Sailor
The profession of the sailor is old, and the term sailor has its etymological roots in a time when sailing ships were the main mode of transport at sea, but it now refers to the personnel of all watercraft regardless of the mode of transport, and encompasses people who operate ships professionally, be it for a military navy or civilian merchant navy, as a sport or recreationally.
Seafarers hold a variety of professions and ranks, each of which carries unique responsibilities which are integral to the successful operation of an ocean-going vessel.
Marine engineering staff also deal with the "hotel" facilities on board, notably the sewage, lighting, air conditioning and water systems.
In the USA these jobs[2] are considered administrative positions and are therefore regulated by Certificates of Registry issued by the United States Coast Guard.
Mariners also risk injury or death from falling overboard and from hazards associated with working with machinery, heavy loads, and dangerous cargo.
[citation needed] Most newer vessels are air conditioned, soundproofed from noisy machinery, and equipped with comfortable living quarters.
[citation needed] Findings by the Seafarer's International Research Center indicate a leading cause of mariners leaving the industry is "almost invariably because they want to be with their families".
[citation needed] Helen Sampson, a professor at Cardiff University, notes that a key challenge facing mariners is an adjustment to timezones as the ship sails through various oceans.
[citation needed] Further, the quick turnaround of many modern ships, spending only a matter of hours in port, limits a seafarer's free-time ashore.
Moreover, some seafarers entering U.S. ports from a watch list of 25 countries deemed high-risk face restrictions on shore leave due to security concerns in a post 9/11 environment.
[citation needed] Such restrictions on shore leave coupled with reduced time in port by many ships translate into longer periods at sea.
Recreational opportunities have improved aboard some U.S. ships, which may feature gyms and day rooms for watching movies, swapping sea stories, and other activities.
However, a mariner's off-duty time at sea is largely a solitary affair, pursuing hobbies, reading, writing letters, and sleeping.
[citation needed] Internet accessibility is fast coming to the sea with the advent of cheap satellite communication, mainly from Inmarsat.
The availability of affordable roaming SIM cards with online top-up facilities have also contributed to improved connection with friends and family at home.
[citation needed] Erik the Red and his son Leif Erikson were the first notable mariners known to sail in a primitive, partly man powered vessel across the Arctic and the North Atlantic Ocean.
George Hennard was an American mass murderer who claimed 23 victims on a rampage at Luby's Cafeteria in Killeen, Texas.
French pilot's assistant Paul Gauguin later became a leading post-impressionist painter and pioneered modern art's synthetist style.
British Merchant Navy member Ken Russell later directed films such as Tommy, Altered States and The Lair of the White Worm.
In football, with Fred Blackburn in England and the likes of Dan Devine and Heisman Trophy winner Frank Sinkwich in the U.S.
Other sporting notables include Dutchman Henk de Velde known for sailing solo around the world, and Briton Matthew Webb who was the first person to swim the English Channel without the use of artificial aid.
Irish Merchant Navy member Kevin McClory spent 14 days in a lifeboat and later went on to write the James Bond movies Never Say Never Again and Thunderball.
Members of the American Beat Movement Allen Ginsberg, Jack Kerouac, Bob Kaufman, and Herbert Huncke were all Merchant Mariners.
The list includes Milburn Drysdale on The Beverly Hillbillies, Archie Bunker on All in the Family, Peter Falk on Columbo, Jim Rockford on The Rockford Files, Steve McGarret on Hawaii Five-O, Uncle Jesse Duke on The Dukes of Hazzard and Cheyenne Bodie on Cheyenne.
