Table of Contents
Whether you are joining a ship for the first time or you are an experienced sailor, getting your luggage ready for a long contract is never an easy task.
We are always in a dilemma of not missing the crucial things to carry onboard a ship.
Looking back at the time of my first ship, I always wonder, “if there had been a checklist with me, it would be much easier to avoid the carriage of unnecessary things.”
But you need not worry about that,
Today I am going to share a complete checklist, which you can refer to before packing your baggage to not miss anything.
Must things to carry while joining a ship
1. Documents
Many a time we forget some important documents to keep in our folder, which might cause some extra stress when they are in need.
Some of the documents you must carry while joining a ship include:
- All your STCW and Modular courses certificates,
- Other certificated related to your Education,
- Passport,
- CDC,
- COC,
- Medical certificate,
- Bank account detail document,
- Passport size photographs,
2. Clothes
Most of us are very confused about the selection of clothes to carry on the ship; I remember my first joining when I carried a hell lot of clothes, and I wasn’t even able to open some of them during the entire contract.
So according to my experience, the list of clothes to be carried while joining a ship includes
- T-shirts 5-6 in number,
- Casual shirts 2-3 in number,
- Formal shirts 1-2 in number,
- Jacket/Sweatshirts 1-2 in number,
- Sando/Baniyan 6-8 in number,
- Jeans/ casual trousers 2-3 in number,
- Formal pants 1-2 in number,
- Lowers/pajamas 2-3 in number,
- Shorts 3-4 in number,
- Underwear 6-8 in numbers,
- Pair of socks 10-12 pairs,
- Handkerchief 3-5 in numbers,
- Towel 1-2 in numbers,
NOTE: Well, that was just the overview; you can adjust the figures as per your compatibility like some people like to wear lowers while some are more comfortable in shorts.
ALSO READ: My first day onboard a cargo ship.
3. General Items
There are many general items that needed to be carried from home for our personal use, this includes
- Toothpaste,
- Toothbrush 2-3 in numbers,
- Shaving cream or foam,
- Razors or shaving blades,
- Trimmer,
- Face wash,
- Hair Oil,
- Shampoo,
- Comb,
- Moisturizer,
- Waterproof watch,
- A Torchlight,
- Nail cutter,
- A pair of formal shoes,
- Casual shoes,
- Sandals,
- Some pouches of liquid detergent like EZEE to wash warm clothes,
- Deodorants,
- Talcum Powder,
- Hand Sanitizer,
This list contains most of the important items required on a long contract in some or the other way.
You can refer to this list and add or subtract the items as per your requirements.
4. Stationary items
Most of the times, you get all the stationery items onboard the ship for free, but you must carry some of the stationery items for yourself that include
- A Pocket diary,
- A register or Notebook,
- Pens,
- Pencil,
- Eraser,
- Sharpeners,
- Ruler,
- Permanent markers,
- Paper cutter and its blades,
NOTE: If you are joining as a Cadet, then these stationery items are a must to carry in your baggage.
5. Eatables
Sometimes we don’t get many eatables in the ship’s bond store, so it is always a great choice to carry some of them in your baggage for your cravings.
You can have
- Dry fruits,
- Namkeen, or some chips,
- Homemade sweets,
- Biscuits or cookies,
PRO TIPS:
- Don’t make your luggage too heavy while joining, as you might do some shopping overseas, which may end up crossing your baggage allowance in the flight, leading to pay extra dollars while returning home.
- Don’t carry too many Formals clothes as most of the time they remain untouched the entire contract.
- Try to carry more of shorts, T-shirts, and lowers (as per your liking).
I hope after reading this list, you will never end up in the frustration of forgetting some valuable things at home.
Please share this piece of content with your fellow seafarers to ease up their shopping list.
2 thoughts on “Must Things to carry while joining a Ship | Checklist Inside”