Your first contract at sea

The first voyage is genuinely unlike anything described in a classroom. The ship is louder, smaller, more procedural, and more social than most cadets or new ratings anticipate. Contract lengths for cadets typically run 6–12 months; for ratings, initial contracts are commonly 4–9 months depending on the flag state, trade, and company. The first week is often the most disorienting — by the second week most newcomers have found their sea legs, learned the layout, and settled into the watch rotation.

Understanding your watch rotation

Merchant ships run 24/7, which means the crew is divided into watches. The two most common patterns on deep-sea vessels are:

• 4-on / 8-off. Four hours on watch, eight hours off. The day is divided into six watches: 0000–0400, 0400–0800, 0800–1200 (and repeating). Standard on most cargo vessels. Day-workers — bosuns, fitters, and many cadets in port — work 0800–1700 instead.
• 6-on / 6-off. Six hours on, six hours off. More common on short-sea ferries and some offshore vessels. Leaves less continuous rest time — STCW VIII/1 requires at least one rest period of ≥ 6 hours, which fits this pattern only if sleep happens promptly. See hours of rest for the full legal picture.

On a 4-on / 8-off pattern, the night watches (0000–0400 and 1200–1600 for the 2nd Officer's team; 0400–0800 and 1600–2000 for the Chief Mate's team) are the quietest on the bridge. Many cadets find the night watch unexpectedly peaceful — and an excellent time to ask questions from the officer of the watch without interruption.

Dealing with seasickness

Seasickness affects the majority of first-voyagers — and a significant number of experienced seafarers when weather is heavy or the vessel type changes. The vestibular system adapts within 3–5 days for most people. Practical strategies that many seafarers rely on:

• Stay hydrated and eat small, plain meals — an empty stomach worsens nausea.
• Spend time on the open deck, especially at the vessel's centre of gravity amidships.
• Fix your eyes on the horizon; avoid reading below decks during rough weather.
• Cinnarizine 15 mg (Stugeron) taken before rough weather is widely used at sea and available without prescription in most ports.
• Hyoscine patches (Scopoderm) are effective for 72 hours but cause drowsiness — unsuitable for watchkeeping. Discuss with the ship's medical officer.
• Persistent vomiting beyond 48 hours warrants medical attention; dehydration can develop quickly.

Bunk and cabin etiquette

Cabin sharing is common on some vessel types, especially for ratings and junior cadets on older tonnage. When sharing, the person on watch is asleep while the other is working — so noise discipline matters enormously. A few conventions that most experienced crews observe:

• Use headphones for music, videos, and calls — always.
• Keep alarm volume at the minimum needed to wake only you.
• Do not bring messroom conversations back to the cabin after midnight.
• Lock your personal safe on joining day — the combination is yours to set (see the joining-day checklist).
• Wet-gear lockers on deck exist for a reason — bringing soaking overalls into the cabin is universally unpopular.

Addressing officers and learning the hierarchy

Maritime rank is formal but not stiff. The master is typically addressed as "Captain" — not by name, and not as "sir" alone. Chief Officers, Chief Engineers, and Mates are usually addressed by rank ("Chief", "Second") or by their first name once the working relationship is established — observe what others do on your first day. The bosun and chief engineer's team of ratings often have their own internal formality. The universal principle: listen more than you speak in the first week.

Many senior officers actively enjoy mentoring first-voyage cadets. The ones who tend to get the most out of a first contract are those who ask questions, write things down, and show up on time — not those who already have all the answers.

Learning the ship in the first week

SOLAS Chapter V Regulation 2 and STCW Code Section A-VI/1 require ship operators to conduct a familiarisation programme for every new crew member before they begin their duties. In practice, this means a supervised walk-through covering:

• Muster station — where you assemble in an abandon-ship emergency (marked on your Muster Card, also posted at your bunk).
• Lifeboat and life-raft stations — location and your assigned duties in launching.
• Lifejacket and immersion suit — in your cabin, confirm size and donning procedure.
• Fire stations and extinguisher types — water, CO₂, foam, dry powder — know which goes on which type of fire.
• Escape routes — at least two ways out of your cabin; escape routes marked with green running-man signs.
• Alarm signals — general alarm (7 short + 1 long blast), abandon-ship, fire, man-overboard — posted on the bridge and in the messroom.
• MARPOL discharge rules — no oily water or garbage overboard except within permitted parameters; the ship's chief officer can walk you through the Oil Record Book and Garbage Management Plan.

