Maritime pilot to sailor
A maritime pilot already meets 15% of what the sailor role asks for. The move turns on 21 required skills not yet in the profile.
84.2/ 100
1 How much of what a sailor is expected to do is already part of a maritime pilot’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 sailor role is recorded as needing, required and optional together. What these numbers mean.
Why this move works
A sailor role treats 3 of its required skills as things a maritime pilot already does. You would walk in with these on day one.
- anchor ships to the port
- guide ships into docks
- steer vessels in ports
What stands in the way is 21 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 6 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. A sailor role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a maritime pilot background worth leading with.
- already held steer vessels in ports working with machinery and specialised equipment
- already held anchor ships to the port working with machinery and specialised equipment
- already held guide ships into docks working with machinery and specialised equipment
- already held assist in maritime rescue operations assisting and caring
- already held act reliably communication, collaboration and creativity
- already held have computer literacy working with computers
All 6 carried skills, including the 3 the sailor role treats as required.
Table 3 · What you may need to learn
The 26 missing skills fall into 8 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 operate traditional water depth measurement 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
- still to learn ensure public safety and security required
- still to learn follow work procedures required
- still to learn use different types of fire extinguishers required
- optional, not held deal with challenging work conditions optional
- still to learn clean ships required
- still to learn clean parts of vessels required
- still to learn prepare deck equipment required
- optional, not held lift heavy weights optional
- still to learn follow verbal instructions required
- still to learn follow written instructions required
- still to learn use maritime English required
- still to learn watch for maritime navigation aids required
- still to learn communicate reports provided by passengers required
- optional, not held conduct on board safety inspections optional
- optional, not held perform lookout duties during maritime operations optional
- still to learn anchors used in maritime water transport required
- still to learn Global Maritime Distress and Safety System required
2 further areas in the appendix
Table 4 · Where to start
The 3 entries a sailor role is least likely to hire without. The ordering is computed from the skill data, not from what pays.
- 01 anchors used in maritime water transport study this
- 02 clean ships practise this
- 03 watch for maritime navigation aids 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 6 skills that carry over
- already held anchor ships to the port skill
- already held guide ships into docks skill
- already held steer vessels in ports skill
- already held act reliably skill
- already held assist in maritime rescue operations skill
- already held have computer literacy skill
The 2 learning areas not shown above
- still to learn paint ship decks required
- optional, not held types of maritime vessels optional
5 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
- optional, not held types of maritime vessels optional
- optional, not held conduct on board safety inspections optional
- optional, not held deal with challenging work conditions optional
- optional, not held lift heavy weights optional
- optional, not held perform lookout duties during maritime operations optional
24 held skills the sailor role does not ask for
- not needed by the target role analyse weather forecast skill
- not needed by the target role assist in the movement of heavy loads skill
- not needed by the target role assist water-based navigation skill
- not needed by the target role balance transportation cargo skill
- not needed by the target role carry out ship-to-shore operations skill
- not needed by the target role conduct water navigation skill
- not needed by the target role cooperate with colleagues skill
- not needed by the target role coordinate dock operations skill
- not needed by the target role ensure compliance with port regulations skill
- not needed by the target role local waters of the port knowledge
- not needed by the target role maintain ship logs skill
- not needed by the target role manipulate sails on vessels skill
- not needed by the target role monitor aviation meteorology skill
- not needed by the target role plan pilotage skill
- not needed by the target role principles of cargo stowage knowledge
- not needed by the target role regulate the speed of ships in ports skill
- not needed by the target role use different communication channels skill
- not needed by the target role use meteorological information skill
- not needed by the target role use rigging tools skill
- not needed by the target role use water navigation devices skill
- not needed by the target role vessel points of sail knowledge
- not needed by the target role vessel stability principles knowledge
- not needed by the target role vessel traffic services knowledge
- not needed by the target role work in a water transport team skill
3 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 anchors used in maritime water transport required
- still to learn Global Maritime Distress and Safety System required
- optional, not held types of maritime vessels optional
Common questions about this move
Can a maritime pilot become a sailor?
Yes, and it is a career change move. A maritime pilot already covers 15% of what a sailor is expected to do: 6 skills carry over, 3 of which the sailor role treats as required.
What skills does a maritime pilot need to become a sailor?
21 required skills are missing, plus 5 optional ones. They fall into 8 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, led by working with machinery and specialised equipment. The single most important is anchors used in maritime water transport.
How hard is the move from maritime pilot to sailor?
Its learning distance is 84.2 out of 100, which is the career change 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.