What Options Deck Officers Have for Further Studies?

Being a deck officer in merchant navy is an excellent career option with a host of advantages such as the chances to satisfy the wanderlust and get remunerated extremely well for the same.

No matter how attractive it may sound, the career path as a deck officer in merchant navy requires long periods of stay away from home and a rigorous work environment. Life on board ships is not all hunky-dory, for the sea is a mighty force and extremely unpredictable, making the life of seafarers challenging.

It is for these reasons and many others, that an individual, at some point of his or her life, is driven to leave the career at sea and pursue further studies.

Also, some individuals just want to study further and hone themselves academically for personal enhancement. For such deck officers/ seafarers, there comes a point where research into maritime courses for further studies becomes a very hectic affair.

With a recognized undergraduate degree in the arsenal, it is relatively easy for a deck officer to get admission in the desired maritime course, than it is for an individual who has just done his pre-sea  training and gone for sailing on board a vessel.

For most maritime courses pertaining to ‘further’ studies for deck officers, the basic prerequisite is an undergraduate degree. However, there are certain maritime courses that might waive off that requirement based on the experience at sea in the specific department.

Exact entry requirements can be found from the websites of particular colleges providing maritime courses.

Following are some of the maritime courses that have been charted out to help deck officer in Merchant Navy to choose and pursue a program for their further studies:

1. Maritime Law 

Maritime law is one of the most sought out courses by maritime professionals who want to do further studies and become a maritime lawyer. The entire world relies on the shipping industry for a variety of needs and it is thus natural to have so many options with regard to the managerial, legal and organisational aspects of the law.

Owing to the importance of the shipping industry, it is very well known that Maritime Law is a line of work that is in great demand. Most post graduate courses in law require a basic knowledge of law at undergraduate level. However, experience in the field may be deemed as qualification good enough for the respective course. Foundation courses are also in place to get accustomed to the legal studies. An individual may decide to join a law firm and learn the tricks of the trade the hard way, step by step, but an education ensures that the same process is put on a speedy gear.

Institute Providing Maritime Law:

City University, London is an institution that is at the forefront of academic excellence and known for the same all across the world. The Maritime Law course at City University is a very coveted one. Ranked as one of the top Universities in the UK as well as the world, City University London offers a course that is aimed at individuals seeking to pursue a career in Maritime Law. Details of the course can be found here.

This course can also be done in U.S at Tulane University. Tulane University is where all the action is with respect to Admiralty law in the US. This is the only major Maritime Law course in the US and a very rigorous one at that. Details of the course can be found here.

2. Marine Policy 

A post graduate course in Marine policy offers a career as a manager in areas such as international shipping, ports, harbors  or sea trade in either private sector or for government agencies.

Institute Providing Marine Policy Course:

Cardiff University is an excellent University that provides a course in marine policy and is recognized all over the world for an amazing academic environment. Details of the course can be found here.

3. Maritime Affairs

A post graduate course in Maritime affairs is a specialized course which teaches every aspect and changing needs of the maritime industry.

Institute Providing Course in Maritime Affairs:

World Maritime University (WMU) in Sweden is an institution founded by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), a specialized agency of the United Nations. Established in 1993, the WMU is known to be a prime leader in research and excellence in the maritime field. With liaisons in China, WMU is an excellent option for deck officers looking to stay at par with a promising career in the maritime industry. Know more about the course here.

4. MSc in Shipping, Trade & Finance

MSc in shipping, trade and finance deals with the business and commerce of the maritime industry. It is an interesting course for deck officer and maritime professionals who wants to make a mark in the shipping business sector.

Institute Providing Msc in Shipping, Trade & Finance:

The Cass Business School at the City University, London is an extremely prestigious college which provides MSc in shipping. Also, London being the hub of shipping, choosing this course and University puts a prospective cadet right in the middle of all the action! Details of the course can be found here.

5. MSc in International Transport and Logistics

The Merchant Navy broadly comes under the business of International Transport and Logistics. To have a thorough understanding of the management and organisational aspects of such business is extremely important for an individual and for innovation in the maritime sector in general.

Institute Providing MSc in International Transport and Logistics:

Deck officers/maritime professionals can opt to complete this MSc course over a period of two years. Conducted in liaison with the World Maritime University, the maritime course is an extremely interesting one. The details of this course can be found here.

6. MBA in Shipping 

Masters in Business Administration (MBA) is by far the most famous post graduation course not just by maritime professionals but also for people in almost all the fields.

A MBA degree in Shipping would definitely open several gates of opportunities for deck officers who are looking for an onshore job.

