Ship Captain

Arrange for ships to be fueled, restocked with supplies, or repaired.

Calculate sightings of land, using electronic sounding devices and following contour lines on charts.

Direct or coordinate crew members or workers performing activities such as loading or unloading cargo, steering vessels, operating engines, or operating, maintaining, or repairing ship equipment.

Read gauges to verify sufficient levels of hydraulic fluid, air pressure, or oxygen.

Collect fares from customers or signal ferryboat helpers to collect fares.

Tow and maneuver barges or signal tugboats to tow barges to destinations.

Purchase supplies or equipment.

Monitor the loading or discharging of cargo or passengers.

Compute positions, set courses, and determine speeds, using charts, area plotting sheets, compasses, sextants, and knowledge of local conditions.

Perform various marine duties, such as checking for oil spills or other pollutants around ports or harbors or patrolling beaches.

Sort logs, form log booms, or salvage lost logs.

Signal passing vessels, using whistles, flashing lights, flags, or radios.

Assign watches or living quarters to crew members.

Signal crew members or deckhands to rig tow lines, open or close gates or ramps, or pull guard chains across entries.

Conduct safety drills with crew.

Dock or undock vessels, sometimes maneuvering through narrow spaces, such as locks.

Resolve questions or problems with customs officials.

Maintain records of daily activities, personnel reports, ship positions and movements, ports of call, weather and sea conditions, pollution control efforts, or cargo or passenger status.

Maintain boats or equipment on board, such as engines, winches, navigational systems, fire extinguishers, or life preservers.

Steer and operate vessels, using radios, depth finders, radars, lights, buoys, or lighthouses.

Interview and hire crew members.

Measure depths of water, using depth-measuring equipment.

Adjust navigation according to weather conditions.