to change their minds or behavior.
  • WritingCommunicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
  • Service OrientationActively looking for ways to help people.
  • Spatial OrientationThe ability to know your location in relation to the environment or to know where other objects are in relation to you.
  • Oral ComprehensionThe ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
  • Problem SensitivityThe ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
  • Far VisionThe ability to see details at a distance.
  • Selective AttentionThe ability to concentrate on a task over a period of time without being distracted.
  • Oral ExpressionThe ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
  • Control PrecisionThe ability to quickly and repeatedly adjust the controls of a machine or a vehicle to exact positions.
  • Depth PerceptionThe ability to judge which of several objects is closer or farther away from you, or to judge the distance between you and an object.
  • Inductive ReasoningThe ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
  • Deductive ReasoningThe ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
  • Near VisionThe ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
  • Speech ClarityThe ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
  • Information OrderingThe ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
  • Speech RecognitionThe ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
  • Written ComprehensionThe ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
  • Written ExpressionThe ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
  • Arm-Hand SteadinessThe ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position.
  • Time SharingThe ability to shift back and forth between two or more activities or sources of information (such as speech, sounds, touch, or other sources).
  • VisualizationThe ability to imagine how something will look after it is moved around or when its parts are moved or rearranged.
  • Manual DexterityThe ability to quickly move your hand, your hand together with your arm, or your two hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.
  • Vehicle navigation systemse.g. Automatic radar plotting aids ARPA
  • Bolt cutterse.g. Bolt cutters
  • Marine craft communications systemse.g. Bridge to bridge radiotelephones
  • Fire suppression systeme.g. Carbon dioxide CO2 fire extinguishing systems
  • Fire suppression systeme.g. Carbon dioxide CO2 flooding systems
  • Hoistse.g. Cargo derricks
  • Centrifugal pumpse.g. Centrifugal cargo pumps
  • Claw hammere.g. Claw hammers
  • Loading equipmente.g. Container lift trucks
  • Open end wrenchese.g. Crescent wrenches
  • Desktop computerse.g. Desktop computers
  • Vehicular global positioning system GPSe.g. Differential global positioning systems DGPS
  • Compassese.g. Dividers
  • Trianglese.g. Drafting triangles
  • Vehicle navigation systemse.g. Dynamic positioning DP systems
  • Depth gaugese.g. Echo sounders
  • Bridge cranese.g. Electric deck cranes
  • Telegraph sounderse.g. Electric telegraphs
  • Vehicle navigation systemse.g. Electronic chart display and information systems ECDIS
  • Fire pump setse.g. Emergency fire pumps
  • TransportationKnowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.
  • Public Safety and SecurityKnowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
  • Law and GovernmentKnowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
  • MechanicalKnowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
  • TelecommunicationsKnowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
  • Administration and ManagementKnowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
  • Customer and Personal ServiceKnowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
  • GeographyKnowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.
  • Education and TrainingKnowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
  • English LanguageKnowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.