However, it is to note that most of the reputed MBA universities ask for minimum 2-5 years of working experiences to become eligible for the course. Though there are some colleges which do take maritime professionals with less experience on the basis of their academic performance.

This list is not exhaustive and there are many more courses all across the globe to choose from. The above list just outlines some of the more known maritime courses, which deck officers and maritime professionals can pursue to increase their horizon of opportunities.

It is also to note that the institutes mentioned herein are not the only ones to provide a particular course. They have been mentioned just to give deck officers/ maritime professionals the right direction to research.

Note: This is not a sponsored article and we don’t take any guarantee of the information provided on the maritime courses websites mentioned in the article.

Marine Teaching Profession – Getting A Much-Needed Face-Lift

Although praised as one of the noblest of professions, the teaching field, at least as far as Mariners were concerned, was not the first choice, for many an anxious ‘shore-bound’ mariner, with his weather eye open for suitable employment, of a more settled nature. Besides being not very well paying, it was even without the glamor and hype of marketing jobs or the perks associated with them. Unlike service jobs in the Hotel industry or Engineering concerns, there was none of the fast-paced efficiency or tension of meeting targets and dead-lines, which could act as a stimulant for activity.

Long derided as a dead-end, teaching in maritime Institutes in India may, at long last, be on the way up. Besides becoming a more stream-lined, accountable and better remunerated career, it was only the emergence of a host of private maritime institutions, which ushered in some much-needed competition, urgently needed to shake-up the hitherto placid and lethargic manner, in which the marine educational industry was stagnating. This is certainly good news for the students, who stand to benefit the most, from an improved, though more expensive, education process.

Representation Image – Photograph by Karun Yimyong

In the past, there was no yardstick for comparison. Neither were there any systems in place, for generating suitable feed-back, to judge the effectiveness of the training imparted. One of the biggest challenges, for the academic community, has been the creation of a suitably competitive environment, wherein the Institution is accountable, for the quality of education that it is imparting. It also needs to become self-reliant, in terms of revenue generated, whether from existing facilities or by addition of some value-added courses.

All this was a slow change, aided no doubt by the proliferation of a number of approved private maritime institutions, across the country. Suddenly students were being viewed, not as long suffering but necessary parts of the process, but as Customers, who not only demanded a high standard of service, but were willing to pay for it.

World-wide, Maritime education is gradually shifting focus, from being a non-profitable or charitable cause, to an area of intense competition.

As a matter of fact, even Shipping companies have realized, that to survive in the midst of cut-throat competition, they need to ensure, that they are not only responsible for employment of mariners, but also for their training. Reputable companies are now employing professional teachers, to run their training programmes, through their in-house Training Cells, to ensure that their personnel are, indeed, of good caliber.

To achieve quality is not easy. A number of Institutes started taking a long hard look at their systems – not just the infrastructure available, but more importantly their internal policies. As the saying goes ‘You pay peanuts, you get monkeys.’ To retain quality Faculty members, the remuneration structure needed to be looked into, so that it was at least comparable to, say, the average package of a Superintendent in a Shipping company. This is based, not just on their teaching skills, but also on their administrative capabilities and other revenue-generation activities.

They are involved in a host of allied activities, which include Consultancy, Project reports, Publications, involvement in Seminars and Workshops and also contribution to other institution-building activities.

Having said that, however it is not just a heavy pay-packet that will attract appropriate talent. The Institution must be able to generate a supportive atmosphere, by demonstrating a commitment to excellence, with a progressive policy of encouraging talent. More importantly, it must be able to show some tangible long-term prospects, which will not only encourage growth, but which will also give the Faculty a sense of  Pride, in belonging to an elite organisation.

Training policies are also undergoing a sea change. Classroom and Student feedback, regular reviews, evaluation of individual institutional initiatives and self-appraisal are replacing the age old-seniority system, that was prevalent.

As opportunities expand, for ‘quality’ teachers, Retention may now become a major issue, at least for some of the less progressive Institutions. Obviously all the staff may not be in equally high demand.

Some of the fly-by-night Institutes are pointedly looking for a cheaper option. Instead of paying premium wages to full-time employees, they would like to hire them only on an hourly basis, much like Consultants. On the premise that “One can’t teach, what one does not know”, they would like to grab existing talent from the market, without having any long term policy. But good Industry people don’t come cheap. One of the biggest hurdles is the low hourly scales payable, as compared to those accustomed to the Corporate world. This may prove attractive for those retiring with some Industry experience, who are at the ends of their career graph. It will, however, not attract young talent, looking for future long-term prospects.

