MentorshipMay 31, 2026

Every Senior Captain Can Name Their Mentor — Can You Name Yours?

Structured mentorship is proving to be one of shipping's most effective retention tools.

Ask any senior captain who they'd call at 3am with a genuine problem, and they'll usually name one person from twenty years ago — a chief officer, an academy instructor, a superintendent who took the time. Ask a cadet the same question, and too often there's a pause.

Mentorship at sea has always existed informally, passed down watch to watch. What's changing is formalization: structured mentorship programs are proving that pairing a cadet with an experienced officer — even briefly, even remotely — measurably improves retention and confidence in the first two contracts, when most early departures from the industry happen.

If you're early in your career, don't wait to be assigned a mentor. Ask a specific, respected officer one focused question. Most people say yes to a real question; almost nobody says yes to "can you mentor me."

If you're senior, remember what it cost you to learn the hard way, and consider whether someone else needs to learn it the easier way instead. Fifteen minutes of your time can be someone's entire career trajectory.