Profession - Captain of coastal and long-distance navigation, chief navigator of the vessel. Captains and commanders, “walks” or “floats” and what is a “gadget

Educational program for "dummies": who does what on the ship and how not to get confused in elementary maritime jargon

A "land" person does not know how complex and multifaceted the life of a sailor is. Everyone on the ship is responsible for his own area of ​​work, and the crew of the ship consists of people of many maritime professions, without whom not a single ship would go to sea. Let's try to figure out the "backbone" of the seafarers, who does what and why a ship cannot do without these people.

bataler

This name does not apply to "battles" and military terminology. Everything is much more prosaic. Bataler - a person who is responsible for supplying the crew with food and non-food products, keeps records and draws up reporting documentation.

A bataler is a non-combatant fleet, but it is impossible to imagine a ship leaving the port without it.

Boatswain

Senior combatant "non-commissioned officer". All lower ranks are subordinate to him - both combatant and non-combatant. The boatswain is responsible for the order on the ship. The duties include testing the knowledge of sailors in maritime affairs.

The position of boatswain implies responsibility for the technical condition of the spars and rigging. He is also responsible for the technical condition of all ship equipment. There may be one boatswain or a whole boatswain team on the ship, the senior in it bears the title of chief boatswain. Each of them keeps watch on deck in turn.

Captain

Ship commander. In maritime jargon, the captain is called "cap" (behind the eyes, of course). This is the most important person on the ship, his orders are carried out implicitly, even by senior officers.

The chief commander of the entire crew must know the ship, the strengths and weaknesses of the crew like the back of his hand and manage the process of moving the ship even in critical situations. No wonder there is an unspoken rule that the captain leaves the ship last - even during a storm.

He is responsible for saving the lives of the crew and the ship itself in the event of an unforeseen situation. If the ship cannot be saved, the captain is obliged to organize the rescue of the personnel and leave the ship with him, but only later than everyone else.

It would take a very long time to list all the duties of the captain of the ship, since they cover a wide range: from sanitary and economic management of affairs during navigation to safety and management of the vessel, responsibility for observing the regime of maritime spaces, international law.

Cook

Another position, without the owner of which even a fragile ship will not go on a voyage for several days.

An analogue to a civilian cook, a sea cook must not only prepare tasty and healthy food from the products at his disposal, but also correctly calculate their quantity. Otherwise, the team may remain hungry, and he himself may be overboard.


Only the most trained sailors are selected for the position of cook, and the captain moving to another ship tries to lure a well-known cook to him.

Pilot

The duties of the pilot also include ensuring the safety of the ship's mooring. In the old days, the pilot had an assistant, whom the crew called the "carrier", because he measured the depth with a stick, standing on the bow of the ship.

Now this position has practically been withdrawn from the ship's staff, and the duties are performed by the navigator and navigator. But in order to overcome difficult straits and enter a narrow harbor, a local pilot who knows the surrounding water area and the seabed like the back of his hand always boards.

Sailor

It belongs to the lower order of the ship and belongs to the category of employees who ensure order on the deck. Roughly speaking, the sailor performs all the rough work on the ship. However, in civil navigation this position is very common.


The duties of a sailor include: washing the deck, cleaning, cleaning, rigging and cargo operations. But if it seems that anyone can become a sailor, this is not at all the case. To be admitted to a position, a modern sailor must have the skills to navigate a ship and navigate with a compass. The sailor is obliged to monitor the state of the vessel during the course. And even if he never uses these skills during a flight, he will not be able to join the team without them.

An inexperienced or lazy sailor who does not know how to do anything or does not want to do anything is called a “newbie”. This nickname is so widely included in the marine lexicon that on some ships the entire crew calls the sailors nothing more than “salagas”.

Machinist (minder)

The workplace of the driver (sometimes the position is called the “minder”) is the hold of the ship. This person is included in the ordinary, sometimes foremen of the ship, and is responsible for maintaining fire, drainage and other systems necessary for the correct operation of the ship.

The driver constantly monitors the serviceability of the engine and is obliged to know all the subtleties and nuances of eliminating breakdowns as quickly as possible. In addition, the machinist must be fluent in mooring skills, manage boats and be an excellent swimmer.

The work of a machinist is not at all easy, sometimes even exhausting, so a person is required not only good physical fitness, but also nerves of steel.

Mechanic

The mechanic works directly in the engine room of the vessel and monitors the operation of the engine and its parts, supervises the machinists. The mechanics have a great responsibility, his work is also not sugar. He has to spend the whole shift in a stuffy closed room without proper lighting, his hands are soiled with fuel oil and oil.

Most ships have only three mechanics. This is also associated with difficult working conditions: the shift is four hours, after which the mechanic rests for eight, while the next two take over in turn.

With the well-established operation of the mechanisms, the mechanic simply maintains their working condition, but in case of accidents and failures, an emergency starts. Then all three representatives of this maritime profession work tirelessly for days, trying to restore the ship's buoyancy and driving performance.

Senior assistant captain (commander)

In maritime jargon - simply "senior officer" or, as sailors are very fond of saying, "chief". A person who does nothing, but likes to give orders, as the junior staff of any ship believes. But, of course, everything is exactly the opposite.

