Advancement Ranks
Progress through four Sea Scout ranks—Apprentice, Ordinary, Able, and Quartermaster—to build your seamanship, leadership, and service skills at each stage.
Apprentice
Who it’s for: brand-new members
What you learn: basic seamanship (knots, line handling), water‐safety rules, ship organization
Time requirement: at least 6 months in your ship and completion of the Intro to Leadership Skills for Ships
Ordinary
Who it’s for: after Apprentice
What you learn: more advanced ropework, steering & helmsmanship, ship maintenance tasks, navigation fundamentals
Time requirement: at least 6 more months in your ship plus specific “Ordinary” rank requirements (see Sea Scout handbook)
Able
Who it’s for: experienced Scouts
What you learn: small-boat handling, chart plotting, weather & tides, more complex marlinspike seamanship
Time requirement: another 6 months in-ship service, completion of “Able” requirements and leadership role in your ship
Quartermaster
Who it’s for: top youth rank (equivalent to Eagle Scout)
What you learn/do: plan & lead a major service project, master advanced seamanship skills, serve as a ship officer or mentor
Time requirement: at least 6 months as Able, completion of a significant service project, Sea