A ‘good’ Maritime Institute would allow it’s Faculty the freedom to ‘grow’ further, by encouraging extra consultancy or external training assignments, which the faculty would search out for themselves. This will, in fact, indirectly raise their pay-packets, without increasing the burden on the employer, which could well be the major incentive to remain ‘loyal’ to their Employer, by removing the hurdle of the cost, to the Employer. Faculty would thus be indirectly attracted, by fringe benefits from corporate expense accounts, which provide ‘carrots’ like travel to interact with international forums. They could even generate opportunities for placement in foreign countries, like Faculty Exchange programmes, while also attending seminars and conferences, which would only boost the reputation of their parent Institute.

These initiatives, unfortunately, may be confined to only a few of the more progressive Institutes, that are looking to bench-mark themselves internationally. Whatever the case, the  student community would only benefit, for, at long last, they can now justifiably demand accountability and quality, from their educational institutions.

How to find Maritime Jobs Using “Linkedin”?

Facebook is fun; Twitter is good to stay “informed”; however, if you are serious about your career, I suggest you better get yourself registered at Linkedin. From top companies to CEO’s, from recruiting agencies to top-notch head-hunters, everyone is there on Linkedin. (Did I forget to mention that even the President of United States is On Linkedin?)

Linkedin is all about networking and staying connected in a professional and a bit formal way. But that is not what Linkedin is all about, there is much more to it. Top companies are always hunting their “next-employer” on Linkedin. Why? Because they get to see the eligible candidate’s profile along with his or her network and recommendations.

Credits: prykhodov/depositphotos.com

Moral of the Story: Get to Linkedin as soon as possible because it takes time to build up a network, even in the virtual world.

In this article, we will learn how to use Linkedin to find Maritime Jobs and also find out how the people in your network can help you getting a job, in a way more than you ever thought.

For this, we will use the Linkedin’s Job Insider Tool to search for Jobs. Follow the step-by-step process below to setup your Job Insider tool.

1.  First get a Linkedin Account. Sign-up for a Free Linkedin Account here :  Linkedin. If you already have a linkedin account, sign-in using the same. We suggest you use Internet Explorer or Firefox for setting-up this feature.

2.  Next Download the Linkedin Job Insider Tool for Internet Explorer. Kindly note that you would to asked to shut down the internet explorer during the downloading process. Download and install the tool.

Download Job Insider Tool

 3.  Job Insider tool is a plugin which will install a separate toolbar in your internet Explorer or Firefox. Download and install the tool and restart the Internet explorer or Firefox.

4.  When inside the Internet explorer, you will see a “Linkedin” logo at the left corner of your browser, when you again sign-in on linkedin website. Check the logo in the black circle marked below.

5.  Press the logo and you will get a dropdown. Select “Find Jobs” in the dropdown.

6.  You will be taken to the search engine screen. This is where you search for jobs listed on linked and on other search engines online.

7.  Put a keyword, for e.g., “marine engineer” and you will get the results. This is normal right? No, this is where the real benefit of “Linkedin” is. Under each job listing, you will see a line “See who at XYZ Company can help you get this job”.  If you have a person in your contacts, who is in the same company, you can send him a message and ask him if he can help. If not, you can still apply for the job.

Note: However, make sure you don’t sound too desperate and are contacting the right person. There is no point sending a private message to the CEO of the company, we would not even notice your message.

Appearing For Merchant Navy Competency Examination Abroad – New Zealand & Singapore

This is the second article in the series Appearing For Merchant Navy Competency Examination Abroad. The articles explain the pros and cons for enrolling for competency examinations in foreign countries and what seafarers should be aware about before making  such decision. The first article of the series Appearing For Merchant Navy Competency Examination Abroad – UK can be read here.

EXAMINATIONS IN NEW ZEALAND :  New Zealand is famous for its sprawling, lush green fields, long beaches, harbours and scenic landscapes.  For domestic and overseas students appearing for their Competency Exams in New Zealand, the regulating national authority is known as Maritime New Zealand (MNZ).  It is also the statutory body looking after various shipping related procedures, businesses, acts and rules. New Zealand offers 1 year programme for Mates and Master through their various universities. A deck officer holding a second mate COC can opt for this course. The Maritime NZ uses the “Sea Cert.- Seafarer’s Certification and operational limits Framework “ which serves the following purposes:

• Issue of Seafarer Certification and Endorsements
• Facilitating Transition from old certificates to new certificates
• Provisions for Renewal of seafarer certificates
• Prescribing approved Training and prior learning for Certificates of Competency
• Procedures for Recognition of foreign certificates

Thus Sea Cert acts as a one step solution for a mariner with regards to certification, requirements for sea service and courses, assessment and validity. Training course and approval of training provider comes primarily under NZQA (New Zealand Qualifications Authority). Sea Cert also provides online services to mariners and offers recognition of New Zealand certificates overseas. MNZ has published a guide for reference to various functions and requirements fulfilled by Sea Cert. on 2^nd July 2014.

