What you need to perform it
Primary qualification
- Able Seafarer Deck certificate — STCW Regulation II/5; the bosun post is a company appointment, with no dedicated STCW certificate
- Spain: Marinero de Puente basis (Order FOM/2296/2002) plus the Regulation II/5 proficiency certificate and years of sea service
Basic STCW
- A-VI/1 Basic Training; A-VI/2-1 Survival craft and rescue boats (usually boat commander in the muster list)
Specific courses
- Lifting and slinging (rigging), operation of stores cranes and gantries; inspection of gear and mooring lines
- Delegated permit issuer: enclosed spaces, working aloft and over the side, hot work (per company SMS)
- Surface preparation and coating per the PSPC standard (resolution MSC.215(82)) on ships where it applies — indicative
Indicative experience
Indicative: 3 to 5 years of sea service as Able Seafarer Deck (II/5) with proven experience in mooring, lifting and leading small teams before appointment. Each company sets its minimum profile; in tanker fleets the OCIMF experience matrix is valued.
Observations
Progression route: Ordinary Seaman → Able Seafarer Deck → Bosun; natural ceiling of the ratings path — the jump to officer requires the academic route. A good bosun shows in three things: real toolbox talks before each job, orderly mooring stations with people clear of snap-back zones, and a deck whose steel reveals systematic maintenance rather than patching. He is also the transmission belt of safety culture to new ratings.
What this role does
Senior deck petty officer: turns the Chief Officer's work plan into daily tasks, allocates the hands, runs the mooring stations and answers for maintenance (surface treatment, rigging, lifting gear) being done with trade skill and valid permits. There is no dedicated STCW certificate for bosun: it is a company appointment built on Able Seafarer Deck (II/5), which is why professional standing is earned on board.
Typical watches
- Day work or operational watch depending on the ship
Key responsibilities
- Leads the daily work of the deck staff.
- Supervises maintenance, mooring, anchors and rigging.
- Assign tasks and reinforce safety practices.
Operational scope
- Deck maintenance
- Tie
- Task monitoring
Profile reviewed by HydroAbyss (2026). Cited rules and timeframes are indicative: the final requirement is set by the flag State, the Administration and each company.