Deck officers or mates assist captains. Engineers operate, maintain, and repair machinery on the boat. For more information about captains, mates, and engineers, see the Ship Officers and Engineers specialty. Seamen, also known as deckhands, operate the ship and its deck equipment. For more information about seamen, see the Deckhands specialty.
Oilers work with the engineers.
They lubricate gears, bearings, and other moving parts of engines and motors. They also read pressure and temperature gauges. Oilers record data and may repair and adjust machinery. Pilots guide ships in and out of harbors and other waterways. They have knowledge of the local water depths, winds, tides, and hazards that the regular crewmembers do not have.