How Many Crew Work On A Cargo Ship? | Life At Sea

[@jaimeschmidt1264]

Thank you for breaking this all down for those of us that don't know.

[@johnleach7879]

It's either 23 or 33. I remember drinking beer and playing ping pong with 23 of them.

[@Cleveland951]

Hey Bryan, I found your channel through another mariner channel. I just wanted to say I love your videos and I hope you keep them up. You have my dream job so if it's cool I'll just continue to live vicariously through you😂

[@BryanBoyle]

Glad you are enjoying the channel! Feel free to live vicariously as you’d like haha

[@ashleighelizabeth5916]

Wow the stewards department is really small. They must work pretty hard in order to keep everybody fed and everything clean and orderly.

[@rangerhalt]

ive seen a coupe of your videos, they were recommended out of nowhere, I never thought I would have found cargo ship life and structure interesting. Thanks!

[@rickpratt8789]

We had about 30-35 on the Lykes Bros stick ships I worked on in the early 70s.

[@elien1902]

Wow, my crew we only had 9 crew members. We had A captain, chief mate either 2nd or 3rd mate, 2 AB, chief engineer, either 2nd or 3rd engineer, a cook and a cadet (which was me).

[@saurabhkatarey6818]

Nowadays it's compulsory for electrician to hold Electro technical officer licence/C.O.C & it's one of the important rank. Anyways it varies from companies to companies.

[@ShipsLifeTV]

I'm a seaman also, i keep watching your videos

[@BryanBoyle]

Thank you! Stay safe out there

[@JohnSmith-uy7sv]

Who did ship's maintenance like welding and plumbing and such and fire fighting? Very good explanation. I was in engineering, but a fire fighter, shipfitter, welder, damage control and maintenance. Thanks.

[@BryanBoyle]

Ships maintenance is performed by all the departments depending on what the maintenance item is. Welding and plumbing would be the engineering department. All crew members have emergency duties as well and everyone has fire fighting training

[@Tuglife912]

I'm ready to join the crew in the Deck Department

[@lefteyedknothead4821]

Looks very neat and clean!

[@getx1265]

Answered exactly what I wanted to know! thanks!

[@redrocklead]

Really good info.

[@heli-crewhgs5285]

That ended rather abruptly!

[@5astelija75]

You need a NordVPN ad in the end? Smash that like button?

[@billwareagle7047]

Another excellent and very informative video. Are their any highly trained first aid personnel on board? Are you required to have someone with higher training in first aid and not just an average person with basic training?

[@BryanBoyle]

Thanks, the Chief Officer is the medical officer, but their training is really just a two week crash course on first aid. We have access to shoreside medical doctors 24/7 that can give advice and direction on how to handle emergencies. The ship is also stocked with a large supply of pharmaceuticals and and other medical supplies. Anything major will require a medical evacuation by either helicopter or launch boat if we are close enough to a port. It’s best to avoid getting hurt out here, which is why the companies put such a major emphasis on safety!

[@billwareagle7047]

@@BryanBoyle Thank you !

[@salyluz6535]

Excellent question, great answer! Coming from a medical family, this was why I headed to the comments- to either read or ask this question! 💙🌅

[@tlbfarm4473]

Another informative video, thanks! What rank are you; if you said it, I missed it. Thanks for posting!

[@BryanBoyle]

I’m a licensed second officer, but in this video I was sailing as a coastwise mate just along the US coast to cover the Chief mate watches so that he could focus on cargo ops and planning.

[@tlbfarm4473]

@@BryanBoyle Thanks!

[@brianclayton1875]

@@BryanBoyle I had the same question too. Do you want to be a captain one day?

[@silveriogutierrez5440]

Is there a medic on board the ship?

[@BryanBoyle]

The Chief mate is also the medical officer, but their training is limited to a two week medical class with some basic hands on training. The ships also have 24 hour phone and email support to shoreside doctors to assist, as well as a fully stocked infirmary onboard. Anything major would require a med evac by helicopter or launch boat though.

[@petertyson1112]

When I was Second Mate, British flag, it was my job to be the medical bloke. My training was 1800-2100 on a Wednesday evening for 6 weeks whilst I was doing my Mate's ticket. And of course a copy of "The Ship's Captain's Medical Guide" on-board.

[@peterl.deegan9059]

Electrician are licensed in UK. Eto

[@JO-mg6xc]

Do you have a problem with smelling shoes in theses vessels?