The chief officer is the second person after the captain, so it is not surprising that he has a lot of responsibility. As the first deputy "cap", he manages all work on the ship, is responsible for the preparation of the crew and the condition of the ship during the voyage. At any moment, the first officer must be ready to replace the captain.

Navigator

He manages the ship, makes sure that the ship does not go astray, plots a course, monitors the navigation system and checks with the route map, manages the mooring, checks the health of the anchors and measures the depth so that the ship does not run aground during the stop.

In maritime jargon, it means "leader", since it is the navigator who leads the ship and all the sailors. A sub-navigator helps the navigator in a difficult task, who, in which case, can replace his boss.

cabin boy

Many believe that the cabin boy is a real naval rank, but this is not entirely true. A few centuries ago, cabin boys were called boys or teenagers who carried out cleaning and maintenance work on the deck.

However, intermittently, but such a rank in the combat composition of the vessel really existed, and in Russian Empire even opened Jung schools. In fact, the cabin boy is a boy who was being prepared for the position of a sailor.

Some of the above titles were abolished, some still remain, under other names. In fact, there are a lot of maritime positions, because a ship is a whole life, a huge mechanism, which requires the uninterrupted work of tens or even hundreds of people.

In accordance with the ISM Code (Clause 5.2), the ship's master exercises supreme authority on the ship and is responsible for safety and pollution prevention decisions and for requesting assistance, if required.

The captain of the vessel is the highest official and the main, key figure in the "SMS" of the vessel.

Vessel captains are the defining, key figures in the "Safety Management System" of the company as a whole.

Legal Requirements for the Master of a Vessel

The duties, powers and responsibilities of the captain of the ship are defined:

  1. International conventions, agreements, mandatory norms;
  2. The norms of the national legislation of the Flag State (RF);
  3. Merchant Shipping Code;
  4. Charter of service on courts;
  5. disciplinary charter;
  6. Departmental organizational and administrative documents - orders, orders, regulations, rules, instructions, etc.;
  7. the articles of association of the company;
  8. Organizational - administrative documents of the company - orders, orders, circulars, etc.;
  9. "Guidelines" for the "SUB" of the company.

In the Merchant Shipping Code Russian Federation» (“KTM-99”) the duties, powers and responsibilities of the master of the ship are defined in chapter 2 (Articles 61-75).

According to Art. 61 “Ship management and other duties of the captain of the ship”, the captain “is entrusted with the management of the ship, including navigation, taking measures to ensure the safety of navigation of the ship, protect the marine environment, maintain order on the ship, prevent harm to the ship, people on the ship and cargo."

In the current "Charter of service on ships of the Ministry of the Maritime Flag of the USSR" (1976), the duties, powers and responsibilities of the captain of the ship are defined in Chapter V (Articles 60-125).

Captain's place

According to Art. 60, the captain is the head of the ship's crew, a trustee of the state, responsible for the safety of the ship, the life of the people on it and the cargo carried. According to Art. 61, the captain manages the vessel on the basis of one-man command and reports directly to the head of the shipping company.

The captain of the vessel is fully subject to the provisions of the Charter on Discipline of Employees maritime transport”, which entered into force on September 1, 2000.

The requirements of the ISM Code in relation to the captain of the ship are defined in Chapter 5 "Responsibilities and powers of the captain" (clauses 5.1-5.2). as well as in clause 6.1 of the ISM Code.

The Company must ensure that the "SMS" used on the ship contains a clear confirmation of the master's authority. The company should establish that the master has supreme authority and responsibility on board the ship in relation to safety and pollution prevention decisions and in relation to the request for assistance, if required.

Qualification requirements for the master of the ship are defined in the MC "STCW - 78/95" (Regulation 11/2, Sections A-II/2 and B II/2 of the "STCW Code").

The general duties of the captain of the vessel must be determined by the company on the basis of the documents specified in paragraph 1.5.2, taking into account the specifics of the activities of the company's vessels.

Company policy regarding the captain of the vessel

A company policy regarding a ship's captain may include the following main elements:

  1. Careful and thoughtful preparation of the reserve for the position of captain from among the most capable, qualified, responsible senior assistants to the captain;
  2. Passage of candidates for the position of captain of special interviews in departments, services, departments of the company, as well as special advanced training courses (including courses on the ISM Code) and special training courses;
  3. Special control and assistance to young captains from the side of flag captains, including the obligatory departure of the flag captain on the first voyage with the young captain;
  4. Giving masters of ships broad powers and powers, both in the recruitment of crews and in the course of the operational activities of the vessel, respect and trust in captains, as well as ensuring the necessary measures to protect the captains of ships in the proper performance of their duties in relation to maritime safety and security marine environment (in accordance with IMO Resolution A. 443(IX) and Rule V/34 of SOLAS-74);
  5. Providing all necessary support for the safe performance of the captain's duties;
  6. The company will always support any decision made by the captain of the vessel in good health and in the interests of the company;
  7. Ensuring that captains of ships are fully aware of the "company mission", the main elements, objectives and principles of the company's policy and the field of safety, and environmental protection, as well as the current "Safety Management System" (SMS) of the company;
  8. Ensuring the proper qualification of the captains of the company's ships, including through the systematic (at least every five years) passing approved advanced training courses;
  9. Careful and friendly control of the activities of ship captains by the company.

