Boatswain to fisheries deckhand
A boatswain already meets 47% of what the fisheries deckhand role asks for. The move turns on 16 required skills not yet in the profile.
65.2/ 100
1 How much of what a fisheries deckhand is expected to do is already part of a boatswain’s work. Directional: the figure for the reverse move differs, because moving into a speciality is not the same problem as moving out of one. 2 Every skill the fisheries deckhand role is recorded as needing, required and optional together. What these numbers mean.
Why this move works
A fisheries deckhand role treats 19 of its required skills as things a boatswain already does. You would walk in with these on day one.
- International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships
- assist in ship maintenance
- code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries
- extinguish fires
- fisheries legislation
- fishing gear
What stands in the way is 16 required skills the profile does not yet cover. Table 3 groups them; Table 4 says which to take first.
Table 2 · What you already bring
Of the 25 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. A fisheries deckhand role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a boatswain background worth leading with.
- already held operate ship equipment working with machinery and specialised equipment
- already held report to captain information skills
- already held use fishing vessel equipment working with machinery and specialised equipment
- already held assist in ship maintenance handling and moving
- already held handle cargo handling and moving
- already held handle fish products handling and moving
All 25 carried skills, including the 19 the fisheries deckhand role treats as required.
Table 3 · What you may need to learn
The 38 missing skills fall into 11 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, numbered in the order worth working in. Areas carrying the most required skills come first, and inside each one the required skills sit above the optional ones. Nothing here is a verdict on you: it is a list of what this particular job asks for that your current one does not.
- still to learn assist anchoring operations required
- still to learn operate echo sounding equipment required
- still to learn prepare lifeboats required
- still to learn secure ships using rope required
- still to learn unmoor vessels required
- still to learn moor vessels required
- optional, not held operate ship rescue machinery optional
- optional, not held operate traditional water depth measurement equipment optional
- optional, not held use radar navigation optional
- still to learn follow hygienic practices in fishery operations required
- still to learn assist with emergencies required
- still to learn follow work procedures required
- optional, not held assist in maritime rescue operations optional
- optional, not held maintain safe engineering watches optional
- optional, not held maintain vessel safety and emergency equipment optional
- still to learn clean ships required
- still to learn prepare deck equipment required
- optional, not held mark migrating fish optional
- still to learn fire-fighting systems required
- still to learn health and safety regulations required
- still to learn follow verbal instructions required
- optional, not held cope with challenging circumstances in the fishery sector optional
- optional, not held relay messages through radio and telephone systems optional
- optional, not held support fishery training procedures optional
- optional, not held work in a fishery team optional
- optional, not held work in a multicultural environment in fishery optional
- optional, not held work in shifts optional
- still to learn deterioration of fish products required
5 further areas in the appendix
Table 4 · Where to start
The 3 entries a fisheries deckhand role is least likely to hire without. The ordering is computed from the skill data, not from what pays.
- 01 clean ships practise this
- 02 assist anchoring operations practise this
- 03 follow hygienic practices in fishery operations practise this
Each entry opens a course search for that skill. Career Overlap earns nothing from these links.
Appendix · The rest of the record
All 25 skills that carry over
- already held International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships knowledge
- already held assist in ship maintenance skill
- already held code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries knowledge
- already held extinguish fires skill
- already held fisheries legislation knowledge
- already held fishing gear knowledge
- already held fishing vessels knowledge
- already held handle cargo skill
- already held handle fish products skill
- already held international regulations for preventing collisions at sea knowledge
- already held maintain safe navigation watches skill
- already held operate ship equipment skill
- already held pollution prevention knowledge
- already held preserve fish products skill
- already held quality of fish products knowledge
- already held risks associated with undertaking fishing operations knowledge
- already held support vessel manoeuvres skill
- already held survive at sea in the event of ship abandonment skill
- already held use fishing vessel equipment skill
- already held Global Maritime Distress and Safety System knowledge
- already held assessment of risks and threats knowledge
- already held communicate using the global maritime distress and safety system skill
- already held fisheries management knowledge
- already held report to captain skill
- already held use maritime English skill
The 5 learning areas not shown above
- still to learn quality assurance methodologies required
- optional, not held undertake continuous professional development in fishery operations optional
- optional, not held conduct on board safety inspections optional
- optional, not held perform lookout duties during maritime operations optional
- optional, not held provide radio services in emergencies optional
- optional, not held adapt to changes on a boat optional
- optional, not held manage engine-room resources optional
- optional, not held fish anatomy optional
- optional, not held maritime meteorology optional
- optional, not held types of maritime vessels optional
22 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
- optional, not held mark migrating fish optional
- optional, not held provide radio services in emergencies optional
- optional, not held adapt to changes on a boat optional
- optional, not held assist in maritime rescue operations optional
- optional, not held cope with challenging circumstances in the fishery sector optional
- optional, not held fish anatomy optional
- optional, not held maintain safe engineering watches optional
- optional, not held maintain vessel safety and emergency equipment optional
- optional, not held manage engine-room resources optional
- optional, not held maritime meteorology optional
- optional, not held operate ship rescue machinery optional
- optional, not held operate traditional water depth measurement equipment optional
- optional, not held relay messages through radio and telephone systems optional
- optional, not held support fishery training procedures optional
- optional, not held types of maritime vessels optional
- optional, not held undertake continuous professional development in fishery operations optional
- optional, not held use radar navigation optional
- optional, not held work in a fishery team optional
- optional, not held work in a multicultural environment in fishery optional
- optional, not held conduct on board safety inspections optional
- optional, not held perform lookout duties during maritime operations optional
- optional, not held work in shifts optional
11 held skills the fisheries deckhand role does not ask for
- not needed by the target role apply fishing maneuvres skill
- not needed by the target role coordinate fish handling operations skill
- not needed by the target role coordinate the ship crew skill
- not needed by the target role evaluate schools of fish skill
- not needed by the target role operate vessel critical systems skill
- not needed by the target role participate in the organisation of emergency drills skill
- not needed by the target role prepare aquatic inventory reports skill
- not needed by the target role prepare fishing equipment skill
- not needed by the target role stand watch on vessel skill
- not needed by the target role swim skill
- not needed by the target role train employees skill
7 gaps that are knowledge rather than practice
Knowledge gaps usually close through study. Practical skill gaps usually need something you can point at.
- still to learn deterioration of fish products required
- still to learn fire-fighting systems required
- still to learn health and safety regulations required
- still to learn quality assurance methodologies required
- optional, not held fish anatomy optional
- optional, not held maritime meteorology optional
- optional, not held types of maritime vessels optional
Common questions about this move
Can a boatswain become a fisheries deckhand?
Yes, and it is a substantial move. A boatswain already covers 47% of what a fisheries deckhand is expected to do: 25 skills carry over, 19 of which the fisheries deckhand role treats as required.
What skills does a boatswain need to become a fisheries deckhand?
16 required skills are missing, plus 22 optional ones. They fall into 11 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, led by working with machinery and specialised equipment. The single most important is clean ships.
How hard is the move from boatswain to fisheries deckhand?
Its learning distance is 65.2 out of 100, which is the substantial band. That accounts for both how much is missing and how specialised those skills are.
How this record was compiled
Both occupations are taken from ESCO, which lists the skills and knowledge each occupation is expected to have and marks every one required or optional. Nothing here is a prediction about hiring, and nothing here knows that a particular employer wants a particular certificate. Treat Table 3 as a starting point for your own research rather than a syllabus. The full method states what these figures can and cannot tell you.