How to Become a Merchant Mariner
There's no single path into a merchant mariner career. Most people get there one of three ways: hawsepiping (working up through unlicensed sea time), attending a maritime academy, or transitioning in from military service. Each has real tradeoffs in time, cost, and how fast you start earning a license. Here's how they compare.
Hawsepiping
"Hawsepiping" is the industry term for entering the merchant marine as an unlicensed mariner, deckhand, wiper, ordinary seaman, and working your way up to a license through sea time and USCG exams rather than a college program. The name comes from the hawsepipe, the opening where a ship's anchor chain runs through the hull, since old-timers described working your way up "through the hawsepipe" instead of down a gangway with a diploma.
The path generally starts with getting a TWIC and an entry-level unlicensed MMC, then logging sea time toward whatever license or upgrade you're aiming for. Sea time requirements vary by license type and change periodically, so confirm current requirements directly with the National Maritime Center rather than assuming a specific day count. The tradeoff: it usually takes longer to reach a license than the academy route, but you're earning a paycheck the entire time instead of paying tuition, and you build hands-on experience before you're the one giving orders.
Maritime Academy
The more structured route is a maritime academy: a bachelor's degree program that combines coursework with sea time, often aboard the school's own training ship, and graduates with USCG license eligibility built in. The U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA) at Kings Point, NY is the federal service academy; admission works similarly to the other U.S. service academies (congressional nomination, no tuition), and graduates take on a post-graduation service commitment. Six state maritime academies offer a similar track: Massachusetts Maritime Academy, SUNY Maritime College, California State University Maritime Academy (Cal Maritime), Texas A&M Maritime Academy, Maine Maritime Academy, and Great Lakes Maritime Academy. Programs and requirements vary by school, so check with the specific academy for current admission and licensing details.
The tradeoff: a faster, more structured path to an officer's license alongside an actual degree, but it means a multi-year commitment and tuition, or a service obligation at Kings Point, before you're earning full mariner wages.
Military Pathway
Prior military service, especially Navy and Coast Guard time, can translate into sea service credit toward an MMC application, and veterans sometimes qualify for streamlined credentialing based on military training and experience. Separately, Military Sealift Command (opens in new tab) directly hires civilian mariners, called CIVMARs, to crew its fleet, which is its own merchant mariner career path open to veterans and civilians alike. Exactly how military sea time counts toward credentialing, and current CIVMAR hiring specifics, both change and are easy to get wrong from memory, so confirm directly with the National Maritime Center and MSC's own hiring pages before assuming what applies to your situation.
Which path fits you
If you want to start earning right away and don't mind a longer runway to a license, hawsepiping is the traditional route. If you'd rather have a structured four-year path that combines a degree with a license, a maritime academy gets you there on a more predictable timeline. If you're already coming out of military service, especially with sea time from the Navy, Coast Guard, or MSC, you may be able to shortcut several of these steps, worth confirming with the National Maritime Center before you commit to a path.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does "hawsepiping" mean?
It's the informal term for becoming a licensed mariner by working your way up through unlicensed sea time and USCG exams, rather than attending a maritime academy. It refers to the hawsepipe, the opening where a ship's anchor chain runs through the hull.
Do I have to attend a maritime academy to become a licensed officer?
No. Hawsepiping is a legitimate, common path to a license. It generally takes longer since you're accumulating sea time incrementally rather than through a structured program, but it doesn't require tuition or a multi-year academic commitment upfront.
Does military service count toward becoming a merchant mariner?
It can. Sea time from the Navy, Coast Guard, or Military Sealift Command may count toward MMC sea-service requirements, and some credentialing steps may be streamlined for veterans. The specifics depend on your service record, so confirm directly with the National Maritime Center.
How long does it take to become a merchant mariner?
It depends heavily on the path and the license you're aiming for. Academy programs run about four years. Hawsepiping timelines vary widely based on how much sea time you can log and how quickly you complete required exams and courses. There's no single fixed timeline.
What comes next
Once you're on a path, the practical first steps are usually the same regardless of route: see what credentials you'll need to get started, and browse companies hiring in the directory: Tugboat Companies, Offshore Vessel Companies, Ferry Companies, Barge Companies, Shipyards, and Dredging Companies.