-
Maintain a ship's engines under the direction of the ship's engineering officers.
-
Paint or varnish decks, superstructures, lifeboats, or sides of ships.
-
Tie barges together into tow units for tugboats to handle, inspecting barges periodically during voyages and disconnecting them when destinations are reached.
-
Stand watch in ships' bows or bridge wings to look for obstructions in a ship's path or to locate navigational aids, such as buoys or lighthouses.
-
Break out, rig, and stow cargo-handling gear, stationary rigging, or running gear.
-
Operate, maintain, or repair ship equipment, such as winches, cranes, derricks, or weapons system.
-
Lubricate machinery, equipment, or engine parts, such as gears, shafts, or bearings.
-
Stand gangway watches to prevent unauthorized persons from boarding ships while in port.
-
Sweep, mop, and wash down decks to remove oil, dirt, and debris, using brooms, mops, brushes, and hoses.
-
Overhaul lifeboats or lifeboat gear and lower or raise lifeboats with winches or falls.
-
Record data in ships' logs, such as weather conditions or distances traveled.
-
Provide engineers with assistance in repairing or adjusting machinery.
-
Read pressure and temperature gauges or displays and record data in engineering logs.
-
Clean and polish wood trim, brass, or other metal parts.
-
Splice and repair ropes, wire cables, or cordage, using marlinespikes, wire cutters, twine, and hand tools.
-
Steer ships under the direction of commanders or navigating officers or direct helmsmen to steer, following designated courses.
-
Relay specified signals to other ships, using visual signaling devices, such as blinker lights or semaphores.
-
Participate in shore patrols.
-
Handle lines to moor vessels to wharfs, to tie up vessels to other vessels, or to rig towing lines.
-
Load or unload materials, vehicles, or passengers from vessels.
-
Maintain government-issued certifications, as required.
-
Examine machinery to verify specified pressures or lubricant flows.
-
Stand by wheels when ships are on automatic pilot, and verify accuracy of courses, using magnetic compasses.
-
Lower and man lifeboats when emergencies occur.
-
Attach hoses and operate pumps to transfer substances to and from liquid cargo tanks.
-
Measure depth of water in shallow or unfamiliar waters, using leadlines, and telephone or shout depth information to vessel bridges.
-
Give directions to crew members engaged in cleaning wheelhouses or quarterdecks.
-
Chip and clean rust spots on decks, superstructures, or sides of ships, using wire brushes and hand or air chipping machines.