CREWING
Over two hundred years ago, John Trelawney, the owner of the Hispaniola, was doing roughly the same thing when he recruited a crew for the voyage to Treasure Island. But while he had to trawl through port dives and taverns in search of suitable candidates – and the people there were mostly untested – now between the shipowner and the seafarer looking for work stands an intermediary: a crewing company. But its employees don't look for crew members in shady places or even at labor exchanges; they turn on a computer and access their – in most cases very extensive – database. So all they need to work is a comfortable computer and a laptop battery. Selecting from the multitude of seafarers eager for work the one who will suit the operator and shipowner, and agreeing on the candidate, takes a few hours.
Firms successfully offer crews entirely composed of people of one nationality and citizenship: many fully our crews sail across all seas – from motorman to captain, and I once ended up on a ship where, apart from me, there was not a single white person – all Indians.
COMPOSITION
Our seafarers today sail in large numbers under the flags of Cyprus, Malta, Liberia, Greece, Panama, Great Britain. Yes, the rank-and-file of hired crews on most flag-of-convenience ships are Asians: Filipinos (in early May 1999, 180,000 Filipinos were sailing on non-Filipino ships), many Malays, Indians, and Chinese. But for leadership positions, shipowners prefer to hire seafarers from former socialist bloc countries. Captains and chief mates on many Greek and Cypriot ships are Ukrainians, Poles, Romanians, Russians. The rank-and-file on a foreign ship earns from $500 to $1,300 – on full board (board at $5 per day – this norm is universal and mandatory on all ships of all ports of registry) and full clothing allowance. As for middle-level personnel, an engineer on a tugboat earns $1,400 per month, a ship's electrical engineer $1,700, a cook $1,250, an engineer on a large dry cargo ship $2,000 per month.
Chief mates and captains on ships sailing under a flag of convenience, on full clothing allowance, earn from $1,500 per month (fishing schooner) to $5,000 (large tanker). Captains of ships of the same class plying the seas under the American flag earn 8-10 times more.
Shipowners and shipping companies treat our seafarers more favorably than Asians. The latter are hired on much harsher terms for huge periods – Indians and Chinese don't leave this iron can for a year and a half to two years. For ours, a year is the ceiling, and even then I've only seen a couple of such long-timers.
SHIPPING
A commercial voyage is unlike any other.
A ship is not only a floating means of transport, but also capital, a means of extracting profit, and also an ordinary tool of labor. Shipping companies and operators help the shipowner use this tool – and capital – to his greatest advantage. They monitor what is happening on the maritime market, seek profitable contracts, help conclude them, select crews, and settle all formalities in ports.
Shipping companies control the condition of a given vessel – whether it has passed all certifications and inspections. If something happens, for an accident, disaster, or any technical trouble during the voyage, those who organized the voyage will have to answer. In addition, representatives of the IMO can board any ship in any port – and if it turns out that the ship's condition is not up to par, the company that chartered it is subject to a fine. This same organization regulates literally everything: from the ship's displacement to what diseases crew members are allowed to have and which are strictly prohibited.
In ports, various services can carry out checks and inspections of a commercial vessel. In the USA, the Coast Guard is most often interested in what is happening on the ship; in other countries, representatives of insurance companies may concern themselves with the ship's condition. It is clear that we are talking only about civilian vessels; military ones are considered the territory of a foreign state, and the foot of a foreigner, especially some inspector, can step onto their deck only under extraordinary circumstances.
HIERARCHY
A second officer can apply for the position of chief officer if he passes exams, goes through an attestation commission, and confirms his experience and seniority with countless certificates, references, and extracts from his work record book.
In world practice, it has developed that power on a ship is distributed between two services: engineers and deck officers (navigators). The navigators are led by the chief officer, and the engineers, naturally, by the chief engineer. Both the first and the second – each in their own domain – are like the second person after the captain, who, in turn, unites both branches of power.
The engineers ensure that everything on the ship functions normally, the propeller turns, the hull doesn't leak, the bells ring. Questions like "where are we sailing?" and "what are we carrying?" are not their concern, but the chief mate's. He is responsible, on one hand, for the cargo, and on the other, is something like a foreman and political officer combined. His duties include setting watches, managing the crew, ensuring everyone works to full capacity. He also controls the atmosphere on the ship, and for it to be normal, you need to work with people – talk, delve into their problems, take their mood into account.
The captain does not directly deal with the rank-and-file. On most flag-of-convenience ships (as foreign crews sailing under a foreign flag are called), his main duty is finances. He handles everything related to money, salaries, purchasing provisions, charters, border duties, and other similar matters. This area is quite confidential; you shouldn't share any information with anyone, and natural monopoly here is not only desirable but necessary.
On any of these, and indeed all issues on the ship, the captain's word is decisive.
On a commercial vessel, the main thing is the cargo. Our salary and the prospect of being invited on the next such voyage depend on when, how, and in what condition we deliver it to the port of destination. Worldwide, responsibility for the cargo lies with the most qualified and most experienced person after the captain – the chief officer. The second officer is responsible for the navigational support of the voyage – charts, compasses, plotting the course.
On a Soviet ship that set out on a foreign voyage, the main thing was politics. Therefore, the distribution of duties was turned upside down. If worldwide the chief officer is responsible for the cargo, who is understandably more influential than the second officer – on Soviet ships the chief mate (who also served as senior navigator) was put in charge of personnel. And he spent most of his energy, influence, and time on working with personnel, not forgetting, however, related areas, such as provisions. And the second officer was responsible for the cargo. With the advent of commercial voyages, everything became like it is for other people.
Read also related material: HOW TO BECOME A SEA WOLF Part 3