The first scheduled abandon-ship and fire drill is often within 24 hours of departure from port. Treat it seriously — these drills are procedural memory, and the value compounds over a career.

Keeping your Training Record Book

The STCW Training Record Book (TRB) is a structured log of competences completed at sea. Under STCW Regulation II/1 (deck) and III/1 (engine), the completed TRB is required evidence for sitting the officer licensing examination. Practical habits that serve cadets well:

• Update entries weekly — do not let tasks accumulate for end-of-contract sign-off.
• Ask the supervising officer to countersign each task as you complete it, not retrospectively.
• Keep a personal day book (a private A5 notebook) recording what you did, saw, and learned each day — the TRB captures competences, the day book captures context. It is also useful evidence if you need to demonstrate sea time.
• Photograph or scan completed pages before sign-off — originals can be lost in transit.
• Cross-reference tasks with the STCW Table of Competences for your rank to ensure nothing is missed before the end of contract.

Reference: IMO STCW Convention and Code — Section A-II/1 (deck officer training) and A-III/1 (engineer officer training).

Frequently asked questions

• How long is a typical first contract for a cadet?

  Most deck and engine cadetships run 6–12 months at sea, depending on the flag state's approved training programme and the company's cadetship schedule. Some short-sea or ferry companies run shorter rotations of 3–4 months. The MLC 2006 sets an absolute maximum of 11 months continuous service before mandatory repatriation — most first contracts are well under this.

• What happens if I get very seasick on the first voyage?

  Seasickness is common in the first few days on a new vessel or in rough weather — even among experienced seafarers changing ship type. The body's vestibular system adapts within 3–5 days for most people. Keeping hydrated, eating light meals, staying on deck in fresh air when safe, and fixing your eyes on the horizon all help. Cinnarizine (Stugeron) and Kwells are commonly used at sea. Persistent severe seasickness lasting more than a week warrants a conversation with the master and the ship's medical officer.

• What is the Training Record Book (TRB) and who signs it?

  The Training Record Book is a structured logbook required under STCW to document the tasks and competences completed at sea during cadetship. Entries are countersigned by the supervising officer (usually the Chief Officer for deck cadets, Chief Engineer for engine cadets) and by the master before sign-off. Entries must be kept up to date — leaving gaps to fill in later is a poor practice that flag-state examiners and classification societies notice. The completed TRB is required for application to sit officer licensing examinations.

• Can I refuse an unsafe task on my first contract?

  Every seafarer has the right to stop work on a task they reasonably believe poses an imminent danger to themselves or others. This stop-work authority is recognised under MLC 2006 Guideline B4.3.10 and most ISM-compliant safety management systems. On a first contract, the practical route is to raise the concern immediately with the supervising officer — use the words 'I am not comfortable with this task because...' — and ask for a task risk assessment. Most competent officers will welcome the intervention.

Primary sources

• · IMO — STCW Convention (Regulations II/1, III/1, VIII/1 and Code A-VI/1)
• · ILO — MLC 2006 (Guideline B4.3.10 — stop-work authority)
• · IMO — SOLAS Chapter V, Regulation 2 (familiarisation)

See also

• · Joining-day checklist
• · What to pack
• · Watchkeeping rotations explained
• · Fatigue management
• · Hours of rest — legal minimums
• · Seafarer Employment Agreement (SEA)
• · Emergency contact plan
• · STCW overview
• · Careers hub

Disclaimer. General practical information only — not legal advice. STCW requirements, company procedures, and national regulations vary by flag state and vessel type. Verify details with your training officer, maritime authority, or welfare helpline.