The Company shall expressly and clearly affirm the authority of the masters of its ships The master of the ship shall exercise supreme authority on the ship and shall be responsible for safety and pollution prevention decisions and for requesting assistance if required.

In accordance with regulation 34 of the revised chapter V of the SOLAS-74 convention, the master of a ship should not be limited by the shipowner, charterer, company or other person, in the right to make any decision that, in the professional judgment of the master, is necessary to ensure the safety of navigation and protection marine environment.


Captain's negligence

Ensuring the safety of the ship's crew and its cargo is the main duty of the captain of the ship, failure to fulfill which entails his responsibility. Nothing contained in the "Guidelines" and "SUV" in no way relieves the master of the vessel from his duties in relation to the crew, vessel, cargo and / or from compliance with the requirements of international conventions (including SOLAS-74. STCW-8 / 95 ”, “MARIOL-73/78”, the convention on “COLREGs-72” with the latest amendments and additions).

Likewise, what is contained in the “Guidelines” on the “SMS” does not restrict the master of the ship from making other decisions if he considers them more effective and / or necessary in the specific conditions and circumstances of the case.

The company's "SMS" documents must be clearly defined and documented.

The captain's responsibility for:

  1. Implementation of the company's policy to ensure safety and protect the environment;
  2. Encourage the crew to comply with this policy;
  3. Issuance of relevant orders and instructions in a clear and simple form (orders for the ship, entries in the order log for watch on the bridge, etc.);
  4. Verification of compliance with the requirements (including by delegating the authority to conduct the verification to the ship's officers, while the master remains responsible for ensuring that these officers apply the company's established and documented verification procedures, including the use of the appropriate "Checklists");
  5. Reviewing the SMS and reporting any SMS deficiencies related to the operation of the ship to the shore management services, while information on the SMS deficiencies should include specific proposals for corrective actions and recommendations for improving the SMS.

Emphasizing the above responsibility of the captain, the company (in accordance with clause 6.1 of the ISM Code) ensures and controls that the captain of the company's vessel:

  • Had the proper qualifications;
  • Was fully aware of the "SUB" company;
  • Received all necessary support for the safe performance of their duties.

The company's assessment that the captain is "appropriately qualified" to command the vessel is made by:

  1. Control of the presence (or receipt by the captain) of the appropriate certificate of competence;
  2. Passing special advanced training courses, training courses, obtaining the required certificates;
  3. Passing the established certification every 5 years;
  4. Taking into account the captain's satisfactory track record and his previous work experience, including on ships of this type or this tonnage group;
  5. Accounting for information received from other companies and from inspecting organizations;
  6. Accounting information about incentives and penalties.

The company must ensure that the master is “fully informed” of all established safety and environmental requirements by:

  1. Inclusion of such requirements in the "Guidelines" for the "SMS" of the company, in the operating instructions, job and work instructions for the ship's crew;
  2. Introduction of the procedure for studying the "Manuals" on the "SMS" of the company, advanced training courses, special preliminary training of crews;
  3. Introduction of the practice of mandatory systematic official meetings of the captain with the management of the company, etc.

An important element of the company's policy should be timely, complete and objective informing the captains about the state of affairs in the joint-stock company, the main activities of the board of directors and the board.

For these purposes, usually:

  1. A single (monthly) information day is established for captains who are on shore on vacation and awaiting direction to the ship;
  2. The practice of personal meetings of the top management of the company with the captains before being sent to the ship and at the end of the voyage (contract) is supported;
  3. The practice of regular meetings of the management and leading specialists of the company with the captains and officers of the vessels as part of advanced training courses, etc. continues.

In relations with ship captains, as well as with all the company's personnel, the company's management adheres to the principles of openness, locality, integrity and complete clarity.

The company must ensure that the captain of the ship receives all the necessary support to carry out his duties safely.


Rescue example

Questions and suggestions raised by the captain should be given priority attention in all divisions and at all levels of the company's management, timely adoption of appropriate and effective measures, and a mandatory personal response.

In the event of an emergency, dangerous or emergency it is important to properly prioritize before any decisions and actions are taken. The priorities should be as follows:

  • Life safety.

This is the top priority and extends to any action.

  • Vessel safety.

Ship safety is practically synonymous with saving human life. If the ship is safe, then there is much less of a threat to human life and the environment.

After the safety of life and the safety of the vessel, which have the highest priority, the most important are the safety of the cargo and the safety of the environment. It should be borne in mind that in today's shipping industry, fines for spilling oil and oil products, especially in environmentally sensitive areas, can be ruinous for a company.

If, in a dangerous situation, the vessel needs urgent assistance, the captain of the vessel must be authorized by the company to independently seek the necessary assistance and sign a salvage or towing contract, even without consulting the shipowner, if such consultation is impossible or difficult or involves an unacceptable loss of time.

The Company expects that the captain of the vessel will take all reasonable measures to ensure that the vessel proceeds in accordance with the established timetable.

However, no time savings should come at the cost of reduced safety and unnecessary risk.

Safety first!

In matters of safety, the master of a ship has the right and duty to take prudently any action which, in his opinion, will be in the best interests of the safety of his ship, and no consideration of prior planning, convenience, or prior instructions given shall cause the master to take risks which he considered unacceptably dangerous.