The sea service requirements in New Zealand for Competency Exams for Masters and Mates are similar to Indian sea service requirements. However they too offer a combined competency course after which a mariner can appear for Chief Mate and Master’s examination. A list of approved training providers is there on the website of Maritime New Zealand.

The maximum student visa duration for New Zealand is four years. Part time study visa can be obtained for a maximum of nine months on a visitor visa. Student visas allows a maximum of 20 hours work per week and full time during the scheduled vacations. However in case of variation in condition of study and work the administration considers extension of visa and work permits. Medical and travel insurance is a pre requisite before travelling to New Zealand. Regarding the type of medical insurance the immigration website contains relevant details.

The main drawback of living in New Zealand are higher cost of living with less job opportunities for students to support their education. If the city of residence is Auckland, Queenstown or Wellington public transport can be used to travel. However in remote areas one might experience their insufficiency or absence. Travel can be expensive when one has to use a car in absence of sufficient means of public transport. However for the remote areas the quality of accommodation offered is often less favourable in prevailing winters. The process of visa for New Zealand is simpler and they do provide work permits for Part time work hours during the course duration. Nevertheless the natural beauty of this country is a dominating factor when a mariner has chosen to appear for his COC overseas.

EXAMINATIONS IN SINGAPORE :  For overseas students willing to study in the far east, Singapore is one of  the most favourable countries. Being a major port and shipping hub, most of the mariners have been to Singapore at least once in their sea career. That makes them comparatively familiar to the country than to other countries in the west. Moreover, English being one of the main working languages in Singapore, puts a seafarer at ease as he searches for the relevant information.

Maritime and Port Authority (MPA) is the authority responsible for Maritime Education, Training and Issue of Certificates. Singapore Maritime Academy (SMT) provides Maritime Education and Training. The Training Standards Department (TSD) of MPA oversees Maritime training and certification of seafarers. The MPA uses ISO certification procedures for various maritime institutions to ensure compliance.

Courses for Master and Mate are combined and of  1 year duration whereas for OOW it is 3.5 yrs. The assessment is carried out as per national standards approved by the Maritime Safety Administration. Singapore Maritime Academy uses computer assisted learning and Onboard training in service. National TRB ( Training Record Book)  is required to be completed by seafarers appearing for Competency exams. Mode of examination includes written, practical assignments, assignments, oral and simulation exercises.

To facilitate documentation and validation, a number of services are provided on the E-services portal of MPA.  The E-services portal can be used for assessment of eligibility of Deck Officer and Marine Engineer Officer Examinations. For transactions with MPA, a mariner has to first open an account with MPA and then using e-payment services. He can then pay various type of fees using this service.

E-certification is another section which puts a mariner at ease, where by, submitting online applications for Certificates of Endorsement and Course Certificates issued by MPA can be authenticated. For foreign COCs MPA recognises certificates issued from 60 countries and Singapore COCs are recognised by 62 maritime administrations.

Besides conducting maritime competency courses, Singapore being one of the busiest ports, attract various shipping and business related establishments of major players in the maritime  industry. Thus adequate opportunities for funds, scholarships are available. For mariners who wish to take advanced studies in marine research, one can find courses run for Maritime law and arbitration, Naval architecture, Logistics and ship broking as well.

MPA provides welfare schemes for seafarers through its shipping division and the Singapore Mariners’ club. It also includes service apartments for stay and discounted meals. Various educational grants, long service retirement awards, and special relief fund for seafarers are provided to seafarers registered with the club. This country offers reasonable pricing levels for public transport. Accommodation and studio apartments are expensive but with little local knowledge one can find a reasonably priced room or shared apartment. The well spread network of public transport system ensures all part of Singapore are accessible. The cost of living in Singapore is slightly expensive as compared to other Asian countries but is lesser than UK and Australia. However being a favourite tourist destination for Indian citizens, the air travel is relatively cheaper than that for travelling to Australia or UK.

The term “Visa” is referred to as Pass in Singapore. For an Indian student the institutes in Singapore file a Singapore student pass for Indian applications to provide them student pass when they enter Singapore. For short courses of 30 days or lesser duration student pass is not required. For part time employment in Singapore the students need a training employment pass or work holiday programme or training work permit, which varies based on nature of work, period of stay and educational qualification of the seafarer. Besides maritime courses, Singapore is a well known destination for tourism and shopping among mariners and their families.

