First Mate

Just out of curiosity, why?

What kind of sailing? There is a big difference between a day sail around the Solent with friends and back to the Hamble, a week-long charter in the Caribbean with another family, and a several day (or week) long delivery trip with sailing mates.
 
I once had a crew who asked if he could be listed as 1st mate because it would look better on his sailing cv.

As far as I am concerned, the only roles on board are skipper and crew but we always prefer to have a deputy skipper, i.e. one who could get us home if I were incapacitated (SWMBO is not confident to do it).
 
Make the tea.
Scrub the decks.
Apply sunlotion to skippers body
Open wine bottle.
Cook all meals.
Belly dance.
Keep skipper warm at night.
Try to keep skipper happy at all times (not possible).
 
A skipper can be a skipper but not a captain where a captain holds a DOT certidficate of competency, a mate can be your best mate, a pal, or buddy but cant realley be a first mate unless he holds a cheif officers (1st mate) DOT certificate of competemcy. So therefore the first mate in this context is the one of your crew youd trust in helming her in whilst you jump off to cleat up and then you can trust to go to the bar and order you the right pint!
 
[ QUOTE ]
A skipper can be a skipper but not a captain where a captain holds a DOT certidficate of competency,

[/ QUOTE ]

AFAIK, captain is a military rank only? The correct title is master, not captain on a merchant ship.
 
In the world of Sail Training which I used to inhabit, 1M was/is the person specified in the Code of Practice able to take the vessel to a port of refuge in the event of the skipper's incapacity. In practice that usually also means the person who does most of the detailed business of managing the boat on a day to day basis, the skipper spending much of his/her time doing strategic thinking and supervising maintenance and staff training.
 
[ QUOTE ]
Make the tea.
Scrub the decks.
Apply sunlotion to skippers body
Open wine bottle.
Cook all meals.
Belly dance.
Keep skipper warm at night.
Try to keep skipper happy at all times (not possible).

[/ QUOTE ]
That's called the First Maid
 
Master is the person responsible in law.

Captain, Skipper, Old Man etc. are the names in descending order of formality.

'Captain' is a word that is internationally understood. When I board a ship and ask to be taken to the Captain I normally end up facing the right guy/woman. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
The first mates duties are what the skipper thinks he or she is competent to do.

In reality a good first mate doesn't need to be vastly experienced they just have to be at least marginally better than they think they are.

Even been able to delegate a relatively small part of the skipper's duties can ease the workload considerably. In the ideal case you can make the tea and just keep an eye on the position & general situation.
 
The mate's duty is to wake the skipper when the vessel has reached it's destination.

Also to bully the crew into keping the boat ship shape and bristol fashion, to ensure meals are prepared and served at appropriate times, to keep the skipper supplied with hot drinks, beer and/or gin 'n tonic so he can't interfere with the crew. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
 
A Captain hold the Queens commission, A Master is the Master of a vessel. The 1st Mate is actually the 1st Officer (of the deck), as the engine room skivies have the ranking system for them as well.

I know this as, when I worked in the N Sea we had a new AB join the crew. The 'Old Man' insisted he be called Captain by the new AB. The AB promptly told him that he was to called Captain as he held 'The Queens Commission' and he would call him Master. His first and last trip with the company, but great to witness!!!!!
 
[ QUOTE ]
..1M .. In practice that usually also means the person who does most of the detailed business of managing the boat on a day to day basis, the skipper spending much of his/her time doing strategic thinking and supervising maintenance and staff training.

[/ QUOTE ]

Oooh! I'm gonna try that line next me+missus take the kids to Ryde.

Hang on! - that makes her the skipper, and me 1M ! /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
 
On a recent trip to the Channel Islands there was a skipper, me (some yachting experience and Day Skipper theory qualification) and 5 crew who had never set foot on a yacht before. The skipper decided that when he needed to go below to check the plotter, update the log etc., he would rely on me to make sure everything was OK on deck. Hence, at least one us was on deck at all times. We arranged the watches so that he was on watch through the hours of darkness. I took over when we were through the main shipping lanes and it was daylight so he could get his head down.

Whether this made me a 1st mate I don't know.
 
[ QUOTE ]
...... but not a captain where a captain holds a DOT certidficate of competency................

[/ QUOTE ]

(Not my spelling !! ) Um ..excuse me - DoT Cert. states Master not Captain. Captain is a courtesy title on a MN ship.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top