Vessel routing is one of the most promising shore career options for deck officers who want to move ashore while still using their navigation knowledge and shipboard experience. This role is especially relevant for Second Officers and Masters because both ranks have practical exposure to route planning, weather interpretation, passage monitoring, and voyage decision-making. For deck officers who do not want a completely unrelated shore job, vessel routing can offer a practical and future-ready maritime career path.
Introduction
Earlier, route planning was mainly handled onboard by the Second Officer and Master. They studied weather reports, used navigational knowledge, considered past experience, and selected the safest and most efficient route for the vessel. Today, many shipping companies and marine-tech firms provide shore-based routing support to vessels. This has created strong opportunities for deck officers who want to shift from sea to shore without completely moving away from navigation, voyage planning, weather analysis, and vessel performance.
Depending on the company, this role may also be called weather routing, voyage optimisation, vessel performance support, assistant voyage routing, or route advisory. The title may change, but the core work remains connected to navigation, weather, data, voyage efficiency, and commercial performance. The main purpose is to make the voyage safer, more efficient, and more economical. This makes the role useful for shipping companies that want better safety, fuel efficiency, ETA management, and voyage performance.
Fuel is one of the biggest operating costs in shipping. Even a small improvement in routing can help a vessel save time, reduce fuel consumption, and improve voyage performance. If proper routing helps a ship save even half a day of fuel, the company can save a significant amount of money. Good vessel routing can also help avoid heavy weather, reduce delays, improve safety, support better ETA management, and make voyage planning more commercially effective.
Vessel routing is not only a safety-related function. It is also directly connected with cost saving, fuel efficiency, commercial performance, and operational planning. Shipowners, ship managers, marine-tech companies, and voyage-optimisation firms are investing more in routing support because better routing can improve both safety and profitability. This creates a valuable career opportunity for deck officers who understand practical navigation and can learn how weather, speed, current, fuel, and commercial instructions affect the voyage.
Ideally, a senior vessel router should have strong navigation experience and command-level understanding. A Master who has planned and executed voyages in different weather conditions can guide other Masters and vessels with confidence. Their command experience, decision-making ability, and understanding of voyage risks bring strong value to routing teams. However, this does not mean only Masters can enter this field. Second Officers also have good opportunities because they already handle passage planning and voyage monitoring onboard.
A Second Officer who has handled passage planning, worked with ECDIS, studied weather reports, and monitored voyages can join as an Assistant Vessel Router, Assistant Voyage Router, or routing analyst. In such roles, Second Officers may assist senior Masters or routing experts, process voyage data, monitor weather developments, prepare reports, communicate with vessels, and support route recommendations. Masters can usually enter at a senior level, while Second Officers can begin at assistant or analyst level and grow gradually.
Vessel-routing and voyage-optimisation opportunities are now growing in India. Earlier, many deck officers believed that shore jobs were mainly limited to traditional shipping offices in Mumbai. But vessel routing has changed this idea to some extent. Today, opportunities may be available in cities such as Bangalore, Pune, Chennai, Gurgaon, Delhi, Mumbai, and other business or technology hubs. Marine-tech companies, weather-routing companies, ship-management firms, vessel-performance companies, and digital shipping platforms may require deck officers for this work.
This growth is positive because deck officers can now explore shore-based maritime roles in different Indian cities. They do not always have to depend only on core ship-management jobs or traditional shipping offices. Vessel routing combines shipping knowledge with technology, data, weather, and operational support. This makes it suitable for officers who want to remain connected with real maritime operations while building a shore career in a modern and growing part of the shipping industry.
Salary in vessel routing depends on rank, sea experience, company profile, job location, technical skills, and exact responsibility. For Second Officers entering vessel routing, the starting salary may be around ₹8 lakh to ₹10 lakh per annum. With strong performance, practical learning, and upskilling, career growth can be good. Some Second Officers have grown from around ₹8 lakh to ₹10 lakh per annum to around ₹20 lakh per annum within three years.
For Masters entering vessel routing, the package may be around ₹33 lakh to ₹36 lakh per annum, depending on company, seniority, and level of responsibility. A Master’s command experience and practical decision-making ability can make them valuable in senior routing and voyage advisory roles. Some companies may also provide bonuses or incentives, but these may not always be fixed or officially guaranteed. Officers should clearly understand salary structure, shift pattern, incentives, growth path, and role expectations before joining.
For Masters, the biggest strength is practical navigation and command experience. A Master who has handled vessels in different weather conditions, planned ocean passages, taken commercial decisions, managed voyage risks, and dealt with real-time operational challenges can bring strong value to vessel routing. Important skills include navigation knowledge, weather interpretation, voyage planning, current and wind understanding, safety awareness, commercial thinking, decision-making ability, and communication skills. Masters should also explain routing decisions clearly to vessels, teams, and clients.