What Are The Duties Of A Ship’s Lookout?

A lookout is a person at the ship’s bridge who maintains a continuous watch of the sea to report any kind of hazard that can be an obstacle in the navigation and cause harm to the ship. According to COLREG, a lookout is required to give his uninterrupted attention at all times to the ship’s navigation in order to inform the officer on watch (OOW) about other ships, shipwrecks, debris, floating objects etc.
Though the job might sound simple, the duty of a lookout is a responsible one and should be taken with utmost seriousness. Lookout helps in carrying out the duties of the officer on watch (OOW) more efficiently.

The lookout should inform the officer on watch when he observes any of the following:

• Any kind of floating object
• Navigation mark or lights
• Any type of distress signal from other ships or ports
• Land
• Ice, irrespective of size or form
• Any type of ship irrespective of its size
• Sandbags or prominent navigational features
• Problem with any of the ship’s navigation systems, including navigational lights
• Any kind of hazards or derelicts that can be dangerous to the ship’s navigation

The main duties of a lookout are:

• To give utmost attention through sight, hearing, and any other means in order to assess any change in the operating environment
• Detecting and reporting on ships, shipwrecks, debris, shipwrecked person, and other navigational hazards
• Reporting on possibilities of collision,stranding, and other dangers to navigation
• The lookout should remain at his position at all times until he is relieved from his duties. On relieving, he should provide all the information to his reliever about things that he has reported.

The job of lookout is mostly carried out by Able Seaman (AB) or Ordinary seaman (OS) of the ship. However, it is to note that the lookout duties cannot be shared with other works.

Today, the job of a lookout is of utmost importance on ships plying in piracy affected areas.

Shipping Jobs: A Field of Great Opportunities

There are many shipping jobs in the market and it is very important that one finds the right kind of shipping job that suits one’s suitability and positive attributes. Right from the employment opportunity of a deckhand at the base level to the top level of being a captain and in today’s times being an expert in the emerging field of marine information and technology, one can find and easily secure the right marine recruitment.

The one good thing about applying for shipping jobs is that one gets a wide arena to choose from based on one’s basic educational qualification and one’s field of interest. Additionally since there are two different areas to choose from – technical and non-technical – it becomes easier for an applicant to apply for the appropriate and suitable marine recruitment field.

Also since there are various kinds of naval vessels wherein an applicant can find a job to his satisfaction, it makes the concept of marine recruitment and shipping jobs even simpler and uncomplicated. From merchant navy to jobs involving prime time fishing, there is everything for everyone who is interested primarily in shipping jobs.

Credits: JamaL1977a/depositphotos.com

There are many advantages to getting a marine recruitment. Not only does one get to explore the world but there is also the point of getting to know and adapt to living as a unit and as a team member. Certain shipping jobs require major efforts on the part of workers and employees to invest a major proportion of their time in team activities so as to facilitate a smooth functioning of the marine vessel and as such it becomes important that the employee puts aside his personal grievances and prioritises about his commitment to his colleagues and his marine vessel.

As mentioned earlier, the choices that are available to an applicant of shipping jobs are many. There are job opportunities in cruise ships which would allow the applicant the freedom to see various countries across the world, learn about the various existing cultures across the world without having to worry about accommodation and other financial constraints. The profession of a deckhand might sound to be a lowly one but in essence, it forms one of the core professions in the shipping industry and is a job that is much sought after by patrons.

Also, in today’s times since the usage of information and technology has increased in the marine industry, shipping jobs pertaining to IT engineers and technologists are also on the rise. The best advantage of having an IT marine recruitment is that it gives one the freedom to explore about the usage and interpretation of technology in various parts of the naval world and if possible, try and recreate it on the vessel on which the IT expert is aboard.

There are also specialised shipping jobs for people who want to be a ship’s captain. Of all the marine recruitment profiles, acquiring the position of a ship’s captain is the toughest. This is because many ships require candidates not only with the necessary qualification – in this case, a Master Mariner’s license – but also with the right kind of experience. Because the job involves a higher sense of duty and responsibility, the aspect of experience becomes important, as more the experience one has, the better it will come to use in difficult and troubled times.

Shipping jobs in cargo ships also are a great hit among the masses as are shipping jobs which require the need for fishers in remote and exotic locations like Alaska. These jobs are quite different to the routine ones generally prescribed and require wholesome commitment and allegiance on the part of the applicant.

