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Ordinary seaman skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025
2 min read
Below we've compiled a list of the most critical ordinary seaman skills. We ranked the top skills for ordinary seamen based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 20.0% of ordinary seaman resumes contained vessel maintenance as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills an ordinary seaman needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 ordinary seaman skills for your resume and career

1. Vessel Maintenance

Vessel Maintenance is a routine process that requires adequate check-up, repair, and updating of the various parts of a vessel. The goal is to keep the vessel in good shape at all times to avoid unnecessary breakdowns and other challenges that might occur when the vessel is offshore. The maintenance process can range from changing its engine oil to painting its body and lubricating parts of the machinery prone to friction.

Here's how ordinary seamen use vessel maintenance:
  • Facilitated transfer of rigging, vessel maintenance, and midstream fuel transfers.
  • Cleaned and performed vessel maintenances such as sweeping, scrubbing and washing decks using brooms, brushes, and mops.

2. Safety Equipment

Here's how ordinary seamen use safety equipment:
  • Inspected and test various safety equipment, sensors, and electrical systems.
  • Maintain safety equipment, including safety harnesses and emergency eyewash stations.

3. Ladders

Here's how ordinary seamen use ladders:
  • Climbed scaffolding, staging, ladders and planks to reach work area surfaces.
  • Climbed and maintained balance on steel framework, stairs and ladders.

4. TWIC

Here's how ordinary seamen use twic:
  • Maintain requirements and qualifications, TWIC card, Able Seaman Unlimited.
  • Obtained TWIC and Merchant Mariner's Credential during employment.

5. Mooring Lines

Here's how ordinary seamen use mooring lines:
  • Secure mooring lines during docking and undocking maneuvers.
  • Handled mooring lines when docking and undocking.

6. Stcw

Here's how ordinary seamen use stcw:
  • Familiarized with STCW Code, SOLAS, MARPOL, ISPS Code, ISM Code.
  • Ship's Security Officer/VSO U.S. Passport Standards of Training, Certification and watch keeping Certificate/ STCW U.S.

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7. Boats

Here's how ordinary seamen use boats:
  • Perform checks and audits on boats and equipment issued to contractor by the U.S. Navy reporting faults and needed repairs.
  • Operate rescue boat and inflatable between vessel and shore, empty trash, mopped and waxed floor.

8. Firefighting

Here's how ordinary seamen use firefighting:
  • Trained in/for basic damage control teams during general quarters and general emergency; shipboard firefighting, controlling compartment flooding.
  • Operated and maintain firefighting safety equipment and maintain ships operational condition.

9. General Maintenance

General maintenance is the regular check-up and repairs of machinery, buildings, and other mechanical equipment. General maintenance is performed by repair workers who are skilled to handle the day-to-day defects produced in the machinery. General maintenance aims to make sure the items remain in the best operational conditions. Usually, a set of planned activities are performed regularly by an expert to monitor the maintenance.

Here's how ordinary seamen use general maintenance:
  • Maintain the cleanliness of the vessel and general maintenance.
  • Performed general maintenance, repair, sanitation and upkeep of material, equipment, and areas in the deck department.

10. Security Rounds

Here's how ordinary seamen use security rounds:
  • Trained Steward utility personnel on look-out procedures and security rounds in preparation for their promotion to Ordinary Seaman.
  • Make security rounds around the vessel and report any dangerous or suspicious activities.

11. Coats

Here's how ordinary seamen use coats:
  • Have applied primer and finish coats of paint to complete the job.
  • Primed and painted the decks with fresh coats of paint.

12. Coast Guard

A coast guard is a maritime defence organization of a nation. The duties that a coast guard embraces may vary from one nation to the other. They are a strongly armed military establishment with customs and duties. A coast guard's tasks are different from the navy and the transit police. They are generally having the duty to carry search and rescue but without law enforcement authority.

Here's how ordinary seamen use coast guard:
  • Fire and rescue drills were held on a regular monthly schedule as required by the United States Coast Guard.
  • United States Coast Guard Basic Training http://www.uscg.mil/hq/capemay/visitorinfo/visitorinformation.asp

13. Emergency Drills

Here's how ordinary seamen use emergency drills:
  • Participate in emergency drills and respond to emergency situations as designated on Station Bill
  • Perform navigational watch keeping functions, security, emergency drills and safety meetings monthly.

15. Unload Materials

Here's how ordinary seamen use unload materials:
  • Load or unload materials from vessels.
  • Load or unload materials from vessels.
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List of ordinary seaman skills to add to your resume

Ordinary seaman skills

The most important skills for an ordinary seaman resume and required skills for an ordinary seaman to have include:

  • Vessel Maintenance
  • Safety Equipment
  • Ladders
  • TWIC
  • Mooring Lines
  • Stcw
  • Boats
  • Firefighting
  • General Maintenance
  • Security Rounds
  • Coats
  • Coast Guard
  • Emergency Drills
  • Navigational Aids
  • Unload Materials
  • Deck Equipment
  • Routine Maintenance
  • Deck Machinery
  • Booms
  • Passenger Safety
  • Cargo Operations
  • Safety Drills
  • Safety Rules
  • Alertness
  • Deck Maintenance
  • Hoisting
  • Slings
  • Hazardous Materials
  • Hoists
  • Refinish
  • MGR
  • Deck Hand
  • Potable Water

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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