For Second Officers, technology and data skills become more important. A Second Officer already understands passage planning, ECDIS, weather reports, bridge operations, position monitoring, and navigational safety. But to move into vessel routing from shore, they should also learn how to analyse data and convert it into useful reports. Important skills include route planning, weather interpretation, Advanced Excel, Power BI, basic data analysis, report preparation, vessel communication, and basic commercial awareness.
Deck officers who want to enter vessel routing should begin with practical and relevant upskilling. Advanced Excel is a good starting point because many routing and performance tasks involve data handling, calculations, tables, and reports. After Excel, officers can learn Power BI, basic data analysis, weather interpretation, voyage optimisation basics, and commercial shipping fundamentals. They should also understand fuel efficiency, vessel performance, route comparison, ETA management, speed planning, and weather impact on voyages.
A good LinkedIn profile and shore-focused CV are important for vessel routing roles. The CV should not look like only a sailing CV. It should clearly highlight route planning experience, navigation knowledge, weather interpretation, voyage monitoring, ECDIS exposure, data skills, reporting ability, communication skills, and any relevant courses completed. Recruiters should quickly understand that the officer is serious about moving into vessel routing, voyage optimisation, vessel performance, marine-tech, or weather-routing support roles.
Vessel routing is mostly a shore-based role, but it may involve shifts in some companies. Since vessels operate worldwide across different time zones, companies may require employees to work evening, night, or rotational shifts during certain periods. Compared to sailing, this role usually offers better work-life balance. However, it still carries responsibility because routing decisions can affect safety, fuel consumption, voyage planning, ETA management, and vessel performance across real voyages.
This role is suitable for deck officers who enjoy navigation, weather, data, voyage planning, and technology. You may need to monitor voyages, respond to vessel queries, analyse weather updates, prepare route suggestions, and support senior routing decisions. It may not suit someone who dislikes reports, weather charts, data, or computer-based work. But for officers who want to stay connected with navigation while moving ashore, vessel routing can be a practical and meaningful career option.
If you are planning to move ashore, start by learning Advanced Excel, weather interpretation, basic data analysis, and voyage optimisation fundamentals. Prepare a professional shore-focused CV, improve your LinkedIn profile, and apply to vessel-routing, marine-tech, vessel-performance, and voyage-optimisation companies. Sailor Pro app, an initiative by Merchant Navy Decoded, helps seafarers explore career options, build direction, and make smarter decisions for life at sea and beyond.
Vessel routing means helping ships select safe, efficient, and commercially suitable routes by considering weather, current, fuel consumption, voyage instructions, safety, and ETA.
Yes, deck officers can work in vessel routing because they understand navigation, passage planning, weather, voyage monitoring, ECDIS, and shipboard operations.
Yes, Second Officers can enter as Assistant Vessel Routers, Assistant Voyage Routers, or routing analysts because they already handle passage planning and voyage monitoring onboard.
Yes, Masters can work in senior vessel routing or voyage advisory roles because they bring command experience, decision-making ability, and practical navigation judgement.
Second Officers may start around ₹8 lakh to ₹10 lakh per annum. With skills and experience, some can grow to around ₹20 lakh per annum within a few years.
Masters entering vessel routing may earn around ₹33 lakh to ₹36 lakh per annum, depending on company, responsibility, seniority, and role expectations.
Important skills include navigation knowledge, weather interpretation, route planning, ECDIS experience, Advanced Excel, Power BI, data analysis, report writing, and communication.
Weather routing is a part of vessel routing. Vessel routing may also include voyage optimisation, vessel performance support, fuel efficiency, ETA management, and commercial planning.
Some companies may have shifts because vessels operate worldwide across different time zones. Officers should confirm shift pattern before accepting an offer.
Deck officers can apply to weather-routing companies, marine-tech firms, vessel-performance companies, ship-management digital teams, and voyage-optimisation companies with a shore-focused CV.
Disclaimer :- The opinions expressed in this article belong solely to the author and may not necessarily reflect those of Merchant Navy Decoded. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the information provided and disclaim any responsibility for it. Data and visuals used are sourced from publicly available information and may not be authenticated by any regulatory body. Reviews and comments appearing on our blogs represent the opinions of individuals and do not necessarily reflect the views of Merchant Navy Decoded. We are not responsible for any loss or damage resulting from reliance on these reviews or comments.
Reproduction, copying, sharing, or use of the article or images in any form is strictly prohibited without prior permission from both the author and Merchant Navy Decoded.
Decoded Discount Alert! up to 50% OFF
Decoded Discount Alert! up to 50% OFF
Use Coupon Code Deep50
