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Maritime & Shipping vocabulary · Crew & Ranks

Crew

Meaning in maritime & shipping, with examples

/kruː/nounCore term

In maritime & shipping, crew means: All the people who work on board a ship, from the master to the ratings. It can also mean only the ratings, as distinct from the officers.

In Turkish: mürettebat, gemi adamları, personel

How it is used

Common expressions are crew list, crew change, crew member and crew on board. In British English 'crew' can take a singular or plural verb: 'the crew is' or 'the crew are on board'.

Example sentences

  1. The crew list must be sent to the agent 48 hours before arrival.

  2. We have a crew change in Rotterdam: five crew members will sign off.

Common collocations

  • crew list
  • crew change
  • crew member
  • sign on
  • sign off
  • masterThe officer in overall command of a merchant ship, legally responsible for the safety of the ship, crew, passengers and cargo. In everyday speech the master is called the captain.
  • able seaman (AB)An experienced deck rating who is qualified to steer, keep a lookout, handle mooring lines and do maintenance work on deck.
  • cadetA student or trainee officer who works on board to complete the sea time and training needed for a first officer's certificate. Cadets are either deck cadets or engine cadets.
  • STCWThe International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers, which sets minimum international standards for seafarers' training, certificates and watchkeeping.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

More terms: Crew & Ranks

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