How many times as a First Mate before ....

rockDAWG · #1 (**permalink**) 10-03-2010

How many times as a First Mate (in ocean voyages) before becoming a captain of a comparable ocean voyage?

Vote in confidence. Your secret is safe with me.

sailingmum · #2 (**permalink**) 10-03-2010

Looks like pretty close.. I wonder how many who said zero, are referring to their own boats. Just curious...

rockDAWG · #3 (**permalink**) 10-03-2010

Quote:

Originally Posted by sailingmum

Looks like pretty close.. I wonder how many who said zero, are referring to their own boats. Just curious...

It doesn't matter as in one's own boat or not. Actually, it is better because at least he/she has convinced the owner his/her ability to sail the ocean.

Keep the vote coming, Captains.

CaptainForce · #4 (**permalink**) 10-03-2010

It's an oddly worded choice, "...before I am willing to be on my own." These opportunities my arise to be a first mate, as they did forty years ago for me, without a choice to defer "captaining". They can be wonderful experiences, but there are many routes to experience. Take care and joy, Aythya crew

sailingmum · #5 (**permalink**) 10-03-2010

the convincing is in the sucessful completion... LOL...

Boasun · #6 (**permalink**) 10-03-2010

In my world it is a year of sea time, then you can step up to Master. Or at least acquire your Master's license in the lower levels of licenses.

rockDAWG · #7 (**permalink**) 10-03-2010

Based on a limited number of responses, I see a bimodal distribution rather than a bell shape normal distribution I assume of all those replies were successful making the crossing and alive. This indicates that it is not about the training, it is about the willingness to take risk. I may not be wrong. But someone can shed some light here.

In my case, I have only finsihed the ASA 106 Delmarva circumnavigate course early summer, we sailed 30 hours non-stop from C&D canal to Norfolk. I feel very confident that I can be a captain to sail from C&D canal to NYC or Block Island with just the charts and a simple GPS. I certainly do not want to be overly confident as I will study my charts and plan my route accordingly with a back up plans.

To those Captains who sail the open seas and capable of set sails within a few days notice, what is your take? Am I moving too far and too soon. I am no longer a young man with years of time to learn the proper way. I don't want to burden the USCG to save my ass because my stupidity, although I have no problem to pay for it if they save my life. Hey if they fail, my family is not going to pay.

oceanscapt · #8 (**permalink**) 10-03-2010

It's not the number, it's the time as First Mate that I'd be most interested in. And you don't get to be First Mate out of the box, at least in the part of the marine business I'm familiar with.

So:
come aboard as deckhand
learn your job and move up to senior/lead deckhand
learn your job and move up to bosun
learn your job, learn the ships systems, learn the rules of the road, learn emergency procedures, get medical training, how to navigate, correct charts, manage a department, drive the boat and tenders, anchor, dock (side to, stern to, backing in, without use of the thrusters), train others below you and then move up to First Mate.

Being able to navigate, or raise and lower the sails is the easy and fun stuff. It's all the other things you have to know and apply every day that separates the crew member from the captain. The number 1 job of a Captain is to provide a safe passage for crew, guests and the vessel.

sailingmum · #9 (**permalink**) 10-03-2010

Indeed, it's all the other stuff ! Thanks.

Being able to navigate, or raise and lower the sails is the easy and fun stuff. It's all the other things you have to know and apply every day that separates the crew member from the captain. The number 1 job of a Captain is to provide a safe passage for crew, guests and the vessel.[/QUOTE]

jephotog · #10 (**permalink**) 10-03-2010

I think the lack of responses stems from in part the ambiguity of the question. While there are some professional seamen on board here they are not the majority. The terms captain and first mate are professional ones. In real world you have skipper(the one responsible) and crew. The only title I have been given as crew was "galley wench". As Boasum pointed out these things are regulated in the world of pros.

The other source of confusion is offshore vs other sailing. I have sailed 100s of days but only spend 8 of them offshore and felt I would have done a better job than the captain on my one voyage(he left the battery switch on "both" on the first day and we went without power or engine for the last 3 days). I think besides offshore time, how much time have you been coastal cruising or heavy weather sailing are important factors in the decision to act as Skipper offshore.