[@geddon436]

So, cheif mate gets early morning and afternoon shift, 3rd mate gets morning and evening/late night shift, 2nd mate gets miday and midnight/overnight shift. Seems 2nd mate gets worse shift.

[@rickpratt8789]

Back in the day we called the 4-8 watch the "4-5 watch." Because that was the only part of their watches (4-5 pm) that fell within the normal workday of 8-5. So they basically just stood their navigation watches, or got paid overtime to do anything else. Unions made things complicated and expensive, but ultimately fair to the worker. Not so much these days it appears.

[@rickpratt8789]

In short, the 4-8 was the preferred watch.

[@geddon436]

@@rickpratt8789 If my back wasn't in bad shape, I would seriously look into becoming sailor.

[@trainsships559]

Nice video but what does unlicenced mean

[@BryanBoyle]

Ship’s crew is divided into officers and unlicensed. The unlicensed are those who did not do the required training and testing to have their third mate or third engineer license that they can then advance up the chain of command. It’s similar to the military which has officers and enlisted personnel.

[@trainsships559]

@@BryanBoyle oh thanks

[@manatee2500]

This is a US-flagged vessel- so the manning requirements are greater.

[@BryanBoyle]

What do you mean? I am under the impression that US flagged vessels are more minimally manned than other foreign flagged vessels. Thanks

[@manatee2500]

@@BryanBoyle I have a commercial background in the shipping business. US flag vessels have always had higher manning requirements but the gap has narrowed in recent years. Manning costs are among the highest but this is offset by cargo preference laws and the MSP. (info available from MARAD). That being said, there is a strong case to be made for maintaining the US flag fleet and having American seafarers to crew those vessels. My exposure to US flag services was limited to project and USAID cargo that were US flag impelled. We have some capable and flexible ro/ro vessels in the MSP and the RRF. When I entered the business in '94 we still had several US owned shipping lines. These have mostly disappeared through mergers although foreign owners (e.g. Maersk or Hapag) can operate US flag services through a separate US holding company.

[@atsekoutsoube]

Very informative indeed. However I dont agree with the term "unlicensed". All seafarers have the license, which is required for their position onboard. Also, on occasions young junior officers may serve onboard as lower ratings. Finally, the Captain is the Captain not just a bridge officer. Actually the term "crew" does not include the Captain. Traditionally it is said "the Captain and his crew".

[@kishorem8347]

What about purser?

[@raphaelszok8561]

I wanna cruise on a cargo ship.

[@pooletrainboy]

Does that make you a chief mate then?

[@operatorpyro]

What kind of watch you have on??

[@BryanBoyle]

Garmin instinct

[@aliceboyle3612]

What percentage of crew are women?

[@BryanBoyle]

Usually we only have around 2 or 3 women onboard, so about 10%. I’m glad to say though that this number has been rising and women are more commonly working on ships now :)

[@aliceboyle3612]

Yes , agreed!

[@prathameshphansekar6734]

Electrical officer is licenced crew

[@BryanBoyle]

In our fleet the electrician is not a licensed position. They do have very extensive knowledge of all the electrical systems onboard though and could probably upgrade to a third engineer license quite easily with some more classes and testing.

[@prathameshphansekar6734]

@@BryanBoyle I am too joining Maersk as trainee electrical officer shortly. Here we have to give coc 😁

[@ulrikbruun5243]

👍👍👍✌️✌️🌈

[@sumeshswami614]

Sir I am engine cadet from India can you please tell me which company name which hire engine cadet

[@Bruce-1956]

When I was in the MN we had about 10 officers and either about 20 crew (Indians) or 8 crew (British). This was on tankers of all sizes, the Indians worked on the older ships and the British on modern, this was in the '70s.

[@Nickgowans]

Love these videos, been bingeing for hours

[@chuckboyle8456]

Interesting video thanks. What happened to the Radio Officer and his Electronics Technician? Back in the day these guys were the kings of shipboard Network data management, and masters of the Morse Code speed key.

[@BryanBoyle]

Those positions have been absorbed now by other crew onboard to reduce manning. All watch officers are FCC licensed GMDSS radio operators, although our knowledge and expertise in these areas are not to the same level of the designated radio officers that used to work onboard. I think a couple companies such as Matson still have radio operators on board due to union contracts though.

[@zekecycle]

With a modest sized crew there must be assistance from people in the ports for loading and unloading. It must take a lot of effort to secure the cargo.

