About This Career

Operates small motor-driven boats. May assist in navigational activities.

This career is part of the Transportation, Distribution and Logistics cluster Transportation Operations pathway.

A person in this career:

• Maintains desired courses, using compasses or electronic navigational aids.
• Follows safety procedures to ensure the protection of passengers, cargo, and vessels.
• Directs safety operations in emergency situations.
• Operates engine throttles and steering mechanisms to guide boats on desired courses.
• Oversees operation of vessels used for carrying passengers, motor vehicles, or goods across rivers, harbors, lakes, and coastal waters.
• Secures boats to docks with mooring lines, and casts off lines to enable departure.
• Services motors by performing tasks such as changing oil and lubricating parts.
• Arranges repairs, fuel, and supplies for vessels.
• Maintains equipment such as range markers, fire extinguishers, boat fenders, lines, pumps, and fittings.
• Organizes and directs the activities of crew members.

Working Conditions and Physical Demands

People who do this job report that:

• You would often handle loads up to 20 lbs., sometimes up to 50 lbs. You might do a lot of lifting, carrying, pushing or pulling.
• Work in this occupation involves use of protective items such as safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hearing protection, a hard hat, or personal flotation devices
• Exposure to pollutants, gases, dust, fumes, odors, poor ventilation, etc.
• Work in this occupation involves using your hands to hold, control, and feel objects more than one-third of the time
• Sound and noise levels are loud and distracting
• Work in this occupation requires being outside most of the time

Working in this career involves (physical activities):

• Picking out a particular sound in the presence of other sounds
• Judging how far away an object is, or which of several objects is closer or farther away
• Seeing clearly at a distance
• Seeing objects clearly in glaring conditions or bright lighting
• Detecting sounds and hearing the differences between sounds of different pitch and loudness
• Seeing clearly up close
• Seeing objects or movement to one's side when looking forward
• Speaking clearly enough to be able to be understood by others
• Identifying and understanding the speech of another person
• Lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying objects

Work Hours and Travel

• Irregular hours
• Weekend work