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{{Infobox shipping job
| name = First officer
| othernames = Chief officer<br>Boss Man
| photo = Chief-mate-cargo-handling.jpg
| photo legend = The Chief mate is customarily in charge of the ship's cargo and deck crew.
| department = Deck department
| reports-to = Captain
| licensed = Yes
| epoch =
| location =
| watchstander = Yes/Depends on shipboard manning requirements
| watch-at-sea = Varies
| watch-in-port = Varies
| watch-at-sea-time = 0400-0800, 1600-2000
| watch-in-port-time = 0800-1700
| duties = Cargo officer, Deck department head.
| requirements = Chief Mate's License
}}

A '''chief mate''' (C/M) or '''chief officer''', usually also synonymous with the '''first mate''' or '''first officer''' (except on passenger liners, which often carry both), is a licensed member and head of the deck department of a merchant ship. The chief mate is customarily a watchstander and is in charge of the ship's cargo and deck crew. The actual title used will vary by ship's employment, by type of ship, by nationality, and by trade. Informally, the Chief Mate will often simply be called "The Mate." The term "Chief Mate" is not usually used in the Commonwealth, although Chief Officer and First Mate are.

The chief mate is responsible to the Captain for the safety and security of the ship. Responsibilities include the crew's welfare and training in areas such as safety, firefighting, search and rescue.

[[File:Mncb-1.JPG|thumb|Epaulettes often worn by the Chief Officer on merchant ships (similar to those worn by a commander in the Commonwealth navies)]]

==Senior on board Operations Manager==

The Chief Mate, who is the second in command of the vessel, is often equated, in corporate terms, to a senior manager for the operations on board, as the Mate is in charge of a number of departmental functions. In modern cargo vessels, the Mate holds appointments like Head of Deck Department, Head of Cargo/ Stowage Operations, Head of Safety/ Fire Fighting, Head of On-Board Security (Ship Security Officer), Head of Environment and Quality, and so forth.

==Cargo Officer==

As cargo officer, a chief mate oversees the loading, stowage, securing and unloading of cargoes. Moreover, the chief mate is accountable for the care of cargo during the voyage. This includes a general responsibility for the ship's stability and special care for cargoes that are dangerous, hazardous or harmful.

Even under the best of conditions, a ship is balanced precariously upon the water and is subject to a number of forces, such as wind, swells, and storms, which could capsize it. The cargo officer uses tools like ballasting and oad balancing to optimize the ship's performance for the expected type of environment.

==Watchstanding==
Traditionally, the chief mate stands a "4-8" watch: from 4 AM until 8 AM and 4 PM until 8 PM.,<ref name="mmoh1-21">Turpin and McEwin, 1980:1-21.</ref> in port and at sea, the chief mate is responsible to the captain for keeping the ship, crew, and cargo safe. On watch, the mate must enforce all applicable regulations, such as the ''International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea'' and pollution regulations. In port, the watch focuses on duties such as cargo operations, fire and security watches, monitoring communications and the anchor or mooring lines.

IMO regulations require the officer be fluent in English. This is required for a number of reasons, such as ability to use nautical charts and nautical publications, to understand weather and safety messages, communicate with other ships and coast stations, and to be able to work with a multi-lingual crew.

==Sea watch==
At sea, the mate on watch has three fundamental duties: navigate the ship, safely avoid traffic, and respond to any emergencies that may arise. Mates generally stand watch with able seamen who act as helmsman and lookout. The helmsman executes turns and the lookout reports dangers such as approaching ships. These roles are often combined to a single helmsman/lookout and, under some circumstances, are eliminated completely. The ability to smartly handle a ship is key to safe watchstanding. A ship's draught, trim, speed and under-keel clearance all affect its turning radius and stopping distance. Other factors include the effects of wind and current, squat, shallow water and similar effects. Shiphandling is key when the need arises to rescue a man overboard, to anchor, or to moor the ship.{{Citation needed|date=April 2011}}

The officer must also be able to transmit and receive signals by ''Morse light'' and to use the ''International Code of Signals''.

===Fictional characters===
*[[Moby-Dick#Starbuck|Starbuck]], first mate of the ''Pequod'' in the book ''[[Moby-Dick]]'' and source of the coffee chain [[Starbucks]]' name.
*[[Hector Barbossa]], ex-first mate of the ''[[Black Pearl]]'', he takes a command of the ship by mutiny.
*[[Joshamee Gibbs]], first mate of the ''[[Black Pearl]]''
*[[Angelica (Pirates of the Caribbean)|Angelica]], first mate of the ''[[Queen Anne's Revenge]]''
*[[Billy Bones]], first mate of [[Captain Flint]] in [[Robert Louis Stevenson|Robert Louis Stevenson's]] novel ''[[Treasure Island]]''
*[[Zoe Washburne]], first mate of the ''Serenity'' in the sci-fi show, ''[[Firefly (TV series)|Firefly]]''
*(Willy) [[Gilligan (Gilligan's Island)|Gilligan]], first mate of the [[S. S. Minnow|S.S. ''Minnow'']]
*Starkey, first mate of the ''Jolly Roger'' in J. M. Barrie's ''[[Peter Pan]]''
*[[T'Pol]], [[Number One (Star Trek)|Number One]], [[Spock]], [[William Riker]], [[Kira Nerys]], and [[Chakotay]] all have served the position of first mate or First Officer in the [[Star Trek universe]]. All of them had different ranks and were all promoted from that position.
*First Mate, the chief mate to recurring character Captain Arrrgh on ''[[Fresh Beat Band of Spies]]''

==See also==
{{Commons|Deck officer}}
*[[Seafarer's professions and ranks]]
*[[Navigation]]
*[[British Merchant Navy|Merchant Navy]]
*[[United States Merchant Marine]]
*[[Captain (nautical)]]
*[[Second Mate]]
*[[Third Mate]]
*[[Ship transport]]
*[[Angle of loll]]
*[[Strength of ships]]
*[[Stevedore]]
*[[Intermodal freight transport]]
*[[Containerization]]

==Notes==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==References==
* {{cite web
| title = Table A-II/1, Specification of minimum standard of competence for officers in charge of a navigational watch on ships of 500 gross tonnage or more
| url = http://www.uscg.mil/STCW/stcw-code-ach2.htm
| work = International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers
| accessdate=March 16, 2007}}
* {{cite book |last= Barrass |first= Bryan |authorlink= |author2=Derrett, D.R. |title= Ship Stability for Masters and Mates |year=1999 |publisher= Elsevier |isbn=0-7506-4101-0 }}
* {{cite book
| last = Turpin
| first = Edward A.
| authorlink =
|author2=McEwen, William A.
| editor =
| others =
| title = Merchant Marine Officers' Handbook
| origdate =
| origyear =
| origmonth =
| url =
| format =
| accessdate =
| edition = 4th
| series =
| year = 1980
| publisher =Cornell Maritime Press
| location = Centreville, MD
| language =
| isbn = 0-87033-056-X
| oclc =
| doi =
| id =
| pages =
| chapter =
| chapterurl =
| quote =
}}

==External links==
*[http://www.mitags.org/t-chiefmatemasters.aspx Licensing Information] at MITAGS
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20090830175745/http://www.jobguide.thegoodguides.com.au:80/occupation/view/254219A Job Description] from the government of Australia

{{Merchant Marine Billets}}

[[Category:Nautical terminology]]
[[Category:Marine occupations]]
[[Category:Titles]]
[[Category:Transport occupations]]
[[Category:Resource extraction occupations]]

Chief mate - Revision history

Adminpeter at 19:29, 6 April 2017