Rank Of Third Officer

The 3rd Officer or 3rd Mate (3O or 3M) is the least-ranking licensed Officer in charge of a navigational watch in the deck department. The 3rd officer rank is the first rank a deck cadet should attend after finishing the cadetship program and completing & passing the Officer of the Watch license examination.

Responsibilities Of 3rd Officer

Being a licensed officer, the 3rd officer is expected to carry out duties attached to the rank and position of the 3rd officer onboard a ship. These duties and responsibilities are not limited to;

• Watchkeeping: As a licensed navigational officer of the watch, the 3rd officer is responsible and in charge of the 0800H-1200H & 2000H-2400H watch hours. During some operations, like cargo operation, the watch hour may be changed to 0600H-1200H & 1800H-2400H watch hours.
• Paperworks: there are lots of paperworks to be done and some of them are assigned to the 3rd office to handle.
• Safety Officer:  The main safety officer onboard is usually the chief mate. However, due to cumbersome duties and responsibilities of the chief mate, the captain may decide to ask the 3rd mate to assist as the safety officer, where the duties would be to maintain all life-saving and safety appliances, such as; life buoy, life jacket, immersion suit, fire extinguishers, EEBD, etc.
• The 3rd officer assists the master in the bridge during the mooring operation while the other officers mount their mooring stations.

The 3rd officer being a licensed officer of the navigational watch makes the rank the fourth in command in the deck department.

LICENSE

The 3rd Officer holds a Certificate of Competency (CoC) in accordance to the STCW Regulation II/ 3 as an Office in charge of Navigational Watch (OiC-NW).

UNIFORM

A white shirt and black trousers with epaulets indicate a third officer’s rank, which is one strip or bar with anchor or diamond shape. Complete PPE is worn during maintenance and deck operations.

HOW TO BECOME A 3RD OFFICER

An intending 3rd officer is to expect to sit for a license examination for an officer in charge of the navigational watch. After meeting the requirements of a sea experience period of at least 12 months as a deck cadet who must have studied for a degree program or diploma program in Maritime Transportation or Nautical Science to get eligibility certification from the states’ maritime authority sit the license examination. A deck can also become a 3rd officer but requires a lot of experience and training and at least 36 months of sea experience to qualify for eligibility certification. However, some state maritime authority requirements may differ, as stated here.