Modern sailors can operate machine-operated ships or assist in their operation. There are four main departments in marine professionals: deck, flight attendant, engineering, and miscellaneous. To become a sailor, obtain a sailing license and gain experience at sea. Working on a large ship or enlisting in the Coast Guard or Navy can also provide valuable experience.
Today, a sailor is anyone who helps with the operation of a vessel. While traditionally, becoming a sailor meant operating or working on a boat with sails, modern sailors often pilot machine-operated ships or simply assist in their operation. Sailors can help out on large ships, helping to fix mechanical problems, assisting with plotting courses, actually steering the boat, or any number of smaller jobs. To clarify the broad nature of his work, many people use the term sailor in place of sailor.
The first step in becoming a sailor is deciding what kind of sailor you want to be. If you want to learn to operate pleasure sailboats, the path forward will be very different than if you want to work in the engine room of a large commercial ocean liner or pilot a tugboat. In the world of marine professionals, there are many different positions, generally separated into four main departments: the deck department, the flight attendant department, the engineering department, and a wide range of miscellaneous positions.
The deck department is what most people think of when they decide they want to become a sailor. This includes sailors, boatswains, officers and capable mates and masters. These are the people who actually operate the ship, keep the decks clean, keep watch and generally deal with what we think of as running the ship.
The steward’s department and engineering department, on the other hand, can be seen as the ship’s support staff. The purser’s department is responsible for the crew who look after the general maintenance and operation of the ship. This department is responsible for cleaning the rooms, for example, cooking meals, handling stores, and licensing equipment to other teams. The engineering department, on the other hand, looks after the ship’s mechanical health, with engineers looking after the ship’s engines, cooling devices, electrical systems, fuel systems, and generally all machinery on board the ship.
If you want to become a sailor who actually operates the ship you work on, the first step is to obtain a sailing license. This will allow you to handle a small craft, and you can get comfortable at sea and begin to learn the nomenclature and lifestyle involved in being a sailor. Most seaside towns have sailing clubs, where you can usually find people who will help you learn the way of life and where you can gain experience without buying your own vessel.
If you want to become a professional seaman, working on a larger ship, the next step is to simply get a job on a ship. It could be any job, from a janitor on a large cruise ship to a grid operator on a fishing vessel. Working on a large ship will give you a sense of real life at sea and valuable experience and connections to further your career. Many people who want to become seamen find that enlisting in the Coast Guard or Navy gives them substantial experience and a strong resume. Whichever direction you decide to go, since sailor certifications are relatively easy, the most important step is simply to spend as much time on the open sea as possible, in as many different contexts as possible.
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