A third mate (3/M) or third officer is a licensed member of the deck department of a merchant ship. The third mate is a watchstander and customarily the ship's safety officer and fourth-in-command. The position is junior to a second mate. Other duties vary depending on the type of ship, its crewing, and other factors.
The 3rd mate is often the ship's safety officer.
While a ship is underway, the officers navigate it, typically in three shifts or watches.
Avoiding collisions can be challenging in heavy traffic.
Demonstration of wearing a life vest for safety especially during on abandon ship.
A licensed mariner is a sailor who holds a license from a maritime authority to hold senior officer-level positions aboard ships, boats, and similar vessels. Qualification standards for licensed mariners are universally set by the STCW Convention adopted and promulgated by the International Maritime Organization (IMO), while the licenses of individual sailors are issued by the delegated maritime authorities of the member states of the IMO; these may vary in the details of the implementation, including the government agency responsible for licensing and the local names of the grades and qualifications in each particular country.
A sample United States Merchant Marine license issued by the United States Coast Guard in 2006
Mariners (Captain, first officer and second officer) at the controls of the Kristina Regina
