The Second and Third Officer are the ranks where most seafarers begin their bridge career — responsibility increases step by step.
Second Officer — daily duties
- Passage planning: plotting courses, updating charts and publications.
- Usually standing the 12-4 watch.
- Depending on the ship, responsible for medical stores and the medicine chest.
Third Officer — daily duties
- Usually standing the 8-12 watch.
- Responsible for maintenance/checks of lifesaving and firefighting equipment.
- Gains their first watchkeeping experience here.
A typical day
Outside watch hours, time goes into the equipment/documentation they're responsible for. For the Third Officer, this period is the most intense time for learning bridge routines.
How to reach this rank
After a maritime academy degree and cadet sea service, the first competency exam qualifies you as Third Officer; a few years of experience moves you up to Second Officer.
To see where these ranks sit in the deck hierarchy, check out "Shipboard Hierarchy 3: Deck Officers".
View open Second Officer positions → · View open Third Officer positions →
