Dredger Jobs
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Upload your CVAbout Dredgers
A dredger removes sand, mud, gravel or rock from the seabed. It keeps ports, channels and berths deep, or collects material for construction and land reclamation. A trailing suction hopper dredger (TSHD) drags a suction pipe and draghead along the bottom, loads the material into a hopper, then sails to a disposal site and dumps it. Dredger work differs from cargo ship work: the ship stays near the coast or in port, makes short trips, and the deck and engine teams focus on the dredging process. Common ranks include Master, Chief Officer, Second Officer, Third Officer, Bosun, AB, OS, Pumpman, Chief Engineer, Second Engineer, Third Engineer, Motorman/Oiler, Fitter, ETO and Electrician. Experienced dredge pump and hydraulic system hands are often needed.
Cargo and operations
A dredger does not carry commercial cargo in the usual sense. Its work is to lift dredged material: sand, mud, gravel or rock. A TSHD loads this material into a hopper. When the hopper is full, the ship sails to a disposal area or reclamation site and dumps the load. Main risks are stability while loading and dumping, flooding through pipes or valves, injury during suction pipe and draghead handling, and collision in shallow water or busy port areas. The crew must watch the hopper level, the dredging line and traffic.
Crew on board
The Master is in charge. The Chief Officer and deck officers plan the dredging line and keep watch. The Bosun and ABs handle suction pipes, dragheads, moorings and deck work. The Pumpman runs dredge pumps and watches hopper filling. The Chief Engineer, Second Engineer and other engineers maintain main engines, dredge pumps and hydraulics. Motorman/Oiler and Fitter help in the engine room. The ETO or Electrician looks after electrical systems. The Chief Cook and Messman run the galley. Deck and engine teams work close together because dredging is a continuous process.
Special training
STCW does not set a special training chapter for dredgers. All seafarers need BST under STCW VI/1 and security training under STCW VI/6. Deck officers need a CoC under STCW II/1 or STCW II/2, depending on rank and ship GT. Engineers need a CoC under STCW III/1 or STCW III/2. Ratings need watch rating training under STCW II/4, STCW II/5, STCW III/4 or STCW III/5. PSCRB under STCW VI/2 and AFF under STCW VI/3 apply to seafarers with those duties. Medical first aid under STCW VI/4 applies to designated seafarers.
Requirements
| Document | Convention | Note |
|---|---|---|
| BST (basic safety training) | STCW VI/1 | Seafarers must receive safety familiarization and basic training or instruction in line with section A-VI/1 of the STCW Code. |
| Security-related training | STCW VI/6 | Seafarers must receive security-related familiarization and security-awareness training or instruction. |
| Medical certificate | MLC 2006 Reg. 1.2 | Seafarers may not work on a ship unless they are certified as medically fit to perform their duties. |
| CoC for officer in charge of a navigational watch | STCW II/1 | Every officer in charge of a navigational watch on a seagoing ship of 500 GT or more must hold a certificate of competency (CoC). |
| CoC for master and chief mate | STCW II/2 | Every master and chief mate on a seagoing ship of 500 GT or more must hold a certificate of competency. |
| Rating forming part of a navigational watch | STCW II/4 | Every rating forming part of a navigational watch on a seagoing ship of 500 GT or more must be certificated, except ratings under training and ratings whose duties on watch are unskilled. |
| Able seafarer deck | STCW II/5 | Every able seafarer deck serving on a seagoing ship of 500 GT or more must be certificated. |
| Officer in charge of an engineering watch | STCW III/1 | Every officer in charge of an engineering watch on a seagoing ship with main propulsion machinery of 750 kW or more must hold a CoC. |
| Chief engineer officer and second engineer officer | STCW III/2 | Every chief engineer officer and second engineer officer on a seagoing ship with main propulsion machinery of 3,000 kW or more must hold a CoC. |
| Electro-technical officer | STCW III/6 | Every electro-technical officer on a seagoing ship with main propulsion machinery of 750 kW or more must hold a CoC. |
| PSCRB (survival craft and rescue boats) | STCW VI/2 | A candidate for PSCRB must be not less than 18 years of age and needs approved seagoing service of not less than 12 months, or an approved training course and approved seagoing service of not less than six months. |
| Chief Cook | MLC 2006 Reg. 3.2 | Seafarers employed as ships' cooks with responsibility for food preparation must be trained and qualified for their position on board. |
Sea service
The convention does not set a special sea service rule for dredgers. General STCW sea service rules apply for each certificate, for example STCW II/1 for deck officers and STCW III/1 for engineers.
Medical fitness
Seafarers need a valid medical certificate before working on a ship. The certificate states that hearing and sight, and colour vision where relevant, are satisfactory. It is valid for a maximum of two years, or one year if the seafarer is under 18; a colour vision certificate is valid for a maximum of six years.
Documents
- CDC / Seaman's book
- Valid medical certificate
- CoC for officers or CoP for ratings as applicable
- BST certificate
- Security training certificate
- PSCRB certificate if you handle survival craft
- Passport
Ships in our database
1,900+ Dredgers in the Krew Guru ships database
Deadweight (DWT), most ships300–8,400
Gross tonnage (GT), most ships200–5,500
Range covers the middle 80% of ships of this type in our database.
What employers on Krew Guru ask for
RanksChief Engineer 25%, Chief Officer (Chief Mate) 25%, Master (Captain) 25%, Second Engineer 25%
Contracts in rank (median)1
Contract length (median)6 months
Open to any nationality100%
Based on 24 vacancies on Krew Guru over the last 365 days.
Jobs on Dredgers: questions and answers
What does a dredger do?
A dredger removes sand, mud, gravel or rock from the seabed. A TSHD drags a suction pipe and draghead along the bottom, loads the material into a hopper, then sails to a disposal or reclamation site and dumps it. Dredgers keep ports and channels deep and collect material for construction.
Do I need special training for a dredger?
STCW does not set a special training chapter for dredgers. You need general BST under STCW VI/1 and security training under STCW VI/6. Deck officers need a CoC, and ratings need watch rating training. PSCRB under STCW VI/2 and AFF under STCW VI/3 apply if you have those duties.
How is work on a dredger different from a cargo ship?
A dredger does not carry commercial cargo. It lifts material from the seabed. The deck team works with suction pipes, dragheads and moorings. The bridge team watches shallow water, traffic and the dredging line. Engineers look after dredge pumps, hydraulics and main engines. Dredgers often work near the coast or in port.
Which ranks work on a dredger?
A dredger crew includes Master, Chief Officer, deck officers, Bosun, AB and OS. Pumpman operates dredge pumps. The engine team includes Chief Engineer, Second Engineer, Third Engineer, Motorman/Oiler, Fitter, ETO and Electrician. Chief Cook and Messman run the galley. Junior officers and cadets may also train on board.
12 vacancies in the last 90 days
Sources
- ILO, Maritime Labour Convention, 2006 (MLC, 2006)
- IMO, STCW/CONF.2/33 (1 July 2010), Resolution 1: The Manila Amendments to the annex to the STCW Convention
Checked against the official texts on 26 Oct 2026.