What Does a Boatman Do?

A boatman is someone who assists in the operation of a boat or ship. The specific responsibilities of a boatman vary depending on his or her level of experience and job title, but in most cases, boatmen are entry-level workers who clean the boat, attend to maintenance issues, and perform other menial tasks required for the vessel’s proper operation. Boatmen, also known as mariners or sailors, can gain seniority over other sailors as they gain experience on a ship. These sailors eventually report to the ship’s captain.

The specific duties of a boatman can also vary depending on the type of vessel being operated. Some military vessels, for example, will require gunners who can operate the weapons on board; such responsibilities may fall to a boatman. However, on other ships, such weaponry is unlikely to be present, so the boatman’s duties will likely include cooking meals, working on the captain’s deck with various instrumentation, performing janitorial duties, or completing various crew-related tasks. If the boatman is working on a fishing vessel, he or she may be responsible for fishing nets and other equipment, fish storage, and deck icebreaking during cold weather.

While the captain is away, a more experienced sailor may be in charge of steering the ship or maintaining autopilot functions. Delegating responsibilities to other, less experienced boatmen may also fall on the shoulders of such a sailor. These sailors may have specific job functions; for example, a galley steward will work almost exclusively in the ship’s galley, or kitchen. He or she might be in charge of cleaning the kitchen and all flatware, serving meals to other sailors, or even helping to prepare the meal. While the ship is docked, a chef on board will be in charge of cooking meals and obtaining ingredients for those meals.

Cranes and other moving equipment will be manned trained operators on tankers and shipping boats. Because such equipment necessitates skill and certification, boatmen may be trained in advance to operate these machines. One or more boatmen may be in charge of keeping an eye on the ship’s contents and ensuring that the loads are balanced. This frequently necessitates keeping track of all shipboard contents, including personnel and crew belongings. Before leaving port, cruise ship boatmen may be responsible for tending to passengers and checking the ship’s manifest to ensure that all passengers are on board.