Ship and hovercraft officer

Ship and hovercraft officer - overview

As a ship or hovercraft officer, you’ll use your maritime skills to support the daily running and navigation of a vessel, looking after its cargo and passengers. Learn more about a career as a ship or hovercraft officer, find out what it involves and what you’ll need to study and do to get a role.

Learn what the role involves below.

What does a ship and hovercraft officer do?

As a ship or hovercraft officer, you’ll probably work on deck or in an engineering department.

Your role will usually involve working to a shift pattern and you’ll need to perform well in a team, living and working together sometimes for long periods. Changeable weather conditions can also make your role more challenging but most companies reward employees with generous holiday allowances.

As a ship or hovercraft officer, you’ll be responsible for managing and maintaining safety and navigating a vessel using a variety of equipment and weather reports. Additional duties will depend on the size of the craft and your exact rank.

You’ll need to pass a medical examination, including an eyesight test, before you start your job and maintain a certain level of fitness to progress up the different stages.

What will your days involve?

Daily tasks will vary but could involve:

Maintaining ship logs and preparing watchkeeping rotas
Allocating duties to ship crew
Maintaining a look-out for other vessels or obstacles
Maintaining radio contact with other vessels and coast stations
Monitoring engines, generators and other mechanical and electrical equipment and undertaking any minor repairs
Using electronic and other navigational aids such as charts and compasses and advising on navigation where needed
Directing the operation of air cushions and the steering of ships, hovercraft and other vessels

FAQs

How much can you earn as a ship snd hovercraft officer?

The average salary for a ship and hovercraft officer in the UK is £46,800.

Does a ship and hovercraft officer role involve travel in the UK or overseas?

Your role as a ship and hovercraft officer will involve working at sea in various locations depending on your job. You could work for a UK company or for companies based abroad, so overseas travel is likely.