Maritime Knowledge Base
Browse questions and answers across marine machinery, merchant navy careers, shipboard operations and maritime glossary terms.
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Marine Machinery
Troubleshooting guides for pumps, boilers, purifiers, compressors and auxiliary systems.
Merchant Navy Careers
Questions about joining the merchant navy, exams, cadetships, ranks and sea-time.
Maritime Glossary
Plain-English definitions of shipping, engine-room, navigation and regulatory terms.
Shipboard Operations
Practical Q&A for watchkeeping, safety, maintenance routines and onboard documentation.
Results for "Training Record Book"
What is a training record book (TRB) for a cadet?
A training record book is the structured logbook in which a cadet records the practical training tasks completed aboard ship, signed off by officers, as evidence for certification.
Merchant Navy CareersWhat is a cadetship and how long does it last?
What a merchant-navy cadetship involves, how long the sea phase lasts, and why the Training Record Book matters.
Merchant Navy CareersHow do I join the Merchant Navy in India?
The main DG Shipping-approved routes for Indian candidates — IMU CET degrees, sponsored DNS cadetships, and GME after engineering — with eligibility and the pitfalls to avoid.
Merchant Navy CareersWhat is a Certificate of Competency (CoC) and how do I get one?
What a CoC is, the STCW rank levels it comes in, and the sea time, courses and exams needed to earn and raise one.
Merchant Navy CareersHow do you become a ship captain (Master) in the merchant navy?
Becoming a ship's captain means progressing through the deck department from cadet to Master, building sea time and passing successive Certificates of Competency.
Merchant Navy CareersHow do you become a marine engineer on ships?
Becoming a marine engineer means entering the engine department through a cadetship or engineering degree and progressing by sea time and Certificates of Competency.
Merchant Navy CareersHow do you become a chief engineer on a ship?
The chief engineer heads the engine department — reaching the rank requires management-level certification and years of sea time as a watchkeeping and second engineer.
Merchant Navy CareersHow do you join the merchant navy in the Philippines?
The Philippines is one of the world's largest suppliers of seafarers — entry is through a maritime degree, cadetship and certification overseen by MARINA.
Merchant Navy CareersHow do you join the merchant navy in the United Kingdom?
In the UK, most people enter the merchant navy through a sponsored officer cadetship that alternates college study with sea phases, leading to MCA certification.
Merchant Navy CareersHow long does it take to become a ship captain in the merchant navy?
Becoming a Master typically takes somewhere around eight to twelve years from cadet, depending on the individual, the flag and how quickly sea time and certificate examinations are completed.
Merchant Navy CareersCan women join the merchant navy and what roles can they hold?
Yes — women can and do serve in every department and rank of the merchant navy, from cadet to Master and chief engineer, and the industry is actively working to recruit more.
Merchant Navy CareersWhat is sea time and why is it required for certificates of competency?
Sea time is the period of approved service at sea a seafarer must complete to qualify for each certificate of competency — proof of real experience, recorded and verified.
Merchant Navy CareersHow do you become an electro-technical officer (ETO)?
Becoming an ETO means entering the engine department through an electrical or electronic background, completing approved training and sea service, and gaining the STCW electro-technical officer certificate.
Merchant Navy CareersWhat qualifications and requirements are needed to join the merchant navy?
Joining the merchant navy generally requires a good secondary education with science and maths for officer routes, medical and eyesight fitness, meeting age limits, and completing STCW training.
Shipboard OperationsWhat are the SOLAS lifeboat and abandon ship drill requirements?
SOLAS requires regular abandon-ship and fire drills, with musters, equipment checks and the lowering and manoeuvring of lifeboats at defined intervals.
