# Sea Going Admin Officers



## marlinspike (Jul 19, 2005)

Thought this would raise a few highbrows!!

Paperwork has become such a large part of work aboard ship that Shell has formally announced the rank of 'administration officer'to serve on its tanker and gas carrier fleet. Shell says it has a about 50 Officers of this rank - which is equivalent to a 3rd officer or 4th engineer. Most taken on so far are former radio officers. Main duties will be maintaining records for officer and crew certifications,wages, slops and health safety and security and to assist with supervision and training of subordinates.

Found whilst browsing Fairplay Daily News in the Library

Peter (marlinspike)


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## John Rogers (May 11, 2004)

Where do we sign-up for this job Peter,it sounds like I could handle that job. Whats the pay.??
John.
P.S. My wife just took a peek at what I was typing and she said '"Im over the hill and Im staying right here."


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## R58484956 (Apr 19, 2004)

I bet that would be a cushy little job, no watch keeping, a sea going clerk, wish they had that 50 years ago.


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## R58484956 (Apr 19, 2004)

QE(1) had an office boy in engineering department, qualifications needed were being RC/ freemason/ ticket holder it also helped if you were a bit of a creep around the staff chief engineer (fm)


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## Alan Hill (Jun 21, 2005)

Will go along with you John, where do we report? Alan Hill Bridgeport, Pa. USA


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## marlinspike (Jul 19, 2005)

Makes one envious. Like your good lady John mine says: the state of my den: 'administration' do not bother even applying!!!

Peter (marlinspike)


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## thunderd (Apr 18, 2005)

Probably on board accountants will be next then they won't need captains any more


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## James_C (Feb 17, 2005)

On board accountants? We have them already, they're called Pursers!


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## Tony Crompton (Jul 26, 2005)

James_C said:


> On board accountants? We have them already, they're called Pursers!


In my time in Esso they were called Second Mates. We did all the ships and crew accounts (apart from the catering accounts)
---------------
Tony C


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## James_C (Feb 17, 2005)

Has always been the Old Mans job in BP. Though we were always a bit different. Unlike other companies, Deckies in BP never touched the Fire Fighting Gear (we have better things to do), it's the J/E's baby.
Same way the 2/O never has anything to do with Medical stuff, that's the C/Os job. 3/Os tend to amuse themselves writing menus and getting the Cadets etc to do an inventory of the lifeboats every few months.


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## cboots (Aug 16, 2004)

Royal Mail and PSNC used to carry a Captain's Clerk, colloquially known as the Dip, to cope with the mass of paper work demanded on the Latin American trade.
CBoots


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## John_F (May 12, 2005)

Jim,
When I was with BP the 3/0 was in charge of all life saving equipment, not just the lifeboats. e.g. the condition of lifelines in the pumprooms, the Siebe Gorman smoke helmets, the lifebouys, etc. He was also charged with keeping the signal flags in a decent state of repair (the B flag could get tatty very quickly!).
The Old Man, as you say, was always responsible for the wages & the bond. The Accounts of Wages all had to be done by hand - no computers, not even a pocket calculator. No fun for him if you were homeward bound with all the accounts done & then you hit fog in the Channel.......


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## James_C (Feb 17, 2005)

John,
Thankfully, Pumprooms are begining to become few and far between, as more and more ships have deepwell pumps.
When you're up at Kharg Island on a VLCC, and you have to nip down the Pumproom for a look around, it's a real killer, seeing as you have to descend about 30 metres (100 feet), and the come all the way back up again!
As for Flags, I'd almost forgotten about them! The office seem to be more and more reluctant to send us spares these days, so my solution is simple, if it's tatty, and it's all we have, it gets dumped. That makes sure a new set arrives jilde jilde!
I forgot to mention about the lifebuoys and rafts. Things like smokefloats and lights are disposable these days, aside from a visual inspection, you don't touch them. That is of course until they reach their expiry date, then you dispose of them ashore and simply slot on new ones, same goes for the Liferaft hydrostatic releases, and the flares.


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## turbines48 (Jan 21, 2006)

i thought that was the captain's job as he has nothing else to do anyway!


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## jim barnes (Dec 7, 2005)

Sounded like a good cushy job when it first appeared? now i have read your comments so far, well you can keep it, too many demarkation lines to contend with (Night)


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## Ralf I Karlson (Feb 12, 2006)

we had admin off on ISN bulkers, a secretary mostly involved with the conputers, but could be "redirected" to holdcleaning when needed.


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## Paedrig (Jan 7, 2006)

cboots said:


> Royal Mail and PSNC used to carry a Captain's Clerk, colloquially known as the Dip, to cope with the mass of paper work demanded on the Latin American trade.
> CBoots


Slightly off topic I know but any idea why they were referred to as the Dip?


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## cboots (Aug 16, 2004)

I actually asked the same question as to the origins of this rather strange name and some of the answers were not too flattering, some were morally quite comprising. However, one did seem to have some possible accuracy and that was that had its origins in the old sailing navy when the captain's clerk worked in a dark and dingy place where a couple of spare metres of space could be found for this lowly crew member. To give him light to work by he was issued with a crude candle, a wick dipped in any old oil or fat going spare; hence the name of "the dip". Yeah, I know it sounds far fetched but it was the best of the bunch of explanations I came across.
CBoots


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## Paedrig (Jan 7, 2006)

cboots said:


> I actually asked the same question as to the origins of this rather strange name and some of the answers were not too flattering, some were morally quite comprising. However, one did seem to have some possible accuracy and that was that had its origins in the old sailing navy when the captain's clerk worked in a dark and dingy place where a couple of spare metres of space could be found for this lowly crew member. To give him light to work by he was issued with a crude candle, a wick dipped in any old oil or fat going spare; hence the name of "the dip". Yeah, I know it sounds far fetched but it was the best of the bunch of explanations I came across.
> CBoots


Thankyou, it sounds plausible. We did have one on the Aragon who liked his G&Ts perhaps more than was good for him!


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## exsailor (Dec 18, 2005)

Paperwork - some ships ended up with more of it that cargo.
With the British reefer companies I sailed with we had 'office girls' - officers wives who could usually be persuaded to type this, file that, and when those chores were done, if you were lucky, even iron your laundry.
Mention is made elsewhere in the site about British vs foreign crews. When I was on Djatiluhur, a HK British cargo vessel working for Djakarta Lloyd, to look after administration, we had a Purser, a Writer, a Medic, plus Ch.Stwd and R/O, and when coasting Europe carried a Supercargo who engaged a local assistant to do cargoplans etc. Hardest paperwork we Mates did was write a postcard or two.


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## janbonde (Jun 19, 2005)

Would the word dip come maybe from the time when one wrote with a pen and you dipped it in the inkwell as you wrote or is that too obvious.


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## Paedrig (Jan 7, 2006)

janbonde said:


> Would the word dip come maybe from the time when one wrote with a pen and you dipped it in the inkwell as you wrote or is that too obvious.


I have an idea that those pens with a steel nib were often referred to as "dip and scratch" so there could well be something in what you say.


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