Steward's assistant

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Steward's assistant

A steward's assistant (SA) is an unlicensed, entry-level crew member in the steward's department of a merchant ship. On British ships this job is often called steward. Other names include galley utilityman, messman, supply, waiter, or General Steward (GS). The SA reports to the chief steward and the chief cook.

Duties
- Stocking, cleaning, and helping with meal preparation and serving.
- Moving stocks of food, linen, and utensils to where they’re needed; assisting with inventory.
- Managing ship linens: sorting, counting, stocking, and issuing them to the crew.
- Food service: may take orders and deliver meals to tables in the mess room and officer’s saloon; helps with night lunches for watchstanders; sets and clears tables.

Cleaning and upkeep
- Keep the ship’s mess and officer’s saloon clean, plus associated galley, pantry, and eating areas.
- Sweep and scrub decks; dispose of trash; keep garbage cans clean.
- Defrosting and cleaning refrigerators; cleaning brightwork and woodwork; removing grease and fingerprints from paintwork.

Other duties
- Depending on the ship, may be responsible for cleaning stairways, passageways, laundry rooms, refrigerated spaces, storerooms, linen lockers, the ship’s office, the radio room, and other steward areas.
- May be asked to make bunks and clean officers’ and others’ rooms, toilets, and showers.

Requirements
- In the United States, a Merchant Mariner’s Document issued by the Coast Guard is required.
- Internationally, documentation is handled by the individual country.

Note
- The SA is not a watchstander.