Sailor to fisheries deckhand
A sailor already meets 28% of what the fisheries deckhand role asks for. The move turns on 25 required skills not yet in the profile.
79.1/ 100
1 How much of what a fisheries deckhand is expected to do is already part of a sailor’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 10 of its required skills as things a sailor already does. You would walk in with these on day one.
- assist anchoring operations
- clean ships
- follow verbal instructions
- follow work procedures
- moor vessels
- operate echo sounding equipment
What stands in the way is 25 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 17 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 sailor background worth leading with.
- already held operate echo sounding equipment working with machinery and specialised equipment
- already held operate traditional water depth measurement equipment working with machinery and specialised equipment
- already held prepare deck equipment handling and moving
- already held clean ships handling and moving
- already held prepare lifeboats working with machinery and specialised equipment
- already held assist anchoring operations working with machinery and specialised equipment
All 17 carried skills, including the 10 the fisheries deckhand role treats as required.
Table 3 · What you may need to learn
The 46 missing skills fall into 12 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 fisheries legislation required
- still to learn fishing gear required
- still to learn fishing vessels required
- still to learn risks associated with undertaking fishing operations required
- still to learn code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries required
- still to learn deterioration of fish products required
- still to learn quality of fish products required
- optional, not held fisheries management optional
- still to learn use fishing vessel equipment required
- still to learn maintain safe navigation watches required
- still to learn operate ship equipment required
- still to learn support vessel manoeuvres required
- optional, not held operate ship rescue machinery optional
- optional, not held use radar navigation optional
- optional, not held communicate using the global maritime distress and safety system optional
- still to learn follow hygienic practices in fishery operations required
- still to learn assist with emergencies required
- still to learn extinguish fires required
- still to learn survive at sea in the event of ship abandonment required
- optional, not held maintain safe engineering watches optional
- optional, not held maintain vessel safety and emergency equipment optional
- still to learn preserve fish products required
- still to learn assist in ship maintenance required
- still to learn handle cargo required
- still to learn handle fish products required
- optional, not held mark migrating fish optional
- still to learn international regulations for preventing collisions at sea required
- still to learn International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships required
- still to learn quality assurance methodologies required
- still to learn fire-fighting systems required
- still to learn health and safety regulations required
6 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.
Each entry opens a course search for that skill. Career Overlap earns nothing from these links.
Appendix · The rest of the record
All 17 skills that carry over
- already held assist anchoring operations skill
- already held clean ships skill
- already held follow verbal instructions skill
- already held follow work procedures skill
- already held moor vessels skill
- already held operate echo sounding equipment skill
- already held prepare deck equipment skill
- already held prepare lifeboats skill
- already held secure ships using rope skill
- already held unmoor vessels skill
- already held Global Maritime Distress and Safety System knowledge
- already held assist in maritime rescue operations skill
- already held conduct on board safety inspections skill
- already held operate traditional water depth measurement equipment skill
- already held perform lookout duties during maritime operations skill
- already held types of maritime vessels knowledge
- already held use maritime English skill
The 6 learning areas not shown above
- still to learn pollution prevention 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
- 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 report to captain optional
- optional, not held undertake continuous professional development in fishery operations optional
- optional, not held fish anatomy optional
- optional, not held maritime meteorology optional
- optional, not held assessment of risks and threats optional
21 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 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 relay messages through radio and telephone systems optional
- optional, not held report to captain optional
- optional, not held support fishery training procedures 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 assessment of risks and threats optional
- optional, not held communicate using the global maritime distress and safety system optional
- optional, not held fisheries management optional
- optional, not held work in shifts optional
15 held skills the fisheries deckhand role does not ask for
- not needed by the target role act reliably skill
- not needed by the target role anchor ships to the port skill
- not needed by the target role anchors used in maritime water transport knowledge
- not needed by the target role clean parts of vessels skill
- not needed by the target role communicate reports provided by passengers skill
- not needed by the target role deal with challenging work conditions skill
- not needed by the target role ensure public safety and security skill
- not needed by the target role follow written instructions skill
- not needed by the target role guide ships into docks skill
- not needed by the target role have computer literacy skill
- not needed by the target role lift heavy weights skill
- not needed by the target role paint ship decks skill
- not needed by the target role steer vessels in ports skill
- not needed by the target role use different types of fire extinguishers skill
- not needed by the target role watch for maritime navigation aids skill
17 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 fisheries legislation required
- still to learn fishing gear required
- still to learn fishing vessels required
- still to learn international regulations for preventing collisions at sea required
- still to learn risks associated with undertaking fishing operations required
- still to learn International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships required
- still to learn code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries required
- 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 pollution prevention required
- still to learn quality assurance methodologies required
- still to learn quality of fish products required
- optional, not held fish anatomy optional
- optional, not held maritime meteorology optional
- optional, not held assessment of risks and threats optional
- optional, not held fisheries management optional
Common questions about this move
Can a sailor become a fisheries deckhand?
Yes, and it is a career change move. A sailor already covers 28% of what a fisheries deckhand is expected to do: 17 skills carry over, 10 of which the fisheries deckhand role treats as required.
What skills does a sailor need to become a fisheries deckhand?
25 required skills are missing, plus 21 optional ones. They fall into 12 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, led by agriculture, forestry, fisheries and veterinary. The single most important is fisheries legislation.
How hard is the move from sailor to fisheries deckhand?
Its learning distance is 79.1 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.