STCW – The Standard Behind Every Seafarer

Before a seafarer boards a ship…
Before the first watch…
Before the first order is given on the bridge or in the engine room…

There is already a standard at work.

In this episode of Seafarers Way, Captain Rommel breaks down STCW – the Standards of Training, Certification, and Watchkeeping—not as a legal document, not as a checklist of courses, but as what it truly is:
the global foundation of competence, safety, and life at sea.

Many seafarers know STCW only through certificates and renewals.
But few understand why it exists, what it protects, and who it is really for.

This episode explains:

• Why STCW was created and why it became a global standard

• What training, certification, and watchkeeping really mean in practice

• Why rest hours and fatigue are central to safety

• What STCW guarantees—and what it does not

• How STCW quietly works in the background of every voyage

STCW is not about paperwork.
It does not promise employment or promotion.

It demands competence—because the sea does not forgive shortcuts.

This episode is for:

• Cadets trying to understand their first certificates

• Officers renewing and upgrading their licenses

• Ratings standing long watches

• And shore personnel who once sailed and should never forget life onboard

STCW is written from lessons learned the hard way.
And every time you stand a watch at 2 a.m., it is there—protecting the ship, the crew, and your chance to come home safely.

This is Seafarers Way.
Real talk. Real standards. Real life at sea.