Fisheries deckhand to boatswain
A fisheries deckhand already meets 69% of what the boatswain role asks for. The move turns on 9 required skills not yet in the profile.
42/ 100
1 How much of what a boatswain is expected to do is already part of a fisheries deckhand’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 boatswain role is recorded as needing, required and optional together. What these numbers mean.
Why this move works
A boatswain role treats 19 of its required skills as things a fisheries deckhand 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 9 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 boatswain role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a fisheries deckhand 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 boatswain role treats as required.
Table 3 · What you may need to learn
The 11 missing skills fall into 5 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 coordinate the ship crew required
- still to learn participate in the organisation of emergency drills required
- still to learn prepare fishing equipment required
- still to learn operate vessel critical systems required
- still to learn stand watch on vessel required
- still to learn apply fishing maneuvres required
- still to learn swim required
- still to learn train employees required
- still to learn coordinate fish handling operations required
- optional, not held prepare aquatic inventory reports optional
- optional, not held evaluate schools of fish optional
Table 4 · Where to start
The 3 entries a boatswain role is least likely to hire without. The ordering is computed from the skill data, not from what pays.
- 01 operate vessel critical systems practise this
- 02 stand watch on vessel practise this
- 03 apply fishing maneuvres 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
2 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
- optional, not held prepare aquatic inventory reports optional
- optional, not held evaluate schools of fish optional
38 held skills the boatswain role does not ask for
- not needed by the target role adapt to changes on a boat skill
- not needed by the target role assist anchoring operations skill
- not needed by the target role assist in maritime rescue operations skill
- not needed by the target role assist with emergencies skill
- not needed by the target role clean ships skill
- not needed by the target role conduct on board safety inspections skill
- not needed by the target role cope with challenging circumstances in the fishery sector skill
- not needed by the target role deterioration of fish products knowledge
- not needed by the target role fire-fighting systems knowledge
- not needed by the target role fish anatomy knowledge
- not needed by the target role follow hygienic practices in fishery operations skill
- not needed by the target role follow verbal instructions skill
- not needed by the target role follow work procedures skill
- not needed by the target role health and safety regulations knowledge
- not needed by the target role maintain safe engineering watches skill
- not needed by the target role maintain vessel safety and emergency equipment skill
- not needed by the target role manage engine-room resources skill
- not needed by the target role maritime meteorology knowledge
- not needed by the target role mark migrating fish skill
- not needed by the target role moor vessels skill
- not needed by the target role operate echo sounding equipment skill
- not needed by the target role operate ship rescue machinery skill
- not needed by the target role operate traditional water depth measurement equipment skill
- not needed by the target role perform lookout duties during maritime operations skill
- not needed by the target role prepare deck equipment skill
- not needed by the target role prepare lifeboats skill
- not needed by the target role provide radio services in emergencies skill
- not needed by the target role quality assurance methodologies knowledge
- not needed by the target role relay messages through radio and telephone systems skill
- not needed by the target role secure ships using rope skill
- not needed by the target role support fishery training procedures skill
- not needed by the target role types of maritime vessels knowledge
- not needed by the target role undertake continuous professional development in fishery operations skill
- not needed by the target role unmoor vessels skill
- not needed by the target role use radar navigation skill
- not needed by the target role work in a fishery team skill
- not needed by the target role work in a multicultural environment in fishery skill
- not needed by the target role work in shifts skill
Common questions about this move
Can a fisheries deckhand become a boatswain?
Yes, and it is a moderate move. A fisheries deckhand already covers 69% of what a boatswain is expected to do: 25 skills carry over, 19 of which the boatswain role treats as required.
What skills does a fisheries deckhand need to become a boatswain?
9 required skills are missing, plus 2 optional ones. They fall into 5 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, led by management skills. The single most important is operate vessel critical systems.
How hard is the move from fisheries deckhand to boatswain?
Its learning distance is 42 out of 100, which is the moderate 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.