On June 18, slogans resounded and fire hoses spun at Wenzhou Open University (Wenzhou Waterborne Talent Training Base), as the 2026 Wenzhou Crew Vocational Skills Competition kicked off here. Themed “Sharpening Skills on Rivers and Seas, Contributing to Shipping,” the competition was jointly hosted by Wenzhou Maritime Safety Administration, Wenzhou Transportation Bureau, and Wenzhou Federation of Trade Unions, and organized by Wenzhou Port Group Co., Ltd., aiming to forge a high-quality crew team and enhance the intrinsic safety level of the waterborne shipping industry.
Representatives from maritime, transportation, and trade union systems, as well as various shipping enterprises, gathered at the scene to witness this skills event. The competition attracted 52 crew members from 14 shipping enterprises and 19 teams across the city, covering three major positions: ordinary seamen, deck officers, and marine engineers. It included both team collaboration projects and individual skill competitions, comprehensively showcasing the strength of Wenzhou’s shipping talent echelon.
The first day featured a theoretical knowledge preliminary round in the form of a computer-based exam, covering basic safety, security awareness, professional crew knowledge, and industry standards. The examination hall was orderly, and contestants responded calmly, systematically testing the crew’s mastery of safety regulations and theoretical knowledge, laying the foundation for subsequent practical operations.
After the theoretical assessment, the top ten representative teams advanced to the team practical finals, competing in fire hose connection and water discharge projects. Three team members divided tasks clearly and acted swiftly—donning firefighting suits, deploying hoses, connecting couplings, discharging water, and switching states—all in one smooth sequence. This project not only tested the team’s coordination and tacit understanding but also examined the crew’s emergency response and on-site handling capabilities under sudden dangerous situations.
The individual practical finals focused on core job skills, setting up six projects: route planning and scenario simulation, diesel engine disassembly and assembly and navigation light fault troubleshooting, heaving lines and knot tying, etc., comprehensively evaluating contestants’ accuracy and proficiency in voyage planning, equipment maintenance, emergency response, and traditional seamanship. Every operational detail was directly related to navigation safety, highlighting the crew’s professional attitude of continuous improvement.
After multiple rounds of intense competition, each participating team delivered impressive results with solid theoretical foundations, excellent practical abilities, and seamless team cooperation. The event was not only a skills contest but also a concentrated review of the effectiveness of Wenzhou’s crew team building. Promoting learning and practice through competition, this activity showcased the crew’s professionalism while adding a practical footnote from the banks of the Oujiang River for the upcoming World Seafarers Day.
