Advice For A Young Ship’s Officer

by John Konrad (gCaptain) A new ship can be an intimidating place for a deck officer, so here are a few tips to get you started and to remind you of what is essential once you are underway. 

• Find a great mentor aboard your ship, and if you can’t, find a new ship.
  • A great mentor may be a bosun, engineer, and sometimes a cook.
• Your intelligence does not increase when you are promoted.
• Spend more time in the engine-room.
• Forget everything you learned on your last ship.
• Remember everything your last ship taught you.
• Befriend the 3 B’s:
• Never miss a sunrise or sunset.
• Carry a pen, paper, and extra flashlight everywhere.
• If you say you will do something, write it down, and cross it off when finished.
• Report any screw-up but stay silent when you are exceptionally proud of your work.
• Relish the fresh air, fresh breath, and fresh ideas you find at sea.

• Make your own bed every morning
• Only gossip while knitting.
• Make the Chief Mate and 1st Engineer’s job easier.
• Know thy job, thy ship, and thyself.
• The Captain is not your best friend or worst enemy. Sleep is!
• Ask more questions.
• Get ship done!
• Listen harder.
• Always sail toward your waypoint even when you make no way.
• Floss, brush, shower, shave, and wear clean clothes and deodorant.
• Keep your chronometer wound, your sextant corrected, and the magnetic compass tuned because you might never need them.
• Call the captain more often than necessary because the good ones will appreciate it and the bad ones will be annoyed.
• Curiosity is the cure for boredom.
• The three things most likely to end your career are ignoring the COLREGS, ignoring the Captain’s orders, and ignoring the warning signs that you are about to marry the wrong person.
• The last bullet point is in reverse order of importance.
• Before telling a sea-story, ask yourself three questions:
  -Is it a great story?
  -Are you sure?
  -Really??
• Go find better sea stories.
• Read Part 2 of this article: Advice For A Young Watch Officer

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