Cadet’s First Contract Survival Guide

Your training is done. You have your CDC, your STCW certificates, your joining letter. You’re about to board your first ship. Here is what nobody at your college told you — because most lecturers haven’t sailed in years.

The First 48 Hours

You will feel lost. This is normal. A ship is a floating factory with hundreds of systems, 20+ crew members, and an operational tempo that doesn’t stop for newcomers.

Do these first:

1. Report to the Master — introduce yourself formally. Short, respectful, clear.
2. Get your cabin — unpack minimally, keep your essentials accessible.
3. Get your muster station card — know your emergency position.
4. Find the Chief Officer (deck cadet) or Chief Engineer (engine cadet). They own your training.
5. Get the ship familiarisation form — every STCW-compliant ship must complete this with you.

Don’t do these first:

• Don’t ask for Wi-Fi password in the first hour. Read the room.
• Don’t call home for 30 minutes on the satellite phone immediately.
• Don’t make strong opinions about anything until you’ve observed for a week.

What Your Training Record Book Actually Requires

Your Cadet Training Record Book (TRB) is a STCW document — it has specific tasks you must complete and get signed off before you can appear for your 2nd Mate or Junior Engineer exam.

For deck cadets, key tasks include:

• Bridge watchkeeping hours (1080 hours required before 2nd Mate exam)
• Cargo operations participation
• Mooring and anchoring practice
• GMDSS familiarisation
• Chart corrections
• Stability calculations witnessed

For engine cadets:

• Engine room watchkeeping hours
• Main engine operation and maintenance tasks
• Aux machinery familiarisation
• Fuel system, lube oil system operation
• Electrical system familiarisation

The trap many cadets fall into: Letting the TRB fall behind because nobody reminds you. You sign off and discover you’re missing critical signatures. Then you can’t sit for your exam.

Action: Review your TRB at the end of every week. Identify which tasks you’ve completed. Approach the responsible officer (Chief Officer for deck, Chief Engineer for engine) and get them signed off while the work is fresh in memory.

How to Handle Your Seniors

Ship hierarchy is real. The gap between cadet and officer is significant — more than most shore jobs. Here is how to navigate it.

What works:

• Arrive early to everything. If watch starts at 0800, be on the bridge at 0750.
• Ask questions at the right time — not during a critical manoeuvre, not when the officer is clearly stressed.
• When assigned a task, do it completely and report back. Don’t leave tasks half-done.
• If you don’t understand something, say “Can you explain that — I want to make sure I do it correctly.” Never pretend you understood when you didn’t.
• Say less, observe more. Your first contract is a learning contract.

What doesn’t work:

• Arguing with a senior officer about procedures when you’ve never seen the system run.
• Comparing “how we learned in college” — they don’t care.
• Complaining about workload to other cadets loudly — it gets back.
• Being on your phone during watch.

If a senior is genuinely abusive (not strict — abusive, threatening, or denying your rest hours): document it quietly. Contact the DPA (Designated Person Ashore) directly if needed. See our guide on bullying onboard for more.

What to Pack for Your First Contract

Essential items most colleges don’t mention:

• Noise-cancelling earphones — engine noise in accommodation is constant on older ships
• High-quality work gloves (leather palm) — the ship provides basic ones, yours will be better
• A second pair of safety boots — you’ll wear through one pair
• Multivitamins and protein supplements — quality varies by ship
• Electrolytes — tropical ports, engine room heat
• A physical notebook and pen — not just phone notes; some seniors respect handwritten notes
• Seasickness tablets for the first week — even if you think you won’t need them
• Spices and comfort food from home — a small supply means everything by week 6
• Offline apps: Dictionary, navigation apps, Seamanship International, Reeds technical references

Don’t bring:

• Excessive valuables — a ship has many hands and limited accountability for personal items
• More than 2 pairs of jeans/shorts — you’ll wear uniform most of the time

Learning Strategy: Make the Most of Your Contract

A cadet who actively learns gets more from one contract than a passive one gets from three.

The 5 questions method: For every system you work on, ask yourself (or look up):

1. What does this system do?
2. How does it do it? (principle of operation)
3. What happens if it fails?
4. What’s the normal reading/parameter for this?
5. What did the manual say vs what the officer told me?

Write this down. After 6 months, you’ll have a personal technical reference that’s worth more than any textbook.

Ask the right officer the right question: The Bosun knows more about deck seamanship than most 3rd Officers. The Pumpman knows cargo systems better than the junior officer. Don’t limit your learning to your direct supervisor.

Managing Your Mental Health

First contracts are mentally tough. You’re homesick, the work is harder than expected, and you’re at the bottom of a hierarchy. Some days you’ll wonder why you chose this.

What actually helps:

• Fix your sleep — protect your off-watch hours fiercely. Fatigue makes everything worse.
• Call home on a schedule (not constantly) — 2–3 times a week is enough; too many calls increase homesickness
• Find one person onboard you can talk to. Even a ratings-level friendship helps.
• Exercise — even 20 minutes of bodyweight exercise changes your mental state.
• Journal. Writing down what you learned today keeps the purpose visible.

Warning sign: If you’re crying regularly, cannot eat, cannot sleep, or feel unsafe onboard — this is not normal seasoning. Contact the DPA, contact SailorGPT, contact your family. This is a medical situation.

The Most Common Cadet Mistakes

1. Not getting TRB signed regularly — don’t wait until sign-off
2. Being passive — officers won’t chase you to learn. You must ask.
3. Lying about completing a task — if you haven’t done it, say so. Lying is career-ending.
4. Ignoring the MARPOL and ISM obligations — even as a cadet, you can create a pollution incident. Know the basics.
5. Spending the entire contract on your phone in off-watch — you’ll regret the missed technical learning more than you regret missing those posts.

About to join your first ship or already onboard and struggling? Chat with SailorGPT — available 24/7, completely confidential.