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Sailors are instrumental in smooth facilitation of water transportation across the world. Without them, it wouldn’t have been possible to move passengers and cargo across a range of distances. Sailors are highly trained professionals who have to operate through rough bodies of water including canals, rivers, oceans, lakes and other bodies in different parts of the world. This job involves lots of traveling. Sailors are strong-willed individuals who maintain a variety of water vessels. The water transportation industry always seeks talented sailors for its operations. Sailors are required on different types of vessels including but not limited to, offshore supply vessels, towboats, excursion vessels, water craft, ferries, deep-sea merchant ships, dredges and tugboats. They work under officers and assist in the deck equipments and in different operating procedures of water vessels.
Sailors look out for obstacles, navigation aids and other vessels in the path. The navigation aids could be buoys and lighthouses. Sailors are primarily responsible for maintaining the non-engineering areas of the ships and boats. Ship steering is often done by sailors who measure the depth of the water and chart their course accordingly. Cargo handling equipments, lifeboats and anchors etc are maintained by sailors. They need to make sure all the deck equipments are in place and suitable for use in case of any emergency. They plot courses and handle mechanical problems encountered during the journey.
To become a sailor, one needs at least a high school diploma from a recognized body. This is one career field where experience and other attributes of an individual matter more than his/her educational qualification. Most of the sailors start their career by working on a large ship. This helps them in gaining valuable experience and training. They learn aspects like trigonometry, navigation, water safety and basic boat handling. Many sailors have been found to possess previous experience in military or coast guard. Sailors are also required to have CPR and first aid training. Some of the large ships require sailors to have appropriate license. A large number of sailors pursue assistant instructor’s certification to improve their skills.
Additionally, one can acquire United States Coast Guard professional license for better employment opportunities. Booming water transportation industry and increase in global tourism is expected to drive demand for experienced sailors. Rising international trade is also going to help sailors.
In India, one can pursue the career of a navy sailor. The exam for Indian Navy Sailors Matric Entry Recruitment is held twice a year. Appearing candidates must be between 17 to 20 years of age and should have cleared the Matriculation/equivalent examination with science and mathematics subjects. Written test is followed by a physical fitness test and medical test. One also needs to fulfill certain physical criteria.
This is a career for those who love to tread different water bodies. The job of a sailor is very demanding and requires long periods of absence from one’s home. So one must not be homesick and should be prepared to face challenging situations in the water. Sometimes, situations can be dangerous so sailors must have courage and physical stamina to handle any adverse situation.
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