Leading Seaman

Overhaul lifeboats or lifeboat gear and lower or raise lifeboats with winches or falls.

Tie barges together into tow units for tugboats to handle, inspecting barges periodically during voyages and disconnecting them when destinations are reached.

Give directions to crew members engaged in cleaning wheelhouses or quarterdecks.

Clean and polish wood trim, brass, or other metal parts.

Read pressure and temperature gauges or displays and record data in engineering logs.

Chip and clean rust spots on decks, superstructures, or sides of ships, using wire brushes and hand or air chipping machines.

Lubricate machinery, equipment, or engine parts, such as gears, shafts, or bearings.

Maintain a ship's engines under the direction of the ship's engineering officers.

Lower and man lifeboats when emergencies occur.

Stand watch in ships' bows or bridge wings to look for obstructions in a ship's path or to locate navigational aids, such as buoys or lighthouses.

Stand gangway watches to prevent unauthorized persons from boarding ships while in port.

Operate, maintain, or repair ship equipment, such as winches, cranes, derricks, or weapons system.

Participate in shore patrols.

Splice and repair ropes, wire cables, or cordage, using marlinespikes, wire cutters, twine, and hand tools.

Measure depth of water in shallow or unfamiliar waters, using leadlines, and telephone or shout depth information to vessel bridges.

Load or unload materials, vehicles, or passengers from vessels.

Stand by wheels when ships are on automatic pilot and verify accuracy of courses, using magnetic compasses.

Handle lines to moor vessels to wharfs, to tie up vessels to other vessels, or to rig towing lines.

Relay specified signals to other ships, using visual signaling devices, such as blinker lights or semaphores.

Provide engineers with assistance in repairing or adjusting machinery.

Sweep, mop, and wash down decks to remove oil, dirt, and debris, using brooms, mops, brushes, and hoses.

Steer ships under the direction of commanders or navigating officers or direct helmsmen to steer, following designated courses.

Break out, rig, and stow cargo-handling gear, stationary rigging, or running gear.

Record data in ships' logs, such as weather conditions or distances traveled.

Maintain government-issued certifications, as required.

Attach hoses and operate pumps to transfer substances to and from liquid cargo tanks.