Description
Command and navigate passenger ferries to ensure safe, efficient operations, on-time schedules, and full compliance with U.S. Coast Guard regulations. Supervise crew, manage docking at terminals, and oversee passenger safety, security, and service.
- • Set and adjust course and speed on established routes using knowledge of local winds, tides, currents, traffic, and hazards.
- • Prevent unsafe operations during navigation, docking, boarding, and disembarkation.
- • Dock and undock the ferry at terminals and slips, sometimes in confined spaces.
- • Consult charts, tide tables, weather reports, and navigation systems to plan and direct movements.
- • Hand-steer and operate the ferry using radar, AIS, GPS, depth sounders, and visual aids.
- • Operate VHF radios to coordinate with Vessel Traffic Service, terminal staff, dispatch, and nearby vessels.
- • Stand bridge watches and maintain situational awareness while under way.
- • Inspect the vessel for safe and efficient operation and regulatory compliance before departures and between trips.
- • Monitor gauges and alarms for propulsion, steering, fuel, hydraulics, and compressed air systems.
- • Report incidents, near-misses, or regulatory violations to company and authorities as required.
- • Assist in passenger or maritime rescue and medical emergencies.
- • Signal other vessels using whistle, lights, shapes, or radio as required by COLREGS.
- • Monitor under-keel clearance and water depths with sounders on approaches and routes.
- • Oversee maintenance of critical equipment, especially lifesaving and firefighting gear.
- • Direct crew to deploy boarding ramps, mooring lines, and safety chains and to manage vehicle blocks and chocks.
- • Enforce harbor and terminal rules, security zones, and customs procedures as applicable.
- • Maintain logs of trips, crew hours, passenger counts, fuel, weather, and vessel position.
- • Supervise boarding and disembarkation of passengers and vehicles to ensure safe handling and proper weight distribution.
- • Verify compliance with the Certificate of Inspection, stability limits, and maximum passenger and vehicle capacities.
- • Train, brief, and direct crew in duties including steering, line handling, and equipment operation.
- • Coordinate fueling, potable water, waste offload, stores, and required repairs with shore-side support.
- • Supervise crew housekeeping and sanitation of passenger spaces, decks, and wheelhouse.
- • Request or approve routine supplies and parts necessary for operations.
- • Manage vehicle loading plans and spacing on car ferries to optimize balance and turnaround time.
- • Monitor for spills or pollution in terminals and waterways and initiate reporting and response.
- • Assign watches, station bills, and emergency duties to crew members.
- • Participate in crew training and performance evaluations.
- • Conduct and document safety, security, and emergency drills, including man overboard, fire, and abandon ship.
- • Deliver safety announcements and passenger briefings and address customer service issues.
- • Maintain schedule adherence and adjust routing or speed to meet published timetables safely.
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Tasks & skills:
O*NET occupational data (work activities, skills, knowledge).
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This site includes information from O*NET by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. Career Clutch has modified some of this information for student readability. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
Last reviewed: Jan 2026