Shipping jobs, on the whole, require patience and utmost steadfastness on the part of applicants. The area of naval expedition is not something that can be done and dealt with speed and fastness. Ships are the slowest means of transport and as such take a great deal of time to complete even a single journey. Therefore it is important that an applicant invests a major amount of time thinking about the ramifications of getting a marine recruitment. The benefits and perquisites of the job are quite too many, but if one is hesitant to explore and take a long voyage, there is no point of having so many benefits. Shipping jobs offer vitality and in order to experience that vitality, it is relevant that the applicant has the spirit of adventurousness to support the ever-present vitality of the profession.

21 Websites to Find Maritime Jobs Online

[Updated January, 2017] –  The shipping industry, as a career is a peculiar one, absolutely different from the conventional. The number of marine career opportunities provided by the industry is massive. The best part is that if you are a maritime professional and seeking a new job, then you never know which country your next job will take you to.

Moreover, if you are a seafarer working on ships or in the offshore industry,  you would continuously prowl, looking for better companies, salary, and working conditions (Nothing wrong, a common practice). Well, those might also be the reasons to look for a new job in every field, but for a mariner they contribute a little “extra” towards deciding a new maritime job opportunity. (Ask a mariner and you would know the answer!)

Online maritime jobs search has reached its all new high with several quality websites and social networking hubs coming-up in the recent years. If you are maritime professional looking for a new job, there are several best jobs websites for maritime available online that feature latest job opportunities in the marine industry.

Mentioned herein are our top 21 maritime jobs websites, which will help you to find maritime jobs and scale new heights in your maritime career.

Happy job hunting!

Top Websites for Looking for Maritime Jobs

1) Maritime Connector – One of the most famous maritime jobs websites to hunt for job opportunities.  Lists jobs on a variety of sectors from the shipping industry. An important website for finding jobs on ships.

2) Job 2 Sea –  One of the fastest growing maritime jobs website online, Job 2 Sea offers job listings on a number of categories, along with latest jobs which are updated on a regular basis. Several ship jobs listed.

3) Find a Mariner – As the name suggests, the job search website features jobs from both shipping and offshore industry. The website also has a strong presence on various social networking websites.

4) Vacanseas – A website with a unique name and an easy to use search feature. Definitely worth registering.

5) Job Ships – Provides job opportunities mainly from the Asian subcontinent. Has a variety of companies listed with jobs updated regularly. Features a variety of ship jobs.

6) Maritime Jobs 4 You – A dedicated Maritime Industry job portal which even features dredging, towing, offshore, and shore based jobs.

7) Vcrew – One of the active maritime job portals online; provides jobs listing for a variety of shipping ranks and fields. Important for finding ship jobs for all ranks.

8) Seafarer Jobs – A maritime job website mainly for the Asian Seafarers.

9) Sea job – Yet another website which features maritime jobs focused on Asian subcontinent.

10) Fast Stream Recruitment Group – Fast stream recruitment is a renowned name in the marine industry. The website features a variety of maritime jobs opportunities from shipping and maritime industry.

11) Maritime Union – Maritime Union gives you a free service to find maritime jobs according to your criteria and apply for as many possible jobs.

12) Maritime Jobs – It offers jobs from all categories like HR, Project Engineers, Shoreside and Vessel operations.

13) Sea Career – Sea Career offers maritime jobs onboard offshore DSV, AHTS, PSV & ROV support vessels including tankers, passenger, container, general cargo and other specialized vessels, as well as shore side vacancies within the maritime sector.

14) Jobs at Sea – Provides global maritime job listing on engine, deck, hospitality, and technical areas.

15) Oil Careers – Lists both offshore and shipping jobs. One of the most active websites online for maritime jobs.

16) All Cruise Jobs – Focuses mainly on jobs from the cruising industry, this website is frequently updated with maritime jobs.

17) Maritime Career – Offers job listing options for ship jobs and a variety of maritime fields. However, not a very active website.

18) Sea Job Hunt – A fairly new job site that is gradually picking up. A number of ship jobs are listed.

19) Maritime Employment – Provides job listing of offshore, seagoing, and shore-side jobs. The portal is not dedicated to a specific region, but features jobs from around the world. The salient feature of the portal is that it’s free for both employers and job seekers.

20) Jobs in Maritime – Focuses on maritime jobs for different sectors primarily based in UK.

21) gCaptain Maritime & Offshore Jobs – gCaptain is a popular website dedicated to maritime and offshore sectors. It caters all levels of maritime and offshore jobs from all over the world.

Understanding Design Of Container Ships

The very first cargo ships were built to carry cargo in bulk. Even in most general cargo ships, wooden containers or boxes were used to stow unit cargo. But, with the inclusion of wider types of cargo, containerisations was deemed suitable for compact, fragile, and cargo requiring special care during transit. Hence, was felt the need to design special types of ships that could not only be loaded with these containers, but were also able to maintain the safe conditions of the contents of the containers.

