How do you become a boat captian or pilot?

Question

I was wandering what degrees you must have to get hired as a captian of commercial boats such as oil tankes or cargo ships. What other qualifications do you need?

Answer 1

ask popeye

Answer 2

You can attend a maritime school, normally an academy like setting,  Kings point,  Maine Maritime,  Great Lakes Maritime etc.  Some have better reputations than others.

Or you can start in an entry level as a deckhand and work you way up through the hawsepipe as they say.  Testing your way to higher ratings and learn as you go.

Both routes have advantages,  more technical knowledge in a short time in school, faster route to an officers berth.

   Get paid to learn and work your way into an officers berth the other way.  More practical knowledge than technical this way.  

  School route can be harder to get respect of crew unless you have quickly learned the job during your sea time.  I have known some great students who made awful mariners, and some awful students who made exceptional mariners.

Answer 3

In the UK you can do a degree in marine studies which gets you an officer of the watch certificate and i guess you can work your way up to captain