Skipper to ship captain
A skipper already meets 29% of what the ship captain role asks for. The move turns on 23 required skills not yet in the profile.
75.6/ 100
1 How much of what a ship captain is expected to do is already part of a skipper’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 ship captain role is recorded as needing, required and optional together. What these numbers mean.
Why this move works
A ship captain role treats 10 of its required skills as things a skipper already does. You would walk in with these on day one.
- communicate mooring plans
- conduct water navigation
- ensure vessel security
- manage staff
- plot shipping navigation routes
- steer vessels
What stands in the way is 23 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 11 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. A ship captain role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a skipper background worth leading with.
- already held communicate mooring plans communication, collaboration and creativity
- already held plot shipping navigation routes working with machinery and specialised equipment
- already held steer vessels working with machinery and specialised equipment
- already held vessel points of sail services
- already held conduct water navigation working with machinery and specialised equipment
- already held ensure vessel security information skills
All 11 carried skills, including the 10 the ship captain role treats as required.
Table 3 · What you may need to learn
The 29 missing skills fall into 10 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 supervise loading of cargo required
- still to learn supervise movement of crew required
- still to learn supervise movement of passengers required
- still to learn supervise unloading of cargo required
- still to learn prepare transportation routes required
- still to learn supervise crew required
- still to learn carry out navigational calculations required
- still to learn maintain voyage logs required
- still to learn stay up-to-date with maritime transportation technology required
- still to learn analyse work-related written reports required
- still to learn assess vessel status required
- still to learn operate marine communication systems required
- still to learn operate mechanical equipment of ships required
- still to learn ensure public safety and security required
- still to learn ensure ongoing compliance with regulations required
- optional, not held comply with checklists optional
- optional, not held deal with challenging work conditions 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
- optional, not held warehouse operations optional
- still to learn types of maritime vessels required
- still to learn principles of mechanical engineering required
4 further areas in the appendix
Table 4 · Where to start
The 3 entries a ship captain role is least likely to hire without. The ordering is computed from the skill data, not from what pays.
- 01 assess vessel status practise this
- 02 carry out navigational calculations practise this
- 03 ensure public safety and security 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 11 skills that carry over
- already held communicate mooring plans skill
- already held conduct water navigation skill
- already held ensure vessel security skill
- already held manage staff skill
- already held plot shipping navigation routes skill
- already held steer vessels skill
- already held use maritime English skill
- already held use water navigation devices skill
- already held vessel points of sail knowledge
- already held vessel safety equipment knowledge
- already held secure ships using rope skill
The 4 learning areas not shown above
- still to learn Global Maritime Distress and Safety System required
- still to learn freight transport methods required
- still to learn follow verbal instructions required
- optional, not held apply transportation management concepts optional
- optional, not held create solutions to problems optional
- still to learn geographic areas required
- optional, not held manage ocean-going oil tankers optional
6 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
- optional, not held apply transportation management concepts optional
- optional, not held manage ocean-going oil tankers optional
- optional, not held warehouse operations optional
- optional, not held comply with checklists optional
- optional, not held create solutions to problems optional
- optional, not held deal with challenging work conditions optional
52 held skills the ship captain role does not ask for
- not needed by the target role act reliably skill
- not needed by the target role adhere to traffic regulations on inland waterways skill
- not needed by the target role analyse reports provided by passengers skill
- not needed by the target role analyse travel alternatives skill
- not needed by the target role assess stability of vessels skill
- not needed by the target role assess trim of vessels skill
- not needed by the target role assume highest level of responsibility in inland water transportation skill
- not needed by the target role calculate the amount of cargo on a vessel skill
- not needed by the target role compose stowage plans skill
- not needed by the target role conduct analysis of ship data skill
- not needed by the target role coordinate the itineraries of vessels skill
- not needed by the target role create a work atmosphere of continuous improvement skill
- not needed by the target role distinguish ship construction methods skill
- not needed by the target role distinguish various types of ships skill
- not needed by the target role ensure integrity of hull skill
- not needed by the target role ensure safe loading of goods according to stowage plan skill
- not needed by the target role ensure vessel compliance with regulations skill
- not needed by the target role european classification of inland waterways knowledge
- not needed by the target role functions of vessel deck equipment knowledge
- not needed by the target role have computer literacy skill
- not needed by the target role implement environmental protection measures skill
- not needed by the target role inland waterway police regulations knowledge
- not needed by the target role inland waterway ship building knowledge
- not needed by the target role instruct on technical shore-based operations skill
- not needed by the target role international regulations for cargo handling knowledge
- not needed by the target role international waterways knowledge
- not needed by the target role maintain updated professional knowledge skill
- not needed by the target role manage environmental aspects of inland waterway transportation skill
- not needed by the target role manage vessel cargo activities skill
- not needed by the target role manipulate sails on vessels skill
- not needed by the target role monitor crew members operating engines skill
- not needed by the target role multimodal transport logistics knowledge
- not needed by the target role national regulations on handling cargo knowledge
- not needed by the target role national waterways knowledge
- not needed by the target role navigate European inland waterways skill
- not needed by the target role passenger transport regulations knowledge
- not needed by the target role physical parts of the vessel knowledge
- not needed by the target role prepare safety exercises on ships skill
- not needed by the target role principles of cargo stowage knowledge
- not needed by the target role provide first aid skill
12 further entries not listed here
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 international regulations for preventing collisions at sea required
- still to learn types of maritime vessels required
- still to learn Global Maritime Distress and Safety System required
- still to learn International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships required
- still to learn freight transport methods required
- still to learn geographic areas required
- still to learn principles of mechanical engineering required
- optional, not held warehouse operations optional
Common questions about this move
Can a skipper become a ship captain?
Yes, and it is a career change move. A skipper already covers 29% of what a ship captain is expected to do: 11 skills carry over, 10 of which the ship captain role treats as required.
What skills does a skipper need to become a ship captain?
23 required skills are missing, plus 6 optional ones. They fall into 10 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, led by management skills. The single most important is assess vessel status.
How hard is the move from skipper to ship captain?
Its learning distance is 75.6 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.