Mariner's Desk and Mariner's Desk HQMariner's Desk How-To Guide
Short task recipes for the things you'll do most, in both apps. For the full picture of a screen, see the companion User Manuals. This is the page to keep open while you're actually doing the task.
01Mariner's Desk: getting set up
First launch picks your department before anything else, then the sign-in screen.
First time opening the app
- Choose your department (Deck, Engine or Catering). This decides which reference material and rank list you see — you can change it later in Settings.
- Create an account with your email and a password, or choose "Continue without an account" if you'd rather not yet. Without an account, your records stay on this device only, with no backup and no second device.
- Set a PIN. Biometric unlock (fingerprint or face) is offered afterward if your phone supports it, with the PIN always staying as the fallback.
Link to a company
- Go to Settings, then Company link.
- Enter the joining code your company gave you.
- To unlink later, clear the code from the same screen.
02Mariner's Desk: certificates
Add a certificate
- Certificates, then Add.
- Type the details, or attach a photo — the app suggests the type and number for you to confirm.
- Enter the expiry date, or mark it as not expiring.
Respond to a company proposal
- Open the proposal from Home or Certificates.
- Accept to add it to your record, or reject to leave your record unchanged.
Get expiry alerts
- Settings, then turn on notifications.
- You'll get a push alert once a day for anything expiring within 90 days.
03Mariner's Desk: sea service and rest hours
Log a voyage
- Sea service, then Add voyage.
- Enter the vessel, your rank, and the dates.
- It shows as verified only once your company has signed it off too.
Log rest hours
- Tools, then Rest hours, and pick the month.
- Add each rest or work period for the day.
- A flagged day shows exactly which STCW rule it fell short of.
Rule of thumbAt least 10 hours of rest in any 24-hour period, at least 77 hours in any 7-day period, no more than two rest periods in a day with one at least 6 hours long, and no more than 14 hours between them.
04Mariner's Desk: roster and leave
Request leave
- Roster, then Request leave.
- Pick a type, your dates, and an optional reason.
- Track its status on the same screen — approved leave appears on the roster automatically.
Sign off a maintenance job assigned to you
- Open the job from Home or Roster.
- Add a comment and any part used, then sign off.
05Mariner's Desk: backup and account
Back up your data
- Settings, then Backup, then Export.
- Keep the file somewhere outside the app.
Delete your account
- Settings, then Delete account.
- This removes your own copy of your records. Anything your company has countersigned or signed off stays with them, marked as account deleted.
Forgot your password
- On the sign-in screen, enter your email, then tap Forgot password.
- Enter the 8-digit code from the email with a new password. Only the newest code works.
06HQ: getting your company set up
- Sign up, confirm your email if asked, and create your company. You're its first admin.
- Vessels, then add each ship.
- Compliance, then load the starter STCW template, or set your own requirements per rank.
- Crew, then add each person, and send their invite.
- Settings, HQ users and logins, to invite the rest of your shore staff.
07HQ: crew and certificates
Add and invite a crew member
- Crew, then + Add employee.
- Fill in their details and email, then Save.
- Open the saved record and choose Invite. They get an email with your joining code.
- Resend invite replaces the old one — only the newest invite works.
Propose a certificate
- Open the crew member's profile and choose Propose.
- Enter the details and submit. It appears in their Mariner's Desk app as pending.
Import certificate scans in bulk
- Certificates, then Bulk import.
- Check every suggested field before sending — the reading is a guess.
08HQ: roster, leave and maintenance
Assign crew to a vessel
- Roster, then + Assign crew.
- Leave the end date blank for an ongoing assignment.
- An overlap is blocked; a missing certificate shows a warning you can override, logged to the audit log.
Approve leave
- Set your approval routing once, in Settings.
- Open a pending request from Roster and approve or reject it.
Create a maintenance job
- Open the vessel, then the equipment it belongs to, then + Job.
- Set it one-off or recurring (by date, by running hours, or whichever comes first).
- Assign it to a person, or to a rank so any linked crew member holding it can claim and complete the job.
09HQ: reports and administration
Export your data
- Most list screens: Export CSV.
- Dashboard: Audit pack, for inspections.
- Settings: Export full backup (JSON), admins only — keep a copy outside the app, regularly.
Add an HQ user
- Settings, HQ users and logins, then Invite.
- Choose the role that matches their job: Admin, Editor, Master or Chief (own vessel), or Viewer.
Reset a forgotten password
- On the sign-in screen, enter your email, then tap Forgot password.
- Enter the 8-digit code from the email with a new password. Only the newest code works.