Deck Cadet

Primary qualification

• Spain: deck cadet within the Degree in Nautical Science and Maritime Transport (or an approved equivalent), holding a seaman’s book, a valid ISM medical and clearance as a trainee; the titles framework is RD 973/2009.
• Goal of the period: meeting STCW Regulation II/1 — 12 months of approved-programme sea service with a TRB, of which at least 6 on supervised bridge watchkeeping duties (or 36 months without an approved programme).
• Natural outcome: the Spanish Second Mate title (RD 973/2009) and the STCW II/1 CoC as Officer in Charge of a Navigational Watch, after passing the DGMM examinations.

Basic STCW

• Basic Safety Training (A-VI/1) before the first embarkation.
• Officer-package certificates completed during the stage: Advanced Fire Fighting (A-VI/3), Survival Craft and Rescue Boats (A-VI/2-1) and Medical training.

Specific courses

• Radar/ARPA and ECDIS (IMO model course 1.27) per the study plan, essential for the future watch.
• GMDSS General Operator Certificate (GOC, STCW Regulation IV/2), mandatory to serve as watch officer.
• Completion of the Administration-approved TRB: the document that turns sea time into months valid for the licence.

Indicative experience

As a guide: cadets embark with no prior experience (the requirements are academic and medical) and the period lasts 12 months in an approved programme — usually split into 2-3 embarkations with different companies or ships. Minimum age for the II/1 CoC: 18. The quality of the TRB and the masters’ reports later weigh on the first hire as Third Officer.

Observations

Route: Deck Cadet → Third Officer (see profile, II/1 CoC) → Second Officer → Chief Officer → Master (see profiles). Professional judgement: the cadet who exploits the watches — asking, plotting, taking the helm — arrives at the exam with half the licence done; the one who stays a spectator logs months but builds no seaman’s judgement. Rotating ship types if possible pays off (tanker, container or passenger experience opens different doors), and keep stamped copies of every sea-service period: service certificates are the currency of the career.

Typical watches

• Bridge watches alongside the officer of the watch per the training plan; periods of day work on deck

Key responsibilities

• Keep bridge watch under supervision: lookout, helm, position plotting, navigation aids and applying the COLREGs in real situations.
• Take part in mooring, anchoring, berthing and cargo operations, rotating through the deck stations.
• Complete the Training Record Book (TRB) task by task, signed off by the supervising officer and periodically reviewed by the master.
• Attend drills and take on growing muster-list duties as the sea time advances.
• Study the ship’s systems (ECDIS, radar, GMDSS, stability, plans) preparing for the licence examination and the company appraisals.

Operational scope

• The bridge during training watches
• The deck during manoeuvres and cargo operations
• Drills and muster-list exercises