Stuck_in_an_ATR,
I had a merchant navy career in the past, it was more on the technical than operational side but I saw a lot of what went on in all departments. First of all a Career at sea in either the engineering or deck/navigational side of things has a completely different progression path from aviation. Starting from scratch you could expect 15 years at the very least to become a captain but that would depend to some degree on the type of vessels you worked on, but even that is quite an optimistic timeline.
The thinking in the maritime industry is that experience is still the overwhelmingly most important factor in what turns out a great seafarer, while aviation has moved more towards aptitude and targeted training in recent times.
That having been said it can be a very rewarding career if you stick it out.
To train as a deck officer, you first of all have to find a company willing to sponsor your training, as there is a requirement to log a certain amount of sea time during your progression. Your first step would be Navigational Officer of the watch (OOW).
AFAIK there is a requirement for a certain amount of sea time on deck/bridge before you start the college phase.
You would then work your way up through 3rd Mate, 2nd Mate, Chief and finally Captain. Bear in mind that I'm referring only to passing exams and orals.
Some of the skills and knowledge would be quite transferrable, particularly weather and cartography.
There are jobs in the maritime sector out there. I'm currently trying to get back into it but they often require specific skills and experience on the technical side that I don't have. Good deck and engineering officers are always in demand.
This is the website you need to check out
Careers At Sea - Merchant Navy Career Opportunities - www.careersatsea.org
Good Luck
