what is a merchant seaman and what exactly do they do? Do they access to phones while out at sea?

Answer 1

My brother's a Merchant Mariner... It's the seamen who operate the United States' cargo ships, tugs, etc. Basically you help operate the ship. The ships you sail for will have a Navy presence (typically a few Navy Officers, then the rest will be civilians).There are different qualifications (given through the US Coast Guard) that you can earn by studying and then testing your knowledge of different areas (navigation, engines) of the trade. You're a federal employee working under the jurisdiction of the Navy, and you're given Merchant Mariners' documents and a military-style ID which clearly marks you as a civilian. You also can earn extra pay by knowing more... Many Merchant Mariners may start out as an Ordinary Seaman (OS), but as they gain seatime, and sea knowledge, they can test for the next license, the Able-Bodied Seaman qual (AB)... And there are side qualifications, such as becoming a rescue swimmer or taking firefighting courses, that will result in extra pay.

When not sailing, you do tasks to keep the ship seaworthy, such as chipping and painting and performing maintenance, as well as standing watch.

I'm sure you can have access to phones while at sea, or least internet access for e-mail (sailing's changed quite a bit).

And just a side note, the qualifications you can get through the Coast Guard will allow you to work for private shipping companies and what have you, they're not restricting you to work for the Merchant Marines or Military Sealift Command.

Answer 2

Do you mean Merchant Marine/ Merchant Navy? Below is a link to a wikipedia article that might be helpful. Also, I think modern merchant marines would most likely have access to phones and other communication devices while out at sea. Not that I'm an expert or anything. Hope that helps.

Answer 3

A merchant seaman is part of crew on a commercial vessel as opposed to a military vessel. They do all that is necessary to move their ship and its cargo from point A to point B, and yes, they have access to satellite phone services in most parts of the world.

Answer 4

A merchant seaman is a person who works on cargo ships, or supply of some sort (container ships, oil tankers, or liberty ships). Their jobs have to do with maintenance, control, docking, loading/unloading, security, cooking, cleaning, painting, and many other activities. Liberty type ships are used during war to fuel ships, provide them with ammunition, food, extra medical help, repairs without having them come back to port, which could take weeks and be very dangerous. They do have access to satellite phones while at sea.

Answer 5

for the phone part of the Q, I would assume they use satellite phones.