Write a Ship Captain Resume That Shows License, Tonnage and Route
Ship captain resume example with USCG license detail, tonnage, sea time, vessel types, STCW endorsements, keywords and a complete writing guide.
Example Ship Captain summary
Licensed master with 14 years of documented sea service on offshore supply vessels, tugs and passenger ferries in Gulf and Atlantic waters. Holds a 500 ton near coastal master license with towing and radar observer endorsements and a current medical certificate. Commands crews of up to 12, owns the passage plan and stability calculations, and has cleared four Coast Guard inspections with no deficiencies.
Skills to list on a Ship Captain resume
- Master license and endorsements
- Passage and voyage planning
- Stability and load calculations
- Radar and ARPA plotting
- Electronic chart systems
- Towing and barge handling
- Docking and mooring operations
- Crew scheduling and supervision
- Safety management system compliance
- Coast Guard inspection preparation
- Emergency drills and muster
- Heavy weather decision making
- Bridge resource management
- Sea service documentation
What actually gets this resume read
- Put the license grade, tonnage limit, route and any towing endorsement in the header where a port captain sees it.
- List STCW endorsements, radar observer, medical certificate and TWIC card with the dates they expire.
- Give each vessel a line of specifications: length, tonnage, propulsion, crew size and the trade it operated in.
- Quantify sea time in days per year and name the waters, since inland, near coastal and oceans time are not equal.
- Show inspection and audit results plainly, because a clean record with the Coast Guard is a hiring signal.
- Describe drills, muster lists and safety management duties, not just navigation, since the master owns the whole system.