What Qualifications are required to be a Harbour Master/Dock Superintendent???

[Firestone]

Hello all, a friend of mine who has a number of STCW95 courses completed and a period of time served as an Officer of the watch asked me this question recently and to be honest I have no idea. Where can I locate this information?? Any help would be welcome.

 

[Downsman]

If it's any indication of a standard required, ( and it may be just co-incidence) but the three small commercial seaports within 30 miles of where I live, all have retired Master Mariners as Harbour Master, and all three harbours require commercial vessels to engage harbour pilots. These ports handle primarily coaster, ferries and the smaller deep sea vessels. I suspect the same standard is not required for the smaller harbours dealing purely with private and leisure craft.

 

[nigel1]

Use to be a Master Mariners Certificate was required, but due to the shortage of those, they may accept a Chief Officers Certificate

 

[Firestone]

Thanks for the recent replies.

 

[Malabar]

While it is true that a Certificate of competence as a Master Mariner will certainly help you get considered by any appointments panel, I am not aware of a specific necessary qualification. All very much depends on the nature of the port and how the port authority is structured. Many smaller ports combine the roles of Harbour Master with Chief Executive. If this is the case management and probably financial skills are needed. If the port deals with commercial shipping it might well be necessary for the HM to act as a pilot, and in some cases he will be responsible for quality control within pilotage operations. There are courses for harbour masters available. Certainly previous employment within the area of port operations either as an Assistant HM, VTS Officer or pilot will provide a depth of experience that selection boards will value. If starting from scratch a job even running harbour taxis or the fuel berth has been known to lead to greater things.

 

[Firestone]

Malabar, Thanks for the information. This will be most useful to my friend. Fair Winds to you in 2014.