FTV Meet Jill Petrarca

Hello Follow The Voyager Viewers!

My name is Jillian Petrarca and I am the assistant blogger so  you will be hearing from me as you Follow the Voyage of the T.S. Kennedy’s Sea Term 2016. I am currently a senior at the Massachusetts Maritime Academy who is studying Marine Safety Environmental Protection as training to become a 100 Tonnage Captain. I hold a senior cadet leadership role as the Damage Control Officer of Sixth Company. 

Why am I going on seas term? I’m going on Seaterm so I can take the exam for a 1600 Tonnage Captains License this spring. I hope to bring you lots of classroom lessons and tell you about our travels.                                                                      Until next time… Jill

A 1600 ton license will qualify Jill to be a ship Captain, A ship captain is the boss of the ship. She oversees the crew and the entire running of the boat. Depending on the country, boat captains may be classified as "Senior" or "Master" and have the appropriate identifying licensing. A boat captain does hands-on tasks such as steering the ship, but also uses problem-solving and planning skills regularly.


Understanding weather conditions, water channels and the laws of the seas in international locations are responsibilities of a boat captain. The captain must have knowledge of every aspect of running a boat even when he delegates duties to crew members. Delegating mostly to a first mate who reports to him, the boat's captain can't miss any details. He must be sure the boat is maintained and is running on course.

Planning and executing security strategies against possible threats such as those from pirates or terrorists is the captain's responsibility. He must also take security precautions against having stowaways, or unauthorized passengers, on board. Regularly inspecting the ship is something a boat captain does. Captains must make sure that the ship's activities remain within the law in all aspects; this includes the behavior of passengers and crew. Boat captains have authority over both the crew and passengers.

A captain must be able to plan and execute security strategies against pirates that pose a threat to ships.

The captain of a ship or boat is responsible for overseeing its evacuation in the case of an emergency.

The captain of a boat or ship is responsible for ensuring that the vessel and its cargo safely arrive at their destination on time.

Read this to learn more about the job of Ships Captain

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