Inland shipping deckhand vacancies in Belgium
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What does a inland shipping deckhand do?
How do I become a inland shipping deckhand? See the guideAs an inland shipping deckhand you help manoeuvre and maintain inland vessels that carry passengers or goods. You start the ship's engines and pumps, keep watch over the navigation and couple and uncouple vessels. You handle the mooring and casting off, load and unload the ship and carry out daily maintenance on the vessel and its equipment. The role is also known as inland navigation crew member or bargeman. When something goes wrong you take the emergency measures. In Belgium you work in the transport and logistics sector as sailing personnel, on the rivers and canals of the inland waterway network, following the shipping regulations and safety rules.
Typical tasks
- Start the ship's engines and pumps
- Keep watch over the navigation of the vessel
- Couple and uncouple vessels
- Handle the mooring and casting off of the ship
- Load and unload the ship
- Carry out daily and technical maintenance on the vessel
- Take emergency measures in case of an incident
Required skills
- A boatman's or crew member certificate for inland navigation is required
- Ability to swim and good physical condition for deck work
- Practical maintenance skills for engines and nautical equipment
- Alertness and a safety-minded attitude on and around the water
- Willingness to live and work on board for longer stretches
What does a inland shipping deckhand earn?
Indicative Belgian pay range: €19–€28 gross per hour. Living on board and long trips usually come with allowances on top of the base pay. Employee pay estimate; actual pay depends on experience, sector pay scales and working hours. Premiums, overtime and benefits are separate.
How to apply via Werkvolk?
- Download the appInstall the free Werkvolk app for iOS or Android.
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Frequently asked questions
Answers to the most common questions about applying via Werkvolk.
What does a inland shipping deckhand do?
An inland shipping deckhand helps manoeuvre and maintain inland vessels that carry passengers or goods. You start the engines and pumps, keep watch over the navigation, couple and uncouple vessels and handle the mooring. You load and unload the ship and carry out daily maintenance, and you take emergency measures when an incident occurs, following the shipping regulations and safety rules.
How much does a inland shipping deckhand earn in Belgium?
Indicative Belgian pay range: €19–€28 gross per hour. Living on board and long trips usually come with allowances on top of the base pay. Employee pay estimate; actual pay depends on experience, sector pay scales and working hours. Premiums, overtime and benefits are separate.
What can you grow into as a inland shipping deckhand?
With experience and the right certificates you can grow into a helmsman and later a skipper of an inland vessel. Deckhands who prefer land based work often move into related transport and logistics roles such as crane operator, forklift operator or warehouse worker. The route you take depends on the certificates you obtain and where you want to work.
In which sectors and environments does a inland shipping deckhand work?
You work in the transport and logistics sector as sailing personnel in inland navigation. Your workplace is the vessel itself, on the rivers and canals of the inland waterway network. The work is outdoors and physical, in changing weather, and often involves living on board for several days at a time.
What is the difference between an inland shipping deckhand and an inland navigation crew member?
In practice both names point to the same profile. Inland navigation crew member is simply a broader way of describing the person who works on deck of an inland vessel. The daily tasks of manoeuvring, mooring, loading, unloading and maintaining the ship stay the same whichever term the employer uses.
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