In this article, we will discuss the design aspects of container ships. It is important to understand, from this article, how the design of a particular type of ship is dictated by the type of cargo, the ports on route, the functionality of the ship, and also the economic trends in the market. Also, before understanding container ships design, it is advised that you have a basic knowledge of fundamental ship terminologies, and those related to hull geometry (e.g. Block coefficient, Midship area coefficient, etc.)

Container Ships Design And Construction 

There are different categories of container ships, based on different ways in which they can be categorised. The most widely operating types are as follows:

Based on overall sizing-

• Based on volumetric capacity (In older days, container ships were sized based on their volume)
• Based on TEU (This is the modern day sizing parameter of a container ship. The TEU of a container ship is the number of twenty foot equivalent containers that can be carried by the ship.)

Based on Length, Beam, Depth, and Tonnage-

• Panamax
• Post- Panamax
• Suezmax
• Post- Suezmax
• Malacamax

 Based on mode of handling-

• Box container ship – This is the most common type of container ship design. They can be loaded only with marine containers, and cargo handling is carried out by quay side cranes that belong to the port authorities. Such ships always ply only on major container ports that are equipped with cranes.

• RORO ship – On roll on / roll off type of container ships, containers are rolled on and off the ships using heavy lift vehicles and fork lift trucks. These type of ships, in some cases, carry both vehicles and containers in different decks.

• LILO ship – Lift on / Lift off ships are equipped with their on cranes which are used to load the containers on and off the ship. These ships always ply only in smaller container terminals that are not equipped with container handling cranes, like the bigger terminals.

Based on Range of Service-

• Mother Ships – These are the larger ships, often above 10000 TEU capacity, that ply only between the major container terminals of a nation. These ships cannot enter smaller ports due to their large draft and overall size.
• Feeder Vessels – Feeder vessels operate between the major and minor container terminals, carrying containers to and from the mother ships. Often, these vessels are LILO type, because smaller ports are not equipped with quay-side cranes.

Container Ship Design – The Hull Geometry:

The first and the most prominent design aspect of any type of ship is the geometry of its hull. Before we understand why hulls of container ships have attained their characteristic shape, we should first notice the geometry itself. A visual comparison of the hull of a container ship with that of a bulk carrier or an oil tanker would clearly imply that a container ship’s hull has a finer formthan the other two. In other words, the forward and aft sections of a container ship are streamlined, and not fuller like that of a bulk carrier or oil tanker. Why?

Image for Representation Purpose Only; Credits: wikimedia.org

To answer that, we will need to first understand another aspect of the container industry. Goods shipped in containers are often of high value, and high priority. For example, if a marine diesel engine for a ship being constructed in a shipyard in India is to be shipped in from Germany, the shipment would be made in a container, and is a high priority shipment because the installation of the engine into the engine room is a step in the construction process that would determine the possibility of delays in the later stages of construction. Also, the equipment needs to be delivered without any impact or damage. Thus, container ships are tightly time bound ships. They have a very low turnaround time, that is, the time they spend at a port for loading and unloading has to be minimum in order to be able to call the next port without delay. It is due to this reason, container ships fall in the category of high speed ships. In order to achieve a high speed, the resistance of the hull needs to be minimized, which is obtained by a fine form hull. In other words, container ship hulls have low coefficient of buoyancy, ranging from 0.6 to 0.7.

Another notable geometrical characteristic of container ships is the high prismatic coefficient of the hull-form. That is, the hull section for most part of the length of the ship is almost rectangular. This is done in order to accommodate maximum number of containers below the deck.

Midship Section Of Container Ships:

One of the most important structural drawings that are prepared during the design of a container ship is that of the midship section. The midship section of a ship is prepared with a lot of design and functional considerations in mind, which include the type of cargo, stowage methods to be used by the ship, capacity of the ship, etc. In fact, a ship type is often identified by its midship section.

For a typical container ship design, the midship section is shown in the following figure. What is however important, is to understand the drawing from a designer’s point of view. Some common features of the midship section of a container ship are discussed below:

1. All container ships are double bottomed, so as to allow for the double bottom spaces to be used as tanks.

2. Container ships are also longitudinally framed, because the variable loading conditions often result in large hogging and sagging moments, which result in high longitudinal bending stresses.

3. The shape of the midship section is almost box-like. In the words of a designer, it has high midship area coefficient, ranging from 0.75 to 0.85

4. The bilge strake is the angular plate that joins the inner side shell and the tank top plating. Since the presence of this plate would prevent the stowage of containers at the corner of the section, the length of this strake is kept to a minimum. In most recent cases, however, container ships are not provided with bilge strakes at all, in order to ensure maximum stowage capacity.

