To get a job on a ship, you need a diploma
Desire alone is not enough to get a job on a ship – a diploma is necessary. Those who have just decided to become sailors enroll in specialized educational institutions where they undergo both theoretical and practical training. For those who are already working and want to change or improve their qualifications, there are correspondence departments. The high cost of training in maritime specialties is more of an advance for the opportunity to have a relatively good income in the future, but there is no shortage of applicants wanting to enter nautical schools either in Kerch or in Sevastopol.
Those who graduated from school before 2007 (when external independent testing had not yet been introduced) take exams, recent graduates bring VNO certificates. Usually they take three subjects, among which mandatory are English and Ukrainian languages, and additional, depending on the specialty, can be mathematics, physics, chemistry, geography or biology.
In the view of the majority, sailors are strong and healthy men who are not afraid of wind, heat, harsh conditions and seasickness. However, upon admission to study, no one is interested in health status, and a medical examination will have to be passed after graduation and before going on the first voyage. As the guys themselves say, the coveted certificate is often simply bought. "Passing the commission just like that is absolutely unrealistic," says sailor Igor Veshkin from Sevastopol. "Even in the clinics themselves they say: 'Pay and that's it.' Such a certificate costs from 1,000 hryvnias. You will have to wait for it a week – no more. The only vaccination that cannot be bought is the yellow fever vaccine, which is mandatory for guys going to hot African countries. But even here there are nuances. The ampoules are available in almost all hospitals, but they are designed for two people, so you have to wait until they find a pair for you," says Igor. "An ampoule costs 500 hryvnias."
However, in the reception of the Sevastopol hospital they say that you can't bypass the doctors – you will need conclusions from a narcologist and a psychiatrist, blood type data, a diphtheria vaccination certificate, a passport and two photos. Having collected these documents, you need to come on an empty stomach to one of the clinics specializing in maritime medical commissions to take tests and undergo an examination. Such clinics exist only in two Crimean cities – Sevastopol and Kerch. Non-residents have to travel every time they need to see a doctor.
Officially, the whole procedure will cost 220 hryvnias, and you will have to see a number of doctors: a therapist, a neurologist, a surgeon, an ENT specialist, an ophthalmologist and a dermatologist.
Who is who?
There is no such thing as "just sailors." There are many professions in demand by employers. Sea vessels are used by many industries. Liquefied gas is transported on gas carriers. Dangerous chemical cargoes – on chemical carriers. Cars – on car carriers, and on sea ferries sometimes entire train compositions. There are fishing vessels where the bounty of the sea is caught and processed. Bulk cargoes (grain, coal, ore) are transported on bulk carriers, perishable goods (fruit, meat, fish) – on reefers, liquid cargoes (oil, water, wine) – on tankers, containers – on container ships. Finally, passengers are transported on passenger ships.
At the same time, the crew is divided into two main services – deck and engine. The captain heads the deck service, which includes officers (chief, second, third, fourth mates), as well as ratings (boatswain, sailors, cooks and stewards). On some ships there are radio operators and doctors. On passenger ships many specialists work in passenger service. And in the engine service, engineers and mechanics stand watch, servicing the "heart of the ship" – power plants, electrical equipment, refrigeration units, deck machinery, in short, everything that ensures the uninterrupted operation of the vessel.
Work at sea is not easy, but hundreds of young people choose it every year. As Alexander Gadeev, vice-rector of Kerch State Maritime Technological University, says, there are more and more of them every year: "Yes, it's not an easy job, but if a guy has chosen such work for himself, he is unlikely to be disappointed. It's romance! And how many interesting things you can see and learn: before you are countries, continents and new horizons." Alexander Vasilyevich also shared the "secret weapon" he uses to attract applicants: "I simply suggest they imagine how many different and beautiful women they will see during their travels."
For family: contacts of the captain, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and online map
While the brave guys plow the seas and earn money for their families, their relatives are restless and worry in anticipation. Indeed, the work of sailors is uneasy: unscrupulous companies may not pay money, the ship may be arrested or taken hostage by pirates.
What relatives can do to somehow insure the breadwinner "from the shore" was told to us by maritime law lawyer Oleg Yakovlev: "Lawyers will help victims from all over the world get compensation for injuries sustained on ships, beatings and cases of abuse. Before the voyage, get the phone numbers of the shipowner and crew members. Even better if you can get the captain's contacts, because it happens that in an international voyage there is no communication with the loved one for several months, and the captain is obliged to always be in touch. In addition, they will help you search for a missing person through the services of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, ITF (International Transport Workers' Federation. – Author) and consular institutions," says the lawyer.
For relatives there is also a small outlet – an online marine chart that allows you to track the route of any vessel and find out where a loved one is now. You should not count on being able to always contact the sailor by phone. On an international voyage, you can only call from the port where the ship will be docked. As a rule, such an opportunity occurs once every couple of months, depending on the length of the passage, and calls to Ukraine are expensive. There is, of course, internet communication, but the signal on the open sea is often absent. However, if the sailor goes "locally," that is, does not leave the country, he can call home every day.
English for a sailor – in a month
Undoubtedly, a sailor needs knowledge of foreign languages, because he can go on a voyage for a foreign company, whose owner will assemble a crew from different countries. Therefore, in all educational institutions that train sea workers, emphasis is placed on learning English. If the future sailor does not possess the talents of a polyglot, this is not a reason to give up on the dream. As most tutors who have worked with novice seafarers admit, knowledge of terminology is sufficient for the first time. "Depending on what position a person takes on a voyage, their training is chosen," says foreign language teacher Mikhail Vasiliev. "It is unlikely that someone who wants to become a steward on a cruise liner should tackle a manual on the operation of marine diesel engines.
But it is worth working thoroughly on one's specific field. There is nothing difficult: when learning the language, you can use audio recordings downloaded from the Internet, but it is better to take a course with a tutor. Two or three lessons a week for a month or two will most likely be enough – as long as there is a desire to remember what has been learned. It costs about 70 UAH per lesson. The ability to understand spoken language is very important, because in case of danger on the ship, no one will repeat things letter by letter."
The teacher also suggests that crewing agencies often provide such a service as English courses: "Foreign language lessons are included in the fee that the crewing agency charges for its employment services. And in general, the best way to learn a language is through language practice. Just look at how quickly our guys teach foreign colleagues to swear in their native Russian."
Ekaterina SEREDA.
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