Also called: OSV Master, Supply Boat Captain
Commands a 200–300 foot supply boat carrying fuel, mud, pipe and food to offshore rigs and platforms.
Leaving Port Fourchon, Louisiana, the captain plans the route, checks the cargo deck stacked with pipe, and drives out 100 miles to a deepwater rig. There they hold the boat in place with dynamic positioning while the rig crane lifts cargo off, sometimes in 10-foot seas. Then it is back to port for the next load.
Rotations such as 28 days on, 28 off.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Bachelor's degree (4-year), about 4 years after high school. Maritime academy degree or many years climbing the ranks from deckhand.
Ways in: 4-year college, On-the-job training, Certification. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Marine Transportation, Nautical Science.
Growing slowly. Follows offshore oil and gas spending; some boats now serve offshore wind.
Low risk for 10 years. Dynamic positioning automates station-keeping, but captains decide when seas are too rough and handle emergencies.
Classes: Physics, Geography, Algebra.
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