5. The most important structural feature of a container ship is the torsion box, which we will discuss in detail in one of the following sections.

6. Container ships are usually equipped with no hatches. That is, the ship has no continuous main deck running full breadth all along the ship. This open box-like structure (relate with the midship section figure), enables easy stowage of containers from the tank top to the highest level above main deck level. The only decks are within the double hull, which are more like stringers running full length, and provide passage way along the length of the ship.Torsion Box In Double Hulled Containerships:
   Let us start by recalling the shape of a water bucket. You would have noticed that the rim of every water bucket is always twisted outward. Why do you think this is done?
   Try cutting off the rim of the bucket, or for that matter, cut off the rim of a paper cup and try holding it with some liquid in it. You would notice that the paper cup would not resist the torsion. It would twist and eventually rupture. This happens because the entire structure of a bucket or a paper cup or any open box has a very low polar moment of inertia. This results in giving it a very low torsional strength. Thus, in order to strengthen open box like structures against torsion, additional material is added to their rims. In other words, one simply increases the polar moment of inertia of the cross section of the structure. But how is this related to a container ship?
   We know that the hull of a container ship is an open box like structure. When a ship is at sea, it is subjected to various wave loads. In one of the load cases, when the direction of the waves is at approximately 45 degrees to the velocity of the ship, port side of the forward section and the starboard side of the aft section would experience a wave crest at the same time, and vice versa. This results in a type of periodic loading which causes the hull to twist. This effect is called torsion, and is shown in the following figure.
   

   Fig. Torsion in a container ship moving in quarter seas.
   
   
   Imagine the effect of cutting the strengthened rim off the paper cup. The same effect when extrapolated to that of a container ship, would result in devastating failures of the hull structure due to torsion. In order to prevent this, the topmost edges of the port and starboard sides of a container ships are strengthened with high scantling web sections, creating a box like structure at every frame. This is called torsion box. A torsion box runs along the entire length of the ship from the aft peak bulkhead to the forward collision bulkhead.
   The following figure shows the torsion box of the double hull container ship. Note that the width of the web plate in the torsion box is higher than the web plate used around the passage way below it. Also, the webs at passageways are at a spacing of three to four frame spaces, but the webs of a torsion box would be present at every frame.

What Do Naval Architects Do?

The science and technology of the field that we today know as naval architecture, has developed significantly over the last hundred years or so. This period has seen huge progress in the design and manufacture of engineering products and the marine technology. The advent of naval architects has made it even more smooth and quick. Naval architects are the people on whose shoulders rest the responsibility of the conquest of human kind on the high seas.

A naval architect is basically an engineer by profession who creates designs, constructs the marine vessels of all kinds and manages this complex process. The vessels include all sorts of merchant ships like cruise ships, oil or gas tankers, cargo ships, ferries etc. Apart from these, work boats like fishing boats, tugs, power boats and yachts come under this category. Industrial usage machines like the off shore drills, used for the extraction of oil and natural gas, FPSOs and semi submersibles are also designed and developed by naval architects. In addition to the civil segment, this field also provides its services to the military purposes for making of war ships, submarines, aircraft carriers, amphibious ships and destroyers etc. This makes naval architect, a professional, who offers services to the society in a manner that is unparalleled.

Though the profession is engineering based, these professionals need to have some idea and knowledge of other fields of study as well such as artistic designing, creativity and management. This is because, the responsibilities of a naval architect include a lot of things that may at the first instance look to be not in the field of play. The manufacture and the subsequent maintenance of all the marine equipment and vessels require great coordination between the different departments and having a working knowledge of all these goes a long way in helping the task of a naval architect. Thus, a person in this capacity who works at any of the shipyard, consultancies, design firms, navies or any other government organisations, has to have managerial and team management skills. It helps combine the contributions of each team member to bring about the desired end product.

A naval architect integrates the above mentioned activities and manages the entire project. This is the reason why it is of utmost importance for the person to have good and more importantly effective communication skills both verbal and written. A logical and artistic mind, a sound communication with people of all the different kinds of professions whether engineering or otherwise, attention to detail, patient and sound judgment are just some of the attributes that are looked for in any prospective naval architect.

The profession of a naval architect is a very dynamic one and requires constant updating on every aspect. This is why, it is said by the greats of this field that, in this profession anyone who ceases to be a student of the industry becomes stagnant and resistant to grow. Right from the education to the training and later to the job, being a naval architecture itself it is a very interesting life especially as it throws new challenges and opens new doors of knowledge.