The company will always support a decision made by the captain in good health and in the interests of safety.

Responsibility for navigation

The captain of the ship is responsible for safe navigation. He ensures that the ship is operated in accordance with applicable regulations, good seamanship and navigational circumstances.

The captain must always prevent damage to the vessel. He must ensure that neither the ship nor its SPP is subjected to undue stress when sailing in stormy conditions by slowing down or changing course appropriately if the ship experiences severe shocks, especially when she is in ballast.

The captain of the ship is obliged to develop and maintain his knowledge and skills in navigation, in managing the ship in various navigational, hydrographic and hydrometeorological conditions in order to always be able to ensure the management of the ship in accordance with highest standards maritime practice.

The captain organizes and controls navigational and watchkeeping service on the ship in accordance with the requirements of the Charter of Service on Ships, international codes, the company's manual for the organization of navigational service and other organizational and administrative documents.

The captain must control the deep knowledge of all navigators on COLREGs-72 and ensure the navigation of the vessel always in strict accordance with this and the rules.

The captain must be present on the bridge at least in the following cases:

  1. When called by an officer on duty;
  2. With limited visibility;
  3. When following in the area of ​​intensive navigation;
  4. When sailing in tight waters;
  5. When sailing with a pilot;
  6. When entering the port, leaving the port, mooring operations (including at the monobuoy or when mooring to another vessel);
  7. When anchoring and shooting from anchor;
  8. When sailing near shallow water or navigational hazards;
  9. Heavy weather conditions or other circumstances where, in the opinion of the master, there is a potential threat to the safety of the vessel, crew or the environment;
  10. When approaching the shore after an ocean voyage;
  11. during rescue operations;
  12. At any other time when, in his opinion, conditions exist that pose a potential threat to the safety of the ship.

Although the captain is always responsible for the navigational safety of the ship, there may be circumstances in which the captain will have to spend many hours on the bridge. As a result, fatigue due to a long stay on the bridge can weaken the efficiency and vigilance of the captain. Therefore, the captain's presence on the bridge should be pre-planned and, as far as possible, coincide with periods of greatest need.

In addition, in such situations, the master has the right (and duty, when required) to delegate his authority and responsibility in relation to presence on the bridge, control of the ship and ensuring the safety of navigation to the chief officer, to the extent necessary in order to give the master exact time for relax.

If the master has doubts about the possibility of such a transfer of responsibility to the chief mate, the master is obliged to inform the company about this.

The master should, whenever it is safe, reasonable and practicable, train the chief mate in the practical handling of the ship.


Practical lesson in the management of the vessel by the senior assistant to the captain

The captain must ensure the safety of such training, control the development of the situation and be ready at any time to take control of the ship.

The master must ensure that before the start of the passage, a plan for the upcoming passage is developed that fully meets the requirements for ensuring navigational safety and good sea practice (section 2 of this "Guidelines"). This plan must be discussed with all the captain's assistants, accepted for execution, and the implementation of the approved passage plan must be monitored during the entire voyage of the vessel.

Before leaving the port, the captain must make sure that the ship is seaworthy in all respects. In particular, it is necessary to check that all hatches, manholes, necks are closed, clamped, battened down as required.

The master must ensure that the course of the vessel is kept "clear" from headlands and navigational obstructions during the course of the voyage, and that the practice employed ensures navigational safety.

The vessel must proceed to its destination in accordance with the established timetable, but in full compliance with safety requirements. The safety of the crew, the ship, the cargo, the environment must always take precedence over economic considerations, both in choosing the route of passage and in the process of operating the ship at sea. Safety standards and “margins” must not be lowered, for any reason, and under no pressure from any company officer.

Vessel speed should be reduced if navigation conditions require it.

You should not take an unreasonable risk that poses a danger to the crew, ship, cargo, or the environment. The selected solutions should be based on the requirements of good maritime practice and a deep knowledge of the characteristics, features, behavior of the vessel under a given loading option.

The officer in charge of the watch should be given clear instructions in which situations the captain should be called to the bridge without delay. The officer in charge of the watch must always know where he can find the captain at any given time.

Must be clearly stated in the ship's logbook when the master takes over the ship.

The captain must set the mode of navigation watch on the bridge depending on the navigation conditions, including organizing an enhanced watch when sailing in difficult navigation conditions.


Spilled oil from a sinking oil tanker

The master must ensure that all safety systems on board (such as life-saving appliances, fire-fighting equipment) are properly operated and that watch officers and other crew members are appropriately positioned to use such systems.

Regular exercises should be carried out, especially in the early stages of the voyage and without fail before leaving the voyage after factory repairs. Information on the operation of security systems and the exercises carried out should be recorded in the appropriate log.

The master must ensure that ship's draft information is clearly available to the officer in charge of the watch throughout the passage. The ship's draft must be indicated in the wheelhouse and recorded in the ship's log. A designated mate should ensure that changes in ship's draft during a voyage, including due to ballasting (especially at sea), are properly calculated, accounted for and recorded.

A special tablet showing the general dimensions of the ship and detailed information about the maneuvering characteristics of the ship must be permanently posted in the wheelhouse. An internationally recommended example of such a plate is given in the appendix to BPG-98. The operational status of the ship's power plant and navigation equipment should be shown either on the same board or next to it.

