Sailors

Sailor

An American naval sailor aboard a U.S. Navy ship in September 2015.
Occupation
Occupation type	Profession
Activity sectors	Military and civilian
Description
Competencies	Physical Stamina Mindset
Related jobs	Maritime

A sailor, seaman, mariner, or seafarer is a person who navigates waterborne vessels or assists as a crewmember in their operation and maintenance. The term may be used for British or US Navy enlisted sailors, the latter especially when deployed ashore as infantry.The Bluejacket's Manual is the basic handbook for United States Navy personnel. 700,000 of the world's mariners come from the Philippines, being the world's largest origin of seafarers.

Etymologically, the name "sailor" preserves the memory of the time when ships were commonly powered by sails, but it applies to the personnel of all vessels, whatever their mode of propulsion, and includes military (naval) and security (coast guard) maritime personnel and members of the merchant marine, as well as recreational sailors. The term "seaman" is frequently used in the particular sense of a sailor who is not an officer.

Seafarers hold a variety of professions and ranks, each of which carries unique responsibilities which are integral to the successful operation of an ocean-going vessel. A ship's crew can generally be divided into four main categories: the deck department, the engineering department, the steward's department, and others.

Officer positions in the deck department include but are not limited to: master and his chief, second and third officers. The official classifications for unlicensed members of the deck department are able seaman and ordinary seaman. With some variation, the chief mate is most often charged with the duties of cargo mate. Second Mates are charged with being the medical officer in case of medical emergency. All three mates each do four-hour morning and afternoon shifts on the bridge, when underway at sea.