Ordinary seaman to decksman
An ordinary seaman already meets 32% of what the decksman role asks for. The move turns on 27 required skills not yet in the profile.
77.4/ 100
1 How much of what a decksman is expected to do is already part of an ordinary seaman’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 decksman role is recorded as needing, required and optional together. What these numbers mean.
Why this move works
A decksman role treats 13 of its required skills as things an ordinary seaman already does. You would walk in with these on day one.
- clean ships
- follow verbal instructions
- follow written instructions
- load cargo onto ships
- maintain ropes
- maintain vessel engine room
What stands in the way is 27 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 18 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. A decksman role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of an ordinary seaman background worth leading with.
- already held maintain ropes information skills
- already held clean ships handling and moving
- already held operate life-saving appliances working with machinery and specialised equipment
- already held load cargo onto ships handling and moving
- already held manipulate sails on vessels working with machinery and specialised equipment
- already held maintain vessel engine room constructing
All 18 carried skills, including the 13 the decksman role treats as required.
Table 3 · What you may need to learn
The 40 missing skills fall into 9 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 adhere to traffic regulations on inland waterways required
- still to learn apply regulations on cargo transport operations required
- still to learn facilitate safe disembarkation of passengers required
- still to learn help to control passenger behaviour during emergency situations required
- still to learn manage environmental aspects of inland waterway transportation required
- still to learn undertake navigation safety actions required
- still to learn comply with checklists required
- still to learn execute safety assurance exercises required
- still to learn follow procedures in the event of an alarm required
- optional, not held ensure integrity of hull optional
- optional, not held prepare simple meals on board optional
- optional, not held implement environmental protection measures optional
- optional, not held provide first aid optional
- still to learn assist anchoring operations required
- still to learn launch lifeboats required
- still to learn perform daily maintenance on ship machinery required
- still to learn perform vessel maintenance and cleaning required
- still to learn prepare engine room for operation required
- still to learn understand different types of locks and their operation required
- still to learn use ballasts required
- still to learn use equipment for safe stowage required
- optional, not held use waterway traffic control systems optional
- still to learn communicate reports provided by passengers required
- still to learn maintain service record book required
- still to learn manage on board hazards required
- still to learn read stowage plans required
- optional, not held distinguish various types of ships optional
- still to learn types of cargo required
- still to learn national regulations on handling cargo required
- optional, not held european classification of inland waterways optional
- optional, not held passenger transport regulations optional
- optional, not held vessel stability principles optional
- still to learn paint ship decks required
- still to learn maintain vessel technical equipment according to instructions required
- still to learn international regulations for cargo handling required
- optional, not held inland waterway police regulations optional
3 further areas in the appendix
Table 4 · Where to start
The 3 entries a decksman role is least likely to hire without. The ordering is computed from the skill data, not from what pays.
- 01 adhere to traffic regulations on inland waterways practise this
- 02 apply regulations on cargo transport operations practise this
- 03 assist anchoring 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 18 skills that carry over
- already held clean ships skill
- already held follow verbal instructions skill
- already held follow written instructions skill
- already held load cargo onto ships skill
- already held maintain ropes skill
- already held maintain vessel engine room skill
- already held moor vessels skill
- already held operate life-saving appliances skill
- already held secure ships using rope skill
- already held swim skill
- already held unmoor vessels skill
- already held use different types of fire extinguishers skill
- already held vessel safety equipment knowledge
- already held act reliably skill
- already held manipulate sails on vessels skill
- already held perform manual work autonomously skill
- already held use different communication channels skill
- already held work in a water transport team skill
The 3 learning areas not shown above
- still to learn clean parts of vessels required
- optional, not held perform services in a flexible manner optional
- optional, not held show intercultural awareness optional
- optional, not held principles of combustion engines optional
13 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
- optional, not held distinguish various types of ships optional
- optional, not held ensure integrity of hull optional
- optional, not held european classification of inland waterways optional
- optional, not held inland waterway police regulations optional
- optional, not held passenger transport regulations optional
- optional, not held prepare simple meals on board optional
- optional, not held use waterway traffic control systems optional
- optional, not held vessel stability principles optional
- optional, not held implement environmental protection measures optional
- optional, not held perform services in a flexible manner optional
- optional, not held principles of combustion engines optional
- optional, not held provide first aid optional
- optional, not held show intercultural awareness optional
15 held skills the decksman role does not ask for
- not needed by the target role Global Maritime Distress and Safety System knowledge
- not needed by the target role assist water-based navigation skill
- not needed by the target role follow hygienic procedures during food processing skill
- not needed by the target role handle cargo skill
- not needed by the target role handle stressful situations in the work place skill
- not needed by the target role inspect construction of ships skill
- not needed by the target role maintain ship brightwork skill
- not needed by the target role maintain vessel safety and emergency equipment skill
- not needed by the target role perform lookout duties during maritime operations skill
- not needed by the target role physical parts of the vessel knowledge
- not needed by the target role principles of cargo stowage knowledge
- not needed by the target role secure cargo on ships skill
- not needed by the target role sort waste skill
- not needed by the target role types of maritime vessels knowledge
- not needed by the target role use maritime English skill
8 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 types of cargo required
- still to learn international regulations for cargo handling required
- still to learn national regulations on handling cargo required
- optional, not held european classification of inland waterways optional
- optional, not held inland waterway police regulations optional
- optional, not held passenger transport regulations optional
- optional, not held vessel stability principles optional
- optional, not held principles of combustion engines optional
Common questions about this move
Can an ordinary seaman become a decksman?
Yes, and it is a career change move. An ordinary seaman already covers 32% of what a decksman is expected to do: 18 skills carry over, 13 of which the decksman role treats as required.
What skills does an ordinary seaman need to become a decksman?
27 required skills are missing, plus 13 optional ones. They fall into 9 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, led by assisting and caring. The single most important is adhere to traffic regulations on inland waterways.
How hard is the move from ordinary seaman to decksman?
Its learning distance is 77.4 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.