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How to Become a Chief Officer

The Chief Officer acts as a Master’s right-hand man and also works as a second-in-command. He is in overall charge of the deck of the ship after the master of the ship. The Chief Officer is usually a very experienced person, who can handle the navigation and keep the ship organized without the master. The Chief Officer is also responsible for the overall care and handling of the cargo of the ship. At the time of cargo operations, it is the Chief Officer who ensures that all operations go according to the plan.

Chief Officer Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible for the post of Chief Officer, there are some criteria that you need to fulfill such as:

  • You must be holding 2nd Mate CoC. 
  • To be eligible for the Chief Officer Exam, you must sail for at least 9 months for the Chief Officer Phase 1 Exam. 
  • To be eligible for the Chief Officer Phase 2 Exam, you need at least 18 months of sea time after getting your 2nd Mate CoC. 
  • You must get the sea-time on a ship of 500 GT or more. 

How to Become a Chief Officer

After completing your class 12th from PCM you need to follow these steps:

  • Clear IMU CET and join Diploma in Nautical Science or BSc Nautical Science. 
  • Complete the necessary sea-time and apply for the 2nd Mate CoC. 
  • After getting promotion as 3rd Officer and completing the necessary sea-time you will be promoted to 2nd Officer. 
  • After that you can apply for Chief Mate CoC once your sea-time is complete. 

To become a Chief Officer, you need to appear for the exams of Chief Mate CoC. Chief Mate exams are divided into 2 steps:

  • Phase 1 Exam
  • Phase 2 Exam

Chief Officer Phase 1 Exam

Chief Officer Phase 1 Exam

  • To be eligible for the Chief Office Phase 1 Exam, you need to have 2nd Mate CoC and sailed on a ship of 500 GT or more. 
  • You need to have at least 9 months sea time after getting your 2nd Mate CoC as a navigational officer. 
  • To appear for the phase 1 Exam, you need to attend a 320-hour post-sea course before applying for the exam. 
  • An upgrade course of 40 hours from STCW 1995 to SCTW 2010 can also be done with the Phase 1 module. 
  • An attendance requirement of at least 90% is necessary to apply for the Phase 1 Exam for Chief Officer. 
  • However, the head of the institute can accept an attendance of even 75% provided that the candidate must have a logical reason for the short attendance. 
  • Students who fail their internal examination must not be given any certificate.

 

Course Duration of Phase 1 For Chief Officer

  • Total Teaching hours is 320 hours with 30 hours hours per week time period. 
  • 1 week for assessment of Phase 1 Exam. 
  • 1 week also should be kept for holidays.

Chief Officer Phase 2 Exam

  • To be eligible for the Chief Office Phase 2 Exam, you need to have 2nd Mate CoC and sailed on a ship of 500 GT or more. 
  • You need to have at least 18 months of sea time after getting your 2nd Mate CoC as a navigational officer. 
  • To appear for the phase 2 Exam, you need to attend a 270-hour post-sea course before applying for the exam.  
  • The attendance requirement for Chief Officer Phase 2 examination is the same i.e. at least 90% is necessary to apply for the Phase 2 Exam for the Chief Officer. 
  • However, the head of the institute can accept an attendance of even 75% provided that the candidate must have a logical reason for the short attendance. 
  • Students who fail their internal examination must not be given any certificate.
 
 

Course Duration of Phase 2 For Chief Officer

  • Total Teaching hours is 270 hours with 30 hours hours per week time period. 
  • 1 week for assessment of Phase 2 Exam. 
  • 0.5 week also should be kept for holidays.

You can check our free Chief Mate Guidance Series to learn about the complete procedure of how to become a Chief Officer. 

Table of Contents

Books for Chief Officer Exams

Some mandatory books that you need to read while going through the course for Chief Mate Internal exams are:

  • STCW 95
  • IMO Model Course 
  • SOLAS
  • MARPOL
  • IMO Loadline Convention
  • IMO LSA Code
  • COLREGS
  • IAMSAR
  • Code of Safe Practices for Merchant Seamen
  • DGS Orders, and Circulars. 
  • Indian Merchant Shipping Acts
  • Merchant Shipping STCW Rules
  • Maritime Labour Convention
  • Polar Code
  • ISM Code
  • ISPS Code
  • Training and Assessment Programme by DG Shipping. 

Chief Officer Salary

The Chief Officer is the second-in-command of the ship after the Captain of the ship. The Chief Officer is also responsible for the maintenance of the deck and the welfare of the crew of the ship. With it, the Chief Officer also works as an officer-in-command for the deck cadet. The Chief Officer’s Salary depends on various things such as:

  • Experience of the Chief Officer
  • Type of Ship 
  • Type of Company: Ownership or Management Company

Based on all three above criteria, the salary of a Chief Officer is decided. 

Chief Officer Salary in Dry Cargo Ship

Types Ships

The salary of a Chief Officer in a Dry Cargo Ship starts from ₹5,70,000 per month and can reach up to ₹8,00,000. This figure can change from company to company and also due to the experience of the Chief Officer. 

Chief Officer Salary in Tanker Ships

The salary of a Chief Officer on Tanker ships is generally on the higher end compared to Dry Bulk due to hazards in tanker ships. The salary of a Chief Officer in tankers can go anywhere from ₹7,00,000 per month to ₹10,00,000 per month. Sometimes, it can also go even higher if you are sailing on LPG or LNG Carriers.

Chief Officer Salary Based on Different Ships

Type Of Ship Chief Officer Salary. 
LNG Carrier  10,000$ – 12,000$
LPG Carrier  9,500$ – 10,500$
Chemical Tankers 8,500$ – 10,000$
Crude Oil Tankers 8,000$ – 9,000$
Container Ships  6,800$ – 8000$
Bulk Carrier  6,800$ – 8,000$

What are the Duties of a Chief Officer?

The work of the Chief Officer includes five main points of the shipping life:

  • Safety 
  • Navigation
  • Environment
  • Cargo Operations
  • Efficient Vessel Operations. 

Duties of a Chief Officer 

  • The Chief Officer is responsible for carrying out the duties of a Safety Officer when appointed by the Master. 
  • The Chief Officer is also responsible for all the necessary preparations on the deck before arrival at the port. 
  • Check the proper execution of the mooring and unmooring procedure. 
  • Ensures that all openings which could permit ingress of water into the hull are effectively closed. 
  • The Chief Officer also makes sure to carry out stowaways and drug searches.
  • He is also responsible for maintaining SOPEP equipment. 
  • The Chief Officer also has to maintain the Oil Record Book in Oil Tankers. 

Frequently Asked Questions for Chief Officer

The Chief Officer is the second-in-command on the ship, so he is not the same as the Captain. 

The salary of a chief officer can go from 6,000$ to 12,000$ per month depending on the ship and the experience. 

To become a Chief Officer, you need to join the Merchant Navy as a deck cadet and after getting 2nd Mate CoC, you will need to apply for Chief Mate CoC. 

The Chief Officer is the charge of the deck department of the ship after the master of the ship.

Master is the highest rank onboard ship and so he is the one who gets the highest payment on the ship. 

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