Bulk carriers
Single-deck vessels carrying solid bulk cargoes — iron ore, coal, grain, bauxite, fertilisers.
From Wikipedia
Ship made to transport unpackaged bulk cargo
Source: Bulk carrier · cached via Firecrawl
Work environment
Long sea legs (Brazil–China iron ore, Australia–Asia coal), demanding cargo prep (hold cleaning between cargoes), draft survey, hatch cover maintenance. Common entry point for cadets and ratings.
Common ranks onboard
- master
- chief officer
- second officer
- third officer
- deck cadet
- bosun
- able seafarer deck
- chief engineer
- second engineer
- third engineer
- fourth engineer
- engine cadet
- motorman
Typical certificates
- BST
- PSCRB
- AFF
- MFA
- Security Awareness
Generate a tailored list with the STCW certificate checker.
Safety risks
- Group A liquefaction cargoes (iron ore fines, nickel ore)
- Enclosed-space entry into holds
- Hatch cover maintenance falls
- Cargo dust + grain phosphine fumigation
Typical contract length
4–6 months (officers), 6–9 months (ratings)
Salary reference
/salaries/vessel/bulk-carrier
Career pathway
/careers/cadet-to-oow
Related
Primary sources
High confidence
Last verified