Norwegian master mariner and AB on Norwegian coastal ferry

A master mariner is a licensed mariner who holds the highest grade of licensed seafarer qualification; namely, a master's license. A master mariner is therefore allowed to serve as the master of a

merchant ship A merchant ship, merchant vessel, trading vessel, or merchantman is a watercraft that transports cargo or carries passengers for hire. This is in contrast to pleasure craft, which are used for personal recreation, and naval ships, which are ...

for which national and international requirements apply under the

STCW Convention International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW) sets minimum qualification standards for masters, officers and watch personnel on seagoing merchant ships and large yachts. STCW was adop ...

. Regulation II/2 sets out requirements for Master Mariners. Master mariners can possess either an unlimited certification/licence or one restricted based on tonnage of the ship. Certification is given by national authorities, typically following completion of minimum necessary seatime and a course of approved training, based on the IMO model course. For those with an unlimited certificate, this has no limits on the tonnage, power, or geographic location of the vessel that the holder of the license is allowed to serve upon. An unlimited master mariner would therefore be allowed to serve as the Captain of a ship any size, of any type, operating anywhere in the world, and it reflects the highest level of professional qualification amongst mariners and deck officers. Master certification/licensing is also given with tonnage restrictions of 500 tonnes. The term ''master mariner'' has been in use at least since the 9th century, reflecting the fact that in guild or livery company terms, such a person was a

master craftsman Historically, a master craftsman or master tradesman (sometimes called only master or grandmaster) was a member of a guild. The title survives as the highest professional qualification in craft industries. In the European guild#organization, gui ...

in this specific profession (e.g., master carpenter, master blacksmith).

Norway

In Norway, the title of Master mariner is ''(Sjøkaptein)'' and it is a protected title to which holders of a license as

deck officer The deck department is an organisational team on board naval and merchant ships. Seafarers in the deck department work a variety of jobs on a ship or vessel, but primarily they will carry out the navigation of a vessel from the bridge. Howeve ...

class 1 in accordance with the "Regulations on qualifications and certificates for seafarers" have the exclusive right. The license is the highest qualification document issued to deck officers.

Poland

In Poland, a Master mariner of great shipping ''(Kapitan żeglugi wielkiej)'' is the commander of a merchant vessel without restrictions to its

tonnage Tonnage is a measure of the capacity of a ship, and is commonly used to assess fees on commercial shipping. The term derives from the taxation paid on '' tuns'' or casks of wine. In modern maritime usage, "tonnage" specifically refers to a cal ...

engaged in great (international) shipping. To be licensed as a Master mariner, the candidate must be: * Either a licensed senior deck officer on ships of 3000 GRT and over, with an additional 12 months' sea practice of as a senior deck officer on commercial seagoing vessels of 3000 GRT and above in international shipping * Or a licensed master of ships of 500 to 3000 GRT, with an additional 6 months' sea practice as a senior deck officer on commercial seagoing vessels of 3000 GRT and above in international shipping. * And pass an qualifying exam as Master mariner of great shipping.

United Kingdom

The Extra Master's qualification (issued only in the United Kingdom), which was discontinued in the 1990s, used to be the highest professional qualification and it was the pinnacle for any mariner to achieve. There are also various other levels of master's certificates, which may be restricted or limited to home trade/near coastal voyages and/or by

gross tonnage Gross tonnage (GT, G.T. or gt) is a nonlinear measure of a ship's overall internal volume. Gross tonnage is different from gross register tonnage. Neither gross tonnage nor gross register tonnage should be confused with measures of mass or weig ...

. The holder of a restricted master's certificate is not referred to as a "master mariner". In the

British Merchant Navy The British Merchant Navy is the collective name given to British civilian ships and their associated crews, including officers and ratings. In the UK, it is simply referred to as the Merchant Navy or MN. Merchant Navy vessels fly the Red Ensi ...

a master mariner who has sailed in command of an ocean-going merchant ship will be titled

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

. A professional seafarer who holds a restricted or limited master's certificate who has sailed in command of a ship (i.e. appropriate to the size, power or geographic limits of their certificate) can also be titled

. In the UK, an unrestricted master's certificate is colloquially called a "master's ticket" or a "master's." It is sometimes still referred to as a "Class 1" or "Master Foreign-Going" as it was named during the latter part of the 20th century. The conventions or acts governing the certificate have evolved alongside the shipping industry and the official name of a master mariner's qualification has varied over the years. The UK Maritime & Coastguard Agency, in line with the amended STCW convention,STCW
/ref> currently title the certificate ''Master Unlimited''. The qualification is awarded to those senior ships officers whose competency has been assessed under the STCW A-II/2 syllabus.

United States

To become a ''master of vessels of any gross tons upon oceans'' in the United States, one must first accumulate at least 360 days of service (including 90 days in the most recent three years on vessels of appropriate tonnage) while holding a

chief mate A chief mate (C/M) or chief officer, usually also synonymous with the first mate or first officer, is a licensed mariner and head of the deck department of a merchant ship. The chief mate is customarily a watchstander and is in charge of the ship ...

