Bosun Jobs

Introduction to Bosun marine jobs: What is a Bosun on a ship?

Bosun is a senior crew member in charge of the deck’s maintenance. A Bosun needs to be prompt, efficient and reliable since the sailors on the deck rely on his guidance. Next to a ship’s hull: the anchors, cables, the sails and the rigging equipment he's the responsibility over minor boat operations. 

Bosun Marine on board of a navy ship is a warrant officer. The ability to speak languages is a big plus for someone who is looking for a Bosun job. 

Competences and skills, or how to acquire a Bosun job?

Nowadays, the job comes with certain competencies and skills, even when, in general, the Bosun is an unlicensed deck member. For example, one has to be knowledgeable about marlinespike seamanship; a skill set which covers the use, maintenance, repair and storage of rope. The Bosun job includes typing knots, making lashings, whippings and splicing as well as other skills dating from the period when naval warfare and international trade was dominated by sailing ships. This might explain why you need to be well versed in docking, towing, making repairs underway and more to stand a chance of qualifying for a Bosun position.

Bosun’s job description

Bosun on a ship has three main duties namely; supervision, maintenance and mooring. Let’s take a closer look at each of them. 

1. Supervision

Given the nature of his work, a Bosun is solely hired based on his experience. A Bosun supervises the deck crew. On a daily basis he determines what must be done on board and assigns various tasks to deck crew members, after which he ensures that all of them execute their duties according to the norms. 

2. Maintenance 

Bosuns are in charge of maintenance work - especially tasks related to corrosion caused by salt water. A Bosun oversees the daily inspection and maintenance done at various areas of ships. He assign duties to deck crew that go from cleaning to paining the deck. Bosuns also execute preventative (maintenance) programs in an effort to make sure that the deck equipment works top notch. 

3. Mooring

Bosuns handle mooring lines (ropes, chains and/or anchors), that are being used to fasten the ship during docking. For instance, a Bosun has the duty to ensure that each of the lines is correctly used, simply because there are so many. A Bosun also ensures the gangway is set properly, before the crew can cross over it.

Other Bosun tasks/duties

A Bosun can have a lot more tasks/duties as part of his job description. For instance, he works as a ship watchman, on behalf of the officers or the captain. Or a Bosun acts as a proxy between the captain and other ship personnel, i.e. regarding vital communication, guidelines and beyond. Plus, on demand, a Bosun ensures that the ship is sea-ready. 

Bosun salary

In the USA, the Bosun’s average salary ranges from $2,500 to $4,700 per month. However, it is important to note that one's actual salary might score outside this scale, based on factors such as experience, type or size of the ship, country, sector (public or private) or education. Like in other jobs, highly qualified Bosuns, who are working for larger private, shipping companies tend to earn the highest salaries. 

Summary

You might have read here what you’d liked to know, before applying for a Bosun Marine job. Like, what it means to be a Bosun, about his competencies and skills, or about the job description of a Bosun. By now you’ve got a good indication of the salary. Nevertheless, we stipulate that there is more to Bosun jobs than what here's explained, in a nutshell. Therefore, we advise you to use the above information as a basis for further research.