Life on board a ship is very different from that of any other job or organization on land. Each and every crew member has a specific grade and has certain responsibilities to maintain successful ship operations.

Mainly, the ship’s crew has two types of seafarers: officers and sailors. Both crew members can act on deck or in the engine room.

The deck department is in charge of the ship’s navigation, watchkeeping, ship’s hull management, cargo, rigging and accommodation, ensuring the ship’s rescue and firefighting means. The deck department is more in charge of receiving, unloading and taking care of the cargo. According to the ship’s hierarchy, the deck officers are the following: master, first officer, second officer, third officer and deck cadet (future deck officer).

The supreme authority on board a merchant ship is the Captain. The entire crew is under his authority. He is responsible for the safety, use and conservation of the boat and ensures that each crew member does his job correctly. He is also responsible for the following: payroll, ship accounting, inventories, customs and immigration protocols, and ship documentation. To become a captain, a seafarer must first have several years of experience as a deck officer and also as a first mate.

According to the ship’s hierarchy, the first deck officer and head of the deck department after the master is the chief mate or chief mate. He is responsible for the navigation of the ship, surveillance tasks, loading and unloading operations. The first officer plus directs all other officers on deck, makes and posts watch assignments, and implements the captain’s orders to maintain safe vessel operations and maintenance.

The second mate or 2nd mate is next in rank after the first mate and the ship’s navigator, working on drawing up the ship’s voyage plans and keeping charts and publications up to date. In addition to the watch, the second officer may also be appointed to train cadets on the ship or to fulfill the rank of safety, environmental or medical officer.

The Third Officer or Third Officer is the commanding officer of the 4th deck and is commonly the Ship’s Safety Officer, responsible for ensuring the proper functioning of fire fighting equipment and salvage equipment. He performs bridge watch and studies how to become a second mate.

A cadet aboard a merchant ship receives structured training and shipboard experience and learns how to become a deck officer.

In addition to officers, the deck department crew is also made up of seamen, such as AB (Fit Seaman), OS (Ordinary Seaman) and Boatswain.

The AB is part of the deck crew and has tasks such as: taking watch, steering the boat, assisting the Watch Officer, mooring and unmooring the ship, maintaining and cleaning the deck. The AB also secure and unsecure cargo and conduct deck and accommodation patrols.

OS is the crew member whose primary duty is to manage the cleanliness of the entire ship and serves as an assistant to the AB. Being an OS is considered an apprenticeship, a period identified as “sea time” so that you can take courses and training for AB.

Both the AB and OS are usually monitored by a boatswain, who is actually also a sailor, in charge of examining cargo handling devices and salvage equipment. The boatswain usually also has an AB certificate.

The configuration of the deck department in merchant ships is basically the same in all categories of ships.