
There are many different names for people who work on boats, depending on the type of boat and the nature of their work. For instance, if you work on a cruise ship, you might be called a deck hand. If you're driving a sailboat, you're a sailor. If you're driving a rowboat, you're rowing the boat. If you're the boat owner and are driving the boat, you're the captain.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Person driving a sailboat | Sailor |
| Person driving a boat who is not the owner | Helmsman |
| Boat owner who is driving the boat | Captain |
| Other names for boat owner driving the boat | Skipper, pilot, sea captain, commander |
| Person driving a rowboat | Rowing the boat |
| Person driving a cruise ship | Deck hand |
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Captain
If you're the owner of a boat, you can be called the captain. However, there are many other names for the person driving a boat, including sailor, skipper, pilot, sea captain, commander, helmsman, and navigator. The term helmsman is technically correct for someone driving the boat who is not the owner. The term conn is used to describe the action of controlling a ship's movements at sea, but not the person doing it.
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Helmsman
If you're driving a boat, you might be called a sailor, especially if it's a sailboat. If you own the boat, you can be called captain, but other names include skipper, pilot, sea captain, commander, or helmsman. Helmsman is the technically correct term for someone driving a boat who does not own it. The captain typically oversees the helmsman and broader operations on the boat.
The act of driving a boat is most often called piloting the boat, but you might also hear people say "steering the boat" or "navigating the boat". If you're driving a rowboat, you'll be rowing the boat.
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Sailor
If you work on a sailboat, you're called a sailor. If you're the boat owner and are driving the boat, you could be called the captain, skipper, pilot, sea captain, commander, or helmsman. The helmsman is the technically correct term for someone driving the boat who is not the owner. The captain typically oversees the helmsman and the broader operations on the boat. Other terms for driving a boat include steering, navigating, or conning (controlling a ship's movements at sea, typically used among members of the armed forces). If you work on a cruise ship, you could be called a deck hand.
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Skipper
The action of driving a boat is most often called piloting the boat, but you may also hear people say 'steering the boat' or 'navigating the boat'. If it's a rowboat, you'll be rowing the boat. If it's a sailboat, you'll be sailing the boat.
There are many career options for working on a boat, including working on a cruise ship or as a deckhand on a private yacht.
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Deck hand
A deck hand is someone who works on a boat. The term is often used to refer to someone who works on a private yacht, but it can also be used to refer to someone who works on a cruise ship.
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Frequently asked questions
There are many names for someone who drives a boat. If you are the owner of the boat, you may be called the captain, skipper, pilot, sea captain, commander, or helmsman. If you are not the owner, the technically correct term is helmsman. Other terms include steering the boat, navigating the boat, and conning the boat (the latter is more commonly used by members of the armed forces). If it's a sailboat, you may be called a sailor.
There are many careers that involve working on a boat, including working on a cruise ship, being a deckhand on a private yacht, or joining the commissioned officer corps of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA Corps).
This depends on the type of work you want to do. For example, officers in the NOAA Corps must have a college degree.
Some other names for a boat include a vessel, a ship, and a yacht.











































