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Skills that raise your share

• Merchant mariner credential

  Issued by the United States Coast Guard. You need one to be licensed in charge of a bigger vessel, and it turns you from crew into an officer.

• Marine diesel and hydraulics

  A crew member who can fix the engine or the deck winch at sea is worth more than one who cannot.

• Welding

  Steel boats need repairs constantly and yards charge a fortune for it.

• Refrigeration

  Boats that chill or freeze their catch onboard sell it for more, and somebody has to keep the system running.

• First aid and CPR at sea

  Help can be a day away. Crews carry someone who has been trained.