QUALIFICATIONS
- Possession of all required by STCW certificates for the type of vessel and its trading patterns and Proficient in English language.
- Administrative experience in handling the ship's accounting, reporting and shipboard planning.
- Good working knowledge of Charter Parties and good communication skills with Charterers.
OBJECTIVES
The Master shall ensure safe navigation and apply objectives regarding safety, quality, security of the ship, crew, cargo, the environment, and energy management.
The Master shall maintain and operate the vessel according to Flag State and International Regulations, Industry Best Practices, Company Policies and Rules.
The Master is the Company's representative and shall ensure vessel's safe, efficient, and economic operation for the Management Company and the Owner. The Master shall promote the Company's interests and protect them in all phases of vessel operations.
The Master should practice fairness and honesty, doing their very best under all prevailing circumstances.
RESPONSIBILITIES
The Company has clearly defined the Master's responsibility regarding:
- Implementing Company's policies.
- Verifying that specified requirements are observed.
- The Company shall ensure that the Master is:
- Properly qualified for command.
- Conversant with the MAIN MANUAL prior to taking command.
- Given the necessary support so that his duties can be safely performed.
The Master is responsible to:
Crew,
for the safety of their lives as well as for health issues.
Charterers,
for the prompt fulfillment of their lawful instructions.
Cargo owners,
for the safe and timely delivery of their cargo without loss or damage and without incidents, which may cause them concern in negative publicity, damage to their business interests or reputation.
Owners and managers/operators of his vessel
for its safe, efficient, and economic operation, safeguarding their interests.
Third parties,
for avoiding damage to their property, livelihood or lives due to an unsafe operation of his vessel.
GENERAL
With the aid of the ship management team the Master continually monitors all aspects of his ship's operations to ensure that they are conducted in accordance with the Company's requirements. Any problems identified, which cannot be rectified on board, are brought to the attention of the Company.
In this respect, the Master is responsible for:
- Promoting the concept of safety and environmental excellence throughout the vessel's organization and motivating the crew for the implementation of the Company's Policies.
- Ensuring that Safety & Environmental requirements, as defined in the SMS, are communicated to the ship's Officers and crew, and are complied with.
- Ensuring that all ship's operations are carried out with due regard to the safety of personnel, ship, and cargo. In the event of any conflict between the demands of safety and any other operational or commercial factors, safety will always take priority.
- Ensuring that all ship's operations are carried out with due regard to the protection of the environment. In the event of any conflict between the demands of environmental protection and any other operational or commercial factors, subject only to the safety of life, environmental protection will always take priority.
- Ensuring the compliance of the vessel with National Law, International Conventions, and the requirements of visited ports and countries and performing all necessary actions, in accordance with the relevant regulations and vessel's operational needs.
- Ensuring that the vessel is always in a safe and seaworthy state for sea.
- Maintaining on board all records required by applicable international conventions, treaties, statutes and regulations and any additional documents or records required under the SMS.
- Implementing, promoting, and ensuring compliance with safe working practices, conditions, hygiene rules and regulations onboard.
- Ensuring that charterers' requirements are properly met.
- Being responsible for the well-being and training of all crew members.
- Preparing ship-specific safety instructions based upon the principles and practices laid down in the Main Manual.
- Organizing the shipboard operations in such a way that the possibilities of accidents are reduced to a minimum.
- Ensuring that any work which involves special risks, or which requires mutual understanding by a number of persons working together is executed and supervised only by competent personnel.
- Ensuring that ship's personnel are assigned work in such a manner that it is suited to their age, state of health and skill.
- Ensuring that the necessary instructions and notices concerning the safety and health of crew are posted in prominent, suitable locations and are brought to the crew's attention.
- Ensuring that all required drills are carried out realistically, effectively, and conscientiously.
- Organizing and monitoring the maintenance of the vessel's decks, accommodation spaces and deck/cargo handling equipment.
- Monitoring and controlling the use and disposition of stores.
- Ensuring that the ship's Officers have valid STCW certificates.
- Ensuring that the vessel's Certificates are in force and notifying the Company when surveys are required.
- Ensuring that Cargo operations are safely affected, and that the vessel's strength and stability is always maintained.
- Keeping the Company informed on his vessel's crewing requirements.
- Ensuring that the Company's policies, procedures, Circulars, etc. are read and always followed.
- Ensuring that regulations regarding garbage disposal are followed, fully co- operated by the Chief Officer.
- Ensuring that communications onboard and ship to shore are maintained according to the Main Manual.
- Ensuring that all required safety equipment, lifesaving appliances and firefighting equipment are available and in good working order.
- Ensuring that the Officer assigned with the duty of life saving and launching appliances maintenance is competent, properly qualified and trained.
- Keeping his watch, if applicable, and ensuring the safe navigation of the vessel while at sea as well as its safe mooring while in port.
- Appointing the vessel's Safety Officer, Medical Officer and GO.
- Promoting crew familiarization and training, as per the Main Manual requirements.
- Evaluating the training needs of his associates and providing the appropriate training, ensuring their awareness on safe working practices and on the need of the ship to operate in an environmentally friendly manner.
- Keeping harmonious relationships with all Officers and crew and instructing them, as necessary.
- Monitoring the performance and effectiveness of the Bridge team members.
- Ensuring that the Main Manual documentation onboard is controlled and removing the superseded documents from areas of work.
- Providing first aid when required.
- Ensuring that working conditions onboard are safe.
- Signing appropriate work permits.
- Conducting/participating in Risk Assessments and Job Hazard Analyses.
- Initiating, when required, incident investigations and issuing relevant reports.
- Ensuring that meetings on Safety & Environmental issues are carried out according to the Company's requirements and chairing the ship's Safety and Environmental Committee meetings.
BASIC FUNCTIONS
- The operation of the vessel with the highest level of safety in accordance with the Company's stated principles, policies, and objectives.
- Being the link between the ship and the Company's organization ashore.
- Defining the functional capability of the Main Manual on board.
- Overriding usual procedures in case the safety of the ship is at risk and requesting assistance at his discretion with no prior approval.
- Being the spot manager of emergency situations.