Hawsepiper
Encyclopedia
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, after accumulating enough sea time in a qualified rating, taking required training courses, and completing on-board assessments, the mariner can apply to the United States Coast Guard
United States Coast Guard
The United States Coast Guard is a branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven U.S. uniformed services. The Coast Guard is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission and a federal regulatory agency...
for a license as a Third Mate
Third Mate
A Third Mate 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...
or Third Assistant Engineer
Third Assistant Engineer
The Third Assistant Engineer, also known as the Fourth Engineer, is a licensed member of the engineering department on a merchant vessel....
. If approved the applicant must then successfully pass a comprehensive license examination before being issued the license.
A ship’s hawse pipe is the pipe passing through the bow section of a ship that the anchor
Anchor
An anchor is a device, normally made of metal, that is used to connect a vessel to the bed of a body of water to prevent the vessel from drifting due to wind or current. The word derives from Latin ancora, which itself comes from the Greek ἄγκυρα .Anchors can either be temporary or permanent...
chain passes through. Hawsepiper refers to climbing up the hawse pipe, a nautical metaphor
Metaphor
A metaphor is a literary figure of speech that uses an image, story or tangible thing to represent a less tangible thing or some intangible quality or idea; e.g., "Her eyes were glistening jewels." Metaphor may also be used for any rhetorical figures of speech that achieve their effects via...
for climbing up the ship's rank structure. This is in turn derived from the traditional British Naval usage of "came up through the hawsehole
Hawsehole
Hawsehole is a nautical term for a small hole in the hull of a ship through which hawsers may be passed. Also known as a cat hole. In the British Navy, an officer who had served as a seaman before being promoted was said to have "come in through the hawsehole."...
," referring to sailors who first entered the ship as foremast jacks
Glossary of nautical terms
This is a glossary of nautical terms; some remain current, many date from the 17th-19th century. See also Wiktionary's nautical terms, :Category:Nautical terms, and Nautical metaphors in English.- A :...
before becoming officer
Officer (armed forces)
An officer is a member of an armed force or uniformed service who holds a position of authority. Commissioned officers derive authority directly from a sovereign power and, as such, hold a commission charging them with the duties and responsibilities of a specific office or position...
s, metaphorically by climbing up the hawser without great honor or respect, rather than being received directly onto the quarterdeck
Quarterdeck
The quarterdeck is that part of a warship designated by the commanding officer for official and ceremonial functions. In port, the quarterdeck is the most important place on the ship, and is the central control point for all its major activities. Underway, its importance diminishes as control of...
.
Several merchant seamen’s unions offer their membership the required training to help them advance.http://www.seafarers.org/phc/courses/deck.xml Similarly, some employers offer financial assistance to pay for the training for their employees. Otherwise, the mariner is responsible for the cost of the required training.
Since the requirements of STCW '95
STCW
The International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers , 1978 sets qualification standards for masters, officers and watch personnel on seagoing merchant ships. STCW was adopted in 1978 by conference at the International Maritime Organization in...
have been enacted there have been complaints that the hawsepiper progression path has been made too difficult because of the cost in time and money to meet formal classroom training requirements. These critics assert that the newer requirements will eventually lead to a shortage of qualified mariners, especially in places like the United States.http://www.gulfcoastmariners.org/newsletters/HTML/november2004/november2004/november2004.htm#career
The U.S. military rough equivalent to this term is mustang
Mustang (military officer)
A Mustang is United States Military slang for a commissioned officer who began his or her career as an enlisted service member. Mustangs are older and more experienced than their peers-in-grade who earned their commissions from one of the service academies , Officer Candidate...
.
See also
- Licensed marinerLicensed marinerA licensed mariner is a person who holds a license issued by one or more countries to hold senior positions aboard ships, boats, and similar vessels. The United States Coast Guard grants licenses to members of the United States Merchant Marine in five categories: deck officers, engineers, staff...
- Third MateThird MateA Third Mate 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...
- Third Assistant EngineerThird Assistant EngineerThe Third Assistant Engineer, also known as the Fourth Engineer, is a licensed member of the engineering department on a merchant vessel....