Master CV
CHIEF. CV · STCW II/2
A master’s CV is read for command time: how long in command, on which ships, for which companies and with what inspection record.
The job, and what crewing reads first
The master is in overall command: safe navigation, the crew, the cargo, the ship’s certificates and every contact with port state, charterers, agents and the company. Owners hand the ship and its trading to the master, so a crewing manager looks first for time in command on the same type and size of ship.
Put the months in command per vessel type at the top, then the months as chief officer. Name the inspections you led: port state control, flag and class surveys and, on tankers, vetting inspections. Special operations belong here too: ship-to-ship transfers, ice navigation, dynamic positioning, dry-docks.
Certificate of competency: STCW II/2
Issued as: Master, ships of 500 GT or more.
You first hold the certificate of officer in charge of a navigational watch (STCW II/1). For master on ships of 3,000 GT or more, STCW asks for at least 36 months of approved seagoing service as officer in charge of a navigational watch. That drops to 24 months if at least 12 of them were served as chief mate.
Certificates for ships of 500 to 3,000 GT and for near-coastal voyages have their own, shorter requirements. The certificate is revalidated every five years with proof of recent sea service or another way your administration accepts.
Certificates to list
The STCW certificates this rank is asked for. List each with its number, issue date, expiry date and the country that issued it.
| Certificate | STCW | Who needs it |
|---|---|---|
| Basic Safety Training | VI/1 | Personal survival, fire prevention and fire fighting, elementary first aid, personal safety and social responsibilities. Every seafarer; the survival and fire parts are refreshed every five years. |
| Proficiency in Survival Craft and Rescue Boats (PSCRB) | VI/2-1 | Asked for by administrations before an officer’s CoC and by most companies for anyone in charge of a lifeboat. Refreshed every five years. |
| Advanced Fire Fighting | VI/3 | For seafarers who control fire-fighting operations: in practice every officer. Refreshed every five years. |
| Medical Care | VI/4-2 | For the person in charge of medical care on board, usually the master. Many administrations ask for it before the master and chief mate CoC. |
| Security Awareness or Designated Security Duties | VI/6 | Every seafarer has security awareness training. Anyone with security duties in the ship security plan needs the designated security duties certificate. |
| Ship Security Officer (SSO) | VI/5 | For the officer the company names as ship security officer, often the master or the chief officer. |
| GMDSS General Operator’s Certificate (GOC) | IV/2 | Radio duties on ships in the GMDSS. Most flags issue their own endorsement of it as well; list both. |
| Medical fitness certificate | I/9 | Valid for two years at most, one year under the age of 18. Name the type, for example ENG1, and the issuing country. |
Depending on the ship
Ship types add their own training. List what you hold even when the next ship does not need it: it widens the ships you can join.
| Ships | STCW | Who needs it |
|---|---|---|
| Oil, chemical and liquefied gas tankers | V/1-1, V/1-2 | Basic training for everyone with cargo duties; advanced training for the master, chief engineer, chief mate, second engineer and anyone directly responsible for the cargo. |
| Passenger ships | V/2 | Crowd management, crisis management and human behaviour, passenger safety, cargo safety and hull integrity on ro-ro passenger ships, by duty on board. |
| Ships using gas or low-flashpoint fuel (IGF Code) | V/3 | Basic training for everyone with duties on the fuel; advanced for the master, engineer officers and anyone directly responsible for the fuel. |
| Ships in polar waters | V/4 | Basic training for officers of the watch; advanced training for the master and chief mate. |
Add your passport, seaman’s book and visas with their numbers and expiry dates. Crewing checks that each one is valid for the whole contract.
Sea service: what to write
For each contract: rank, vessel name and IMO number, vessel type, flag, gross tonnage or deadweight, year built, the company that employed you (manager or owner), sign-on and sign-off dates, and the trading area.
A master’s sea service shows command time separately: write the rank on every line, and put the months as master and as chief officer in the summary.
Sample CV
The layout of the CV that CHIEF. exports to PDF and Word. CVs go to crewing companies in English. Numbers, names and contacts are placeholders.
| Type | Number | Issued | Expires | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CoC Master, STCW II/2, unlimited | ••••••• | 14.05.2024 | 13.05.2029 | Valid |
| Flag endorsement | ••••••• | 03.06.2024 | 13.05.2029 | Valid |
| GMDSS GOC | ••••••• | 10.02.2022 | 09.02.2027 | Valid |
Sea time Master: 11 months · Total: 11 months
- Vessel:
- Vessel name
- DWT:
- 81,600
- Flag:
- Marshall Islands
- Built:
- 2015
- Vessel:
- Vessel name
- DWT:
- 76,800
- Flag:
- Liberia
- Built:
- 2012
Other ranks
- C/OChief OfficerSTCW II/2 · Chief mate, ships of 500 GT or more
- 2/OSecond OfficerSTCW II/1 · Officer in charge of a navigational watch, ships of 500 GT or more
- 3/OThird OfficerSTCW II/1 · Officer in charge of a navigational watch, ships of 500 GT or more
- C/EChief EngineerSTCW III/2 · Chief engineer officer, 3,000 kW propulsion power or more
- 2/ESecond EngineerSTCW III/2 · Second engineer officer, 3,000 kW propulsion power or more
- 3/EThird EngineerSTCW III/1 · Officer in charge of an engineering watch, 750 kW or more
- ETOElectro-Technical OfficerSTCW III/6 · Electro-technical officer, 750 kW or more
- ABAble SeamanSTCW II/5 · Able seafarer deck
- OilerOilerSTCW III/4 · Rating forming part of an engineering watch
Sources
These are the STCW minimums. The administration that issues your certificate decides, and it can ask for more: check its current rules.