The master should ensure that, where appropriate, mates leaving the ship are briefed by mates arriving on board. It is important that newly arriving helpers be shown how to turn on, set up and use all equipment on the bridge.

The captain must ensure that all assistants to the captain (including those arriving on board the ship) familiarize themselves with the "Guidelines for the organization of the navigation service of the company", understand its contents and accept it as a guide to action, certifying this with their signature on a special familiarization sheet.

The master shall issue, when necessary and appropriate, his operational orders in writing and enter them in the Bridge Orders Book and the Night Orders Book, ensuring that the captain's assistants get acquainted with these orders, attesting to this with their signature, before starting to perform the duties of a watch officer on the next watch.

The master shall ensure and supervise that the captain's assistants properly maintain all ship's logbooks established by the company in accordance with the current instructions for their completion.

The master of the ship is responsible for immediately (to the best of circumstances) reporting of any accident or emergency, incident, damage, pollution to the company and other interested parties, as defined in the company's Emergency and Emergency Response Manual.

This article is devoted to some marine words and expressions that are widely used, but often incorrectly and incorrectly sound from the lips of the layman. This "sin" and the sailors themselves. The correct interpretation can be searched in marine dictionaries, and finally on the Internet. As it turns out, the answers to the questions that arise in these sources are not always complete and exhaustive, or even completely absent. Let us turn to the speakers of the maritime language - to those who consciously and carefully treat the preservation of maritime traditions.

A few words about the origin of Russian marine terminology. In the preface to the "Complete Marine Encyclopedia" N. S. Andryushchenko edition of 2006, candidate of philological sciences E. P. Shibinskaya writes:


“... In the era of the great geographical discoveries Italian was the main source of replenishment of the maritime and commercial vocabulary for all European languages. In the very Italian special vocabulary was created on the basis of the Genoese and Venetian dialects. Italian sailors in everyday communication borrowed terms from the Greeks and Arabs, who retained the Phoenician and Egyptian terms ... For a very short time, no more than a hundred years, the borrowing language was Spanish.

In the Petrine era in Russia, the first source language of marine terms was Italian for a short time, then it became mainly Dutch. Borrowings from the English language also began under Peter I, and by the beginning of the 20th century. it became the leading source language and intermediary in the formation of new maritime terms. In addition, with the help of formants of Germanic origin (such as -man, -lin, -falsh, -tov) they began to form new Russian words ... "

Here is the first widespread misconception that Italians- mediocre sailors who do not have long-standing maritime roots and traditions.

To the base or to the base. In almost all publications in the press, even the naval one, and reports about the fleet, something like “... after the successful completion of the combat mission, the ship returned to base” often sounds. So which is correct "to the base" or "to the base"? It depends on what base we are talking about. If we are talking about a coastal base (supply point, storage place), then it would be correct to say: “a batch of beef has arrived at the coastal base.” It should be noted that ships almost never arrive at the barbaza, this is the lot of vehicles. But if the point of basing ships is meant, then they only say this: “the ship requested permission to go to the base” or “the ship arrived (should) go to the base.”

Rynda or bell? A significant part of the maritime brotherhood sincerely believes that the rynda is a ship's (ship's) bell. Moreover, in everyday life, almost everyone already calls the ship's bell nothing more than a rynda. In fact, "rynda" is a signal that is given at noon by a bell on ships of the Navy of the 1st and 2nd ranks. As for the ship's (ship's) bell, in all current governing documents, including international ones (COLREGs), it is called nothing more than a bell. When giving orders on a ship (vessel), the term "bell" is also used. There is one item (not a signal) that contains the word "rynda" in its name. This is a short braided end, for which the tongue of the ship's bell is set in motion - "ryndybulin". But still, if someone wants to show off their knowledge of maritime affairs, it is worth using the expression “ship (ship) bell”.

Avral - a command or a signal? Another common, especially on auxiliary ships of the Navy. The misconception concerns the concept of "hands-on". As you know, all-hands work is a ship's work performed by the entire crew or most of it. On the ships and vessels of the Navy, a bell signal (No. 6) is provided, which is called “Collection” (“Avral”), but the “Avral” command is not provided for by any governing documents. Therefore, after the characteristic emergency calls, the commands are heard: “Big gathering”, “Personnel line up for a divorce for work”, “Stand in places, remove the anchor (mooring lines)”, but the word “Avral” should not sound on the ship broadcast. As they say, the ear cuts.

The captain of the ship and the captain of the ship. What is the correct way to call an official heading the crew of a sea or air ship (vessel) a commander or a captain? In the general case, the commander is a soldier who commands a warship, and the captain is the head and sole head of the ship's crew. The expressions "captain of the ship" and "commander of the ship" are not used: these are alogisms.

There are, however, exceptions. It is well known that in civil aviation the commander of the ship supervises the crew and controls the aircraft. Fishermen in Murmansk stubbornly call their captains commanders, and at the same time no one calls fishing vessels ships. Agree, it would be foolish to argue with them. Until recently, Navy auxiliary vessels with civilian crews were led by military commanders. The position was called that - “commander of a hydrographic vessel”, for example.

It is not necessary to strictly judge those who are no-no, and even call the commander of the ship a captain (but still not a captain of a ship). After all, sailors often call their commanders exactly that - “cap” (behind the eyes, of course). This somewhat slang expression even entered the marine dictionaries. The influence of the West, as some believe, has nothing to do with it.