[@juhakallio-kujala5706]

This information is surprisingly hard to come by so thanks for this invaluable video! All the information on the internet is so very vague. It would be awesome to get a video with a breakdown of the most common daily tasks of each crewmember.

[@dylanmiller5860]

On the ships I’ve worked on also container ships the electrical engineer is an officer, and for us it’s motorman and engine trainee which are the non licensed crew in the engine department

[@paulpham1922]

I just found this video which is extremely helpful to me better than any other website explaining the works of cargo ship crews. And yes I chose this video to be the resource of my final reports on the "Elements of Shipping" class cause why the heck not? It's easy to understand and your video helps me out a lot. Keep up your work Bryan!

[@ShipsLifeTV]

Im your fan here, always here to support

[@febbyleisner3603]

Brother can I join Maersk in galley department. I'm perceiving catering studies. Please do reply ❤️🙏

[@Hello-ye2bi]

Not sure but reach out to the S.I.U. in piney point maryland.

[@febbyleisner3603]

@@Hello-ye2bi thanks

[@Hello-ye2bi]

@@febbyleisner3603 no worries. My dad was a Merchant Marine.

[@febbyleisner3603]

@@Hello-ye2bi ❤️🔥

[@TheCrjflyr]

How does the pay of the engineering officers differ from deck officers? Do engineering officers aspire to be deck officers or are they totally separate career paths? Are there different licenses for each, or does your license cover both jobs? I spent my career in commercial aviation so it is really neat to see behind the curtain of another transportation industry. Keep up the great videos.

[@BryanBoyle]

Engineers and deck officers are separate unions and licensing, but pay is usually pretty similar based on rank. For example, the third engineer will usually make about the same as the third mate. Since they are separate licensing, you can’t switch between departments. On this ship, the International Organization of Masters Mates and Pilots (IOMMP) union represents the deck officers, and the Marine Engineers Beneficial Association (MEBA) union represents the engineering officers.

[@Gruñón92]

@@BryanBoyle Hey Bryan, is there difference between IOMMP Union and AMO Union?

[@blinboi7148]

Do you travel the whole world on those ships? Im currently thinking of becoming a deck officer

[@BryanBoyle]

Yes I have sailed around the world on these container ships! Good luck if you decide to pursue this industry as a Deck Officer!

[@blinboi7148]

@@BryanBoyle Thanks man! I love your content!

[@Neo-po2xw]

@@BryanBoyle What about shore leave and how long you can have it. I'm also pursuing for this career from engineering department. One of my main reasons of joining was to travel the world.

[@edp2260]

Does this mean that while underway there is 4-5 deck crew on duty, and 3-4 engine crew on duty, a total of 9 people operating the ship? I would guess this varies depending on conditions and complexity of the navigation. I would think that there are 3 shifts. It seems incredible that such a huge ship can be operated by a crew of 23! ( I didn't forget the steward crew. I am sure they work hard feeding the crew!)

[@BryanBoyle]

It varies by the time of day. The engineers are all day workers, so for example the midnight to 0400 watch would mean that only the second mate and 12-4 watch AB are usually awake and navigating the ship!

[@edp2260]

@@BryanBoyle Wow. So underway midnight to 4 AM there are only 2 crew awake sometimes? Thanks for the videos. These container ships are interesting to me. Such ships are one of the hallmarks of our age. What a change in only 50 years or so.

[@RjFragile]

I’m a Seaman ❤️ Once Marine, always Marine.

[@JohnSmith-uy7sv]

That would be Navy. Marines only took up space and ate all our junk food in the ships store and then when they were always bored they would stuff toilet paper rolls in the toilets to clog them up and then we would have to blow them out with fire main pressure. Marines did absolutely nothing on transport ships I was in the Navy years ago.😂

[@RjFragile]

@@JohnSmith-uy7sv 555 hahaha

[@johnl6838]

@@JohnSmith-uy7sv GO NAVY!

[@JohnSmith-uy7sv]

@@johnl6838 Never Again Volunteer Yourself=Navy. 🤣

[@JohnSmith-uy7sv]

@@RjFragile I still do not know what 555 means. It is a semiconductor, digital timer that I know of.

[@Jasona1976]

Who does the dishes? Clears the tables? Who does the laundry? Cleans the cabins?

[@BryanBoyle]

The stewed assistant is in charge of all of this. The steward assistant also cleans the Officer cabins. Other crew rooms are cleaned and maintained by the crew member living in it.