's license. The chief mate's license, in turn, requires at least 360 days of service (including 90 days in the most recent three years on vessels of appropriate tonnage) while holding a

second mate A second mate (2nd mate) or second officer (2/O) is a licensed member of the deck department of a merchant ship holding a Second Mates Certificate of Competence, by an authorised governing state of the International Maritime Organization (IMO). ...

's license, passing a battery of examinations, and approximately 13 weeks of classes. Similarly, one must have worked as a third mate for 360 days (including 90 days in the most recent three years on vessels of appropriate tonnage) to have become a second mate. There are two methods to attain an unlimited third mate's license in the United States: to attend a specialized training institution, or to accumulate "sea time" and take a series of training classes and examinations. Training institutions that can lead to a third mate's license include the U.S. Coast Guard Academy and the

U.S. Naval Academy The United States Naval Academy (USNA, Navy, or Annapolis) is a federal service academy in Annapolis, Maryland. It was established on 10 October 1845 during the tenure of George Bancroft as Secretary of the Navy. The Naval Academy is the sec ...

(with approved courses and requisite sea time as an Officer in Charge of a Navigational Watch), the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (deck curriculum), the Great Lakes Maritime Academy, and the six state maritime academies in

Maine Maine ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the United States, and the northeasternmost state in the Contiguous United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Provinces and ...

Massachusetts Massachusetts ( ; ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine to its east, Connecticut and Rhode ...

, New York,

Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...

, or

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

. Third mate's licenses can also be obtained through a three-year apprentice mate training program approved by the Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard. A seaman may start the process of obtaining a license after three years of service in the deck department on ocean steam or motor vessels, at least six months of which as

able seaman An able seaman (AB) is a seaman and member of the deck department of a merchant ship with more than two years' experience at sea and considered "well acquainted with his duty". An AB may work as a watchstander, a day worker, or a combination ...

boatswain A boatswain ( , ), bo's'n, bos'n, or bosun, also known as a deck boss, or a qualified member of the deck department, or the third hand on a fishing vessel, is the most senior Naval rating, rate of the deck department and is responsible for the ...

, or

quartermaster Quartermaster is a military term, the meaning of which depends on the country and service. In land army, armies, a quartermaster is an officer who supervises military logistics, logistics and requisitions, manages stores or barracks, and distri ...

. Then the seaman takes required training courses, and completes on-board assessments. Finally, the mariner can apply to the

United States Coast Guard The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is the maritime security, search and rescue, and Admiralty law, law enforcement military branch, service branch of the armed forces of the United States. It is one of the country's eight Uniformed services ...

for a third mate's license. An alternate method of obtaining a license as a master of vessels of any gross tons upon oceans, without sailing as a third, second, or chief mate, is to obtain one year of sea service as a ''1st class pilot of any gross tons'' or ''mate of vessels of any gross tons upon Great Lakes and inland waters''. Then pass an examination for the license of ''master of vessels of any gross tons upon Great Lakes and inland waters''. A master of vessels of any gross tons upon Great Lakes and inland waters may, without any additional sea service, take the examination for ''master of vessels of any gross tons upon near coastal waters''. If the candidate does not already have sufficient deep sea experience he may with six months of additional sea service, in any licensed capacity, take a partial examination consisting primarily of celestial navigation and have the near coastal restriction removed. 46CFR 11.403 A master of 1,600 ton vessels can, under certain circumstances, begin the application process for an unlimited third mate's license. Some employers offer financial assistance to pay for the training for their employees. Otherwise, the mariner is responsible for the cost of the required training. A Chief Mate to Master formal training generally takes about 12 weeks and provides the knowledge, skills and other soft skills training to take on the duties and responsibilities. Various US states require and issue shipmaster or captain licenses in order to be employed in operating a vessel for hire while navigating within "non-federal" waters. (Such as a lake or river charter boat "skipper"). Most states honor a USCG master's certificate as an alternative to their state licensing. These state licenses certify that the captain has given satisfactory evidence that they can safely be entrusted with the duties and responsibilities of operating or navigating passenger carrying vessels of the tonnage and upon the waters specified. The state licensed captains command vessels that range from small uninspected vessels to large excursion vessels that carry over 100 passengers, so the licenses are not issued haphazardly. For example, see Washington State's Certification of Charter Boats and Operators licenses.

References

External links

{{Commons
City of London Livery Companies

US Coast Guard - National Maritime Center

STCW Convention

Maritime Education Services

Glasgow Maritime Academy

* ttp://www.themastermariner.com/ The Master Mariner

Associations

The Council of American Master Mariners The Honourable Company of Master MarinersThe Company of Master Mariners of AustraliaThe Irish Institute of Master MarinersThe Company of Master Mariners of CanadaThe Company of Master Mariners of Sri LankaThe International Federation of Shipmasters' Associations
Marine occupations pt:Mestre (náutica)