How to Have a More Successful Seafaring Career?

To this date, I have been in command for 10 years 6 months and 20 days.

And with that experience, I can tell you that the job of a master is one of the most challenging job in the world.

Not only because the captain has a great number of responsibilities but also because he/she would feel isolated too often.

He/she would sometimes have to take tough decisions and no one would openly want to support that unless the issue is over when everyone would give their opinion if the decision of the master was right or wrong.

Believe me, I have seen this too many times in my sailing experience as a Master of the ship.

But in spite of all these, do you know which rank I consider the most important and difficult phase of my sailing career?

It is the time when I stepped on a vessel as a fresh 3rd Mate. Just after my cadetship.

You know why?

Because this was the phase that defined my shipping career.

This was the time that defined how good or bad 2nd mate / Chief Mate and master I would be.

This rank has become even more difficult these days compared to 20 years back.

This is because back then most of the 3rd mates like me already had enough exposure for the bridge watches as well as on deck.

This was of...