[@tonyjoe1753]

Thank you 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

[@peteregan3862]

Wow!! Very efficient. Does that also apply to the 24,000 TEU ships??

[@BryanBoyle]

We don’t have any ships that size under US flag. American crews are expensive, so they keep us minimally manned. Foreign flagged ships of the same size or even larger ones likes the 24,000 TEU you mentioned will definitely have larger crew sizes somewhere in the mid 30s I’d imagine.

[@jackiecs8190]

Maersk's largest ships are also its newest, and are designed to run with a crew of just 13, apparently!

[@peteregan3862]

@@jackiecs8190 wow - getting close to an autonomous ship. Actually, with highspeed satellite internet, a shore base could monitor a ship just as easily as bridge officers. Could even have a couple of robots on deck to help monitor.

[@jackiecs8190]

@@peteregan3862 Rolls Royce has even talked about fully-autonomous cargo ships! I don't think it's gonna happen anytime soon though.

[@peteregan3862]

@@jackiecs8190 hijacking is a major concern for unmanned ships. Biggest obstacle is required law changes. We will likely see it done in east Asia first with US, EU lagging far behind

[@Toadcrusher]

Moving enterprise on the water)

[@Gator_needs_his_gat]

How long are normal contracts? I saw a video where a guy was at sea for 6 months and then his contract was over. Is 6 months standard for a contract? I haven’t been able to find much online about the contracts. Thank you!

[@isaaccurin9462]

Good video

[@josephlobatodefaria8932]

Hi Bryan ! Is there a first engineer between Chief Engineer and the Second Engineer in all the companys ?

[@BryanBoyle]

Yes for most deep sea going vessels. Sometimes there will even be two third engineers

[@mnoxman]

[humor] What? The Marconi operators were absent from your list.[/humor]

[@BryanBoyle]

Haha yes times have definitely changed. They gave all those responsibilities to the watch officers who are now FCC licensed radio operators.

[@mnoxman]

@@BryanBoyle The GMDSS maintiners are found only in port I would guess.

[@BryanBoyle]

You can get a GMDSS maintainer certificate but I have yet to see any watch officers have anything more than the Radio Operator License, so yes maintainers are usually shore based.

[@yassinekeddar4464]

Bryan can i ask you please 🙏

[@claraisabella3425]

I want to send you an apple pie:)

[@thehungergames8918]

I am the messman at home 🏡

[@BryanBoyle]

Haha

[@flowerpeddler8306]

That must be a lonely job.

[@BryanBoyle]

It can be at times

[@racoons3645]

How formal are you with your fellow crewmen? I imagine 30 people travelling non stop for weeks can get pretty close

[@BryanBoyle]

It depends on the position. We try to maintain a chain of command and formalities between crew and officers. Most people are friendly with each other and take time to get to know each other a bit, but we should always respect the position of each person.

[@Neo-po2xw]

@@BryanBoyle I think there must have some friction b/w crew mates mainly because of ranks.

[@nazarethrivas2212]

Nice video

[@butchkaminsky9470]

Do still have cats on ships?

[@BryanBoyle]

I wish, but unfortunately no pets are allowed onboard.

[@88KeysIdaho]

@@BryanBoyle I thought maybe his question was aimed at keeping Rodents (if any) under control.

[@piratesmurf4251]

I need to find a Cargo ship job. What the easiest to get on

[@hansamsterdam2635]

Nice video..

[@robertirvin7385]

Ahoy fellow sailors!

[@freds71]

What is your position?

[@ryanj9943]

Are there any medical ppl onboard?

[@salyluz6535]

In one of his other videos he said I believe it is the chief mate who has some minimal level of medical training like an intensive two week advanced first aid course? And that they do have many medical & pharmacy supplies in the onboard infirmary. Also they can connect by phone or Internet with doctors and nurses on the mainland, who advise them what should be done. In case of Medical emergencies, the person must be evacuated by speedboat or helicopter. So there is a very high goal to remain healthy!

[@dwayne06robinson84]

How get in contact with you bro have email

[@BryanBoyle]

My email is in my account: [e-mail]

[@jameschen9099]

Do you have a Doctor on board ?

[@BryanBoyle]

We do not. The chief mate is the medical officer but with limited training -usually a two week medical PIC course. We have 24/7 access to shoreside doctors though who can give advice and direction over satellite communications. Anything major though and you are being airlifted off or diverted to nearest port.

[@dickgozinya9228]

No doctor?