English at sea. It's no secret that the Navy doesn't pay enough attention to the English language. But in vain, it is always easier and more reliable to agree on a divergence with an oncoming vessel than to secretly carry out calculations known to you alone. Besides, no matter how much it bothers someone, English language at sea is the international language of communication. And here it must be borne in mind that the generally accepted maritime jargon is somewhat different from ordinary English.

Here are some features. On VHF, they are presented not as they usually do when calling in Russian “I am such and such (I am ...)”, but “this is such and such calls ( This is … calling)". If “I didn’t understand” they still say it like “Not understood”, then “Understood” at sea more often sounds like “ Roger". "Right" and "left" at sea are not "right" and "left", but " star board" and " port". Naval phrasebooks do not fully take into account the peculiarities of maritime English jargon. It should be borne in mind that on a Greek or French vessel with which a VHF connection is established, the same "English" as you are, and they may simply not understand ornate English expressions. Once upon a time there was an article on this topic on the pages of foreign military review.

Walk or swim. Knowledgeable people Sailors walk and ships float. You can also hear the opposite. So how is it right? The answer to this question is not as simple as it seems at first glance.

Much depends on the context. Both ships and sailors go away into the sea, not float away. ship on the sea goes and not float. And we can say that both the ship and the sailor sailed. New navigation signs and alignments swim, and, of course, do not bypass. There are fixed expressions in which sailors swim. For instance, " swam - we know". Another expression " floating admiral"indicates that not all admirals walk in the sea. You can say "according to this map we are already swam", but always say "next let's go(but we don’t sail) on the map number ... ”As you can see, it’s all about the nuances.

Far from immediately, a sailor, having stepped on the deck of a ship, begins to understand these subtleties, to speak correctly and understandably for the rest of the sailors. Currently, for the rank and file of military and civilian sailors, there are numerous "machine gun courses", after which young sailors, in theory, should understand the commands given to them. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. But even for a banal mooring, people on deck should know what fire, bollard, clewse, bale plank, duck, spire, windlass. And if the case takes a more serious turn, then open lac-ports, go abgaldyri etc. And if some items on the ship have their counterpart in land life, then there are those that are only on the ship, and no one knows how to call them differently.

What does it have to do with " gadget"? This word, especially with the advent of mobile phones, tablets and other gadgets in our lives, as we now say, has firmly entered our everyday life. But this is an old English sea word. The missing ordinary members of the team in those distant times were recruited anywhere, as a rule, in port taverns. Since the recruits, of course, did not understand the commands, the officers called objects that they did not understand, to begin with, the word “gadget” (gadget). Over time, the sailors got used to the marine terms, but the word "gadget" if necessary, easily replaced any name on the ship.

The same universal word exists in the modern Russian fleet, but we will not give it here, since it, like many other words and expressions used on ships, is outside the normative vocabulary. Is it necessary to fight the naval obscenity? The answer is asymmetric: you need to learn the structure of the ship!

Details Updated: 12/22/2018 19:23 Published: 05/08/2017 18:39

The captain of the ship makes the final decision on all issues, whether it is the choice of course, unscheduled repairs, an emergency situation on board. He directs the actions of the team, solves problems with the purchase of food, loadinggoods, agree on the time of arrival at the ports,ensures timely refueling of the shipfuel, etc. The captain understands everything fromfrom the device of the ship and its technical equipmentand ending with the legal subtleties of registration documents.

Profession features:

You should always be prepared for the unexpected. Anything can happen in sailing - a strong storm, a collision with drifting icebergs, holes, and the cargo must be delivered on time, safe and sound. Most of the time the captain has to spend on the voyage. The captains of river vessels in Ukraine have seasonal work - only in summer, in winter - vacation.

Place of work:

Companies engaged in fishing, passenger and cargo transportation.

Personal qualities:

First of all, the captain is a leader who knows how to manage people. He is able to find an approach to each member of the crew, remaining friendly and, at the same time, demanding. This job is for those who love the sea, are not afraid of difficulties, and have good health. On the passenger ship the captain is the face of the ship, and among his mandatory qualities are a presentable appearance, the ability to interest the interlocutor, and good manners. It is still an exclusively male profession (Professions for men). Girls are not accepted to the corresponding specialties in educational institutions (

The captain of the ship has a set of rights and obligations related to the management of the crew and the exercise of administrative powers. The proper management of the ship and its safe navigation are ensured by the proper organization of the work of all services of the ship, the maintenance of the ship and the equipment on board in good technical condition, the staffing of the ship with qualified specialists and the adoption by the captain of the correct navigational decisions.
When preparing for navigation, the captain is obliged to check the presence on the ship of the necessary corrected navigational charts and manuals for the voyage, work out with the navigational staff the conditions of navigation along the route of the ship, and also set the exact time for the ship to be ready for departure. During the voyage, the captain is obliged to exercise control over the timely and high-quality determination of the location of the vessel by the watch officers. The appointment and change of the ship's course is the right of the captain only. He has the right to give orders to deviate from the previously appointed route whenever this is caused by the circumstances of navigation or the need to provide assistance to ships and people in distress.
In case of force majeure, when there is a danger to the ship, people and cargo, the officer in charge of the watch may change the course appointed by the captain, but he must immediately notify the captain of this.
The captain is obliged to immediately report all accidents and accidents, as well as accidents on the ship, in accordance with the established procedure to the shipowner and take all measures in his power to ensure the safety of people, ship and cargo. Until the end of the voyage, the captain is obliged to ensure the safety and inviolability nautical charts with a gasket applied to them and other navigational documents, which reflect the maneuvering of the vessel. In the event of an accident with a ship, such documents should be kept until it is investigated. In accordance with Art. 66 of the CTM of the Russian Federation, if the ship is threatened with imminent death, the captain of the ship allows the crew members to leave the ship after taking all measures to save the passengers on board. The captain of the ship is the last to leave the ship after taking all possible measures to save the ship's logbook, engine logbook and radio logbook, maps of the given voyage, tapes of navigational instruments, documents and valuables.
The captain has a number of rights and obligations related to the commercial operation of the ship. In exercising his rights and fulfilling his obligations, the captain must organize commercial work on the ship in such a way that the operation of the ship is not only profitable, but also brings significant profit. He is obliged to ensure the preparation of all premises of the vessel in which the cargo is transported for its safe transportation, to check the correctness of its placement. Before accepting the cargo, the captain reviews the preliminary cargo plan and approves it if the proposed loading option ensures the safety of navigation and the safety of the cargo. In accordance with Art. 30 of the Charter of Service on Vessels of the Fishing Fleet of the Russian Federation, the captain has the right to refuse to accept certain cargoes on board if their loading or transportation is contrary to the rules for the carriage of dangerous goods by sea, other existing rules, or threatens the safety of the ship, people, cargo.
Exercising his rights and obligations in terms of administrative powers, the captain issues orders on the ship, approves job descriptions and ship schedules, which are the basis for organizing service on ships, since they determine the duties of all crew members, as well as persons temporarily staying on the ship as passengers . Vessels must have the following ship's schedules: regular, on ship's alarms, on orders, on mooring operations, on the routine of the crew, its placement and rules of conduct on the ship.
By virtue of the Charter on the Discipline of Maritime Transport Workers, as well as the Charter on the Discipline of Fishing Fleet Workers (charters on discipline are approved by the Government of the Russian Federation), the captain has the right to apply incentives and impose disciplinary sanctions on crew members: reprimand, reprimand, severe reprimand and write-off from the vessel with by simultaneously sending a submission to the shipowner about the imposed penalty - and expressing his opinion on the further use of this employee. According to paragraph 2 of Art. 67 KTM of the Russian Federation, the captain has the right, if necessary, to remove any member of the ship's crew from the performance of their duties. In such a case, the rules set out in Art. 58 of the Code "Repatriation of crew members". These rules oblige the shipowner to ensure, at his own expense, the delivery of a crew member decommissioned from the vessel to the port provided for in the employment agreement (contract) or collective agreement, and in the absence of such instructions in the agreements - to the port of his employment, with maintenance until arrival at the destination . However, paragraph 5 of Art. 58 provides that if the reasons that caused the repatriation of a ship's crew member arose through his fault in the performance of his official duties, then the shipowner has the right to reimbursement of repatriation costs in accordance with the legislation of the Russian Federation.
The captain of the ship has the appropriate rights and obligations in the exercise of the functions inherent in the state bodies. In particular, he has the right to detain and isolate, before arriving at the domestic port, a person (including a passenger) whose actions do not contain signs of a criminally punishable act, but threaten the safety of the vessel or the people and property on it (paragraph 3 of article 67 of the MTC of the Russian Federation ). A different situation arises when a criminally punishable act has been committed on a ship at sea. In this case, the captain has the right and is obliged to conduct an inquiry in the manner prescribed by law; detain and isolate a person suspected of committing a crime before arriving at the first domestic port to transfer him with the materials of the inquiry to the relevant authorities. In this situation, the captain acts as an inquiry body and is obliged, on the basis of Article 69 of the Russian Federation Code of Commissariat of Labor, to be guided by the criminal procedure legislation of the Russian Federation, as well as the Instruction on the conduct of an inquiry on ships at sea, approved by the Prosecutor General of the Russian Federation.
According to Art. 70 KTM of the Russian Federation, the captain of the ship is endowed with the rights and obligations of a notary, namely: the captain has the right to certify the will, make an entry in the ship's log about each case of the birth of a child on the ship and about each case of death on the ship. The certification of wills is made by the captain in accordance with the Instruction on the procedure for certification of wills by captains of ships flying the State Flag of the Russian Federation. In case of death on board, the captain is obliged to draw up an act with the participation of two witnesses and the ship's medical officer (doctor or paramedic), if any.
"In the event of death, illness, or any other reason preventing the captain from performing his official duties, the duties of the captain of the ship, until the order of the shipowner is received, are assigned to the senior assistant to the captain of the ship," Art. 73 KTM of the Russian Federation. Article 32 of the Charter of Service on Vessels of the Fishing Fleet of the Russian Federation interprets the situation when the captain is unable to perform his official functions much more broadly, namely: "In the event of illness (death) of the captain, sudden mental disorder or other condition that threatens the safety of the vessel on it, the command of the ship is taken (temporarily) by the senior assistant captain, with an immediate report to the shipowner, the flagship of the group (head of the fishery), and in a foreign port - to the consul. An appropriate entry is made in the ship's log. "
The captain of the ship bears all types of responsibility: disciplinary, administrative, material and criminal.
Disciplinary responsibility. On the captain who violated the service (labor) discipline, i.e. who has not performed or improperly performed, through his own fault, the duties assigned to him, a disciplinary sanction may be imposed, provided for by the charters on discipline. A disciplinary sanction may not be imposed later than one month from the day the misconduct was discovered, and if the misconduct was committed during the voyage, then from the moment the ship returned to the domestic port. In all cases, a disciplinary sanction may not be imposed later than six months (for captains of deep-sea vessels - one year) from the day the misconduct was committed.
Administrative responsibility. If the disciplinary measures are deemed insufficient, then administrative penalties are applied, which include a fine and deprivation of a maritime certificate for a period of one to three years. The captain may be held administratively liable for violation of the rules of the customs regime, safety rules for navigation, labor protection, sanitary rules and rules for the protection of the marine environment or water resources, if such actions are not criminally punishable. A fine is imposed on the captain by the competent authorities (services) in accordance with the administrative legislation of the Russian Federation. An administrative fine may not be imposed later than one month from the day the offense was committed.
Material liability. In accordance with the current regulations, the captain, through whose fault the damage was caused to the shipowner, is liable in the amount of the actual damage, but not more than one third of his monthly salary. However, in cases where the damage is caused by the actions of the captain, containing signs of criminally punishable acts, the captain bears full financial responsibility (by court decision).
Criminal liability. In cases prescribed by law, the captain may be held criminally liable, in particular in the following cases:
failure to provide assistance to people perishing at sea or on another waterway, if this assistance could be provided by the captain without serious danger to his vessel, its crew and passengers;
violations of navigation rules that caused serious consequences (death of the vessel, people or destruction of berthing communications);
damage to a marine telegraph cable or pipeline:
pollution of the marine environment by substances harmful to human health or living resources of the sea;
violation of labor rules, expressed in the action or inaction of the captain, resulting in the death of people;
abuse of power or official position, which entailed large negative consequences.
The captain can be held criminally liable only by a court verdict.
The relationship of the captain with the authorities of a foreign state. While the ship is in the territorial sea, inland waters and ports of foreign states, the captain must strictly observe the laws, rules and customs of the coastal state. The captain can obtain the necessary information about the legislation of the host state of the ship from the national consul (consul of the ship's flag state), and in his absence - from the shipowner's agent. This is especially important when a ship calls at an unfamiliar port, and even more so at a previously unvisited port of the state whose flag the ship is flying.
According to the Consular Charter of the Russian Federation, the master may apply for assistance and necessary assistance to the consul of the port, which is included in the consular district of the state of his accreditation. If necessary, the consul acts as an intermediary in the captain's relations with port and other local authorities. He assists the captain in the search for missing or deserted crew members, as well as in a situation where it is necessary to leave a seriously ill crew member for treatment in the state of residence of the consul, and ensures his delivery to his homeland.
During the stay of a ship in the waters of a foreign state, the crew members and passengers of the ship are subject, by virtue of the sovereignty of the coastal state, to its penal laws. In this regard, the competent authorities of the coastal state may conduct a search, arrest persons who have committed a crime. However, any actions on board the ship must be carried out with the knowledge and presence of the captain and consular (diplomatic) representatives of the state whose flag the ship flies. Modern international practice follows the path of limiting the jurisdiction of a coastal state in relation to crimes committed on board a foreign ship, unless the consequences of the crime affect the security of this state or the interests of its citizens. Upon receipt from the consul of information about the non-use by the coastal state in certain cases of its jurisdiction by virtue of agreements, the captain has the right to make a decision on the implementation of the functions of the body of inquiry.
However, in exercising these functions, the captain must comply with certain conditions. So, if it is necessary to perform certain urgent actions outside the vessel (for example, to interview the victim in a hospital), the captain is obliged to obtain permission for such actions from the competent authorities of the coastal state. Their permission is also required for the production of surveys of citizens of this state and other actions with their participation, even if for some reason they are on board the ship. This rule does not apply to cases of attaching statements and handwritten explanations of foreign citizens to the materials of the inquiry, as well as various documents related to the inquiry. The captain must conduct an inquiry in the legal field of the host state of the ship, taking into account existing international agreements.
If the captain detains a person suspected of committing a crime, local authorities in any case have the right to check the lawfulness of such detention. The right to verify the legitimacy of the detention made by the captain is retained by the local authorities, even if such detention took place before the vessel entered a foreign port. At the same time, in some countries, the validity of the detention of a suspect is checked on the basis of the legislation of the flag state of the vessel (for example, in the UK, the Netherlands), in others - on the basis of the legislation of the host state of the vessel (for example, in Norway, Denmark).
Ship captains should keep in mind that in cases where documents and acts are drawn up with the participation of foreign authorities or come from authorities and citizens, they must be legalized by the consul of the district in which such documents are issued. Consular legalization consists in establishing and attesting the authenticity of signatures on these documents and acts and their compliance with the laws of the host state of the vessel and the consul. Without legalization, such documents are considered invalid and have no legal value.