Quick answer: A merchant navy joining kit has three non-negotiable categories: original documents (CDC, passport, visa, INDoS card, medical certificate, joining letter, STCW certificates), safety gear that isn’t always company-supplied, and a digital backup of every document sent to yourself and a trusted family member before you leave. The most common first-ship mistake is packing clothing first and documents as an afterthought — it should always be the reverse.
| Category | Must-Have Items |
|---|---|
| Documents (originals) | CDC, passport + visa, INDoS card, medical certificate, joining letter, STCW/CoC certificates |
| Safety gear (confirm with company first) | Safety shoes, boiler suit, ear plugs, safety goggles |
| Digital backup | Scans of every document emailed to self + shared with family |
| Easy to forget | Prescription copies, offline contact list, adapter/power bank |
Ask any experienced officer what they’d tell a cadet packing for their first ship, and you’ll usually get a version of the same answer: documents first, everything else second. Here’s a complete, organised checklist so nothing critical gets left behind.
1. Documents — The Non-Negotiables
These are what actually let you board the ship. Losing or forgetting any of these can mean missing your joining date entirely.
- Continuous Discharge Certificate (CDC) — original, not a photocopy
- Passport, with valid visa if the flag state or joining port requires one
- INDoS registration card / number
- Valid medical fitness certificate (DG Shipping medical and/or ENG1, depending on the vessel)
- Joining letter / employment letter from the manning agent or company
- STCW certificates (Basic Safety Training and any other mandatory courses for your rank)
- CoC (Certificate of Competency), if you’re already an officer
- Previous ship’s sign-off/CDC entries, if this isn’t your first contract
- Passport-size photographs, several extras beyond what you think you’ll need
Before leaving home, lay every one of these out and physically check them against your joining instructions. A missing document discovered at the airport or the port gate is one of the most preventable causes of a delayed or cancelled joining.
2. Digital Backup — Your Safety Net
Scan or photograph every document above and:
- Email the full set to yourself, in a folder or thread you can find quickly
- Send the same set to one trusted family member
- Save a copy on a cloud drive if you have one set up
This does not replace the originals — you cannot sign on with only a photo of your CDC — but it is invaluable if something is lost, damaged, or needs verifying urgently while you’re already at sea and can’t easily access the physical document.
3. Safety Gear — Confirm Before You Assume
Provision varies significantly between companies. Some give a complete joining kit; others expect you to arrive with your own. Confirm directly with your manning agent what’s provided versus what you need to bring, for items including:
- Safety shoes (steel-toe, per your ship’s requirements)
- Boiler suit / coveralls
- Ear plugs or ear defenders
- Safety goggles
- Hard hat (usually provided onboard, but worth confirming)
- Work gloves
Don’t buy expensive gear speculatively before confirming — but don’t assume it’s all provided either. A quick message to your agent settles this in minutes.
4. Clothing and Personal Items
- Casual and semi-formal clothing appropriate for your rank and any planned port visits
- Comfortable, closed footwear for onboard use outside of safety-gear areas
- Weather-appropriate layers — ships cross multiple climate zones on a single voyage
- Toiletries, with enough supply to last until your first opportunity to restock in port
- Prescription medications, with a copy of the prescription — carrying medication without documentation can cause problems at customs or with the ship’s medical officer
- A basic first-aid item set for personal use (the ship has its own medical stores, but small personal items like plasters are convenient)
5. Staying Connected and Occupied
- Phone with an international-capable SIM or a plan for connectivity in port (see our guide on keeping your Indian SIM active while at sea)
- A power bank and the correct plug adapters for the regions your voyage covers
- Offline entertainment — downloaded music, shows, books, or games, since onboard internet is often limited and expensive
- A physical, offline notebook with key phone numbers written down — company, agent, and family — in case your phone is ever lost, dead, or without signal
What Experienced Seafarers Say Gets Forgotten Most
Beyond the obvious, a few items come up repeatedly in cadet experiences as easy to overlook until it’s too late:
- Extra passport photos — needed more often than expected for various onboard and port formalities
- A physical copy of key contact numbers, not just saved on a phone
- Spare prescription medication with its prescription copy
- A small amount of local/international cash for immediate port expenses before any onboard advance is arranged
Packing for your first ship feels overwhelming the first time. Work through documents first, safety gear second, and everything else after — in that order, you won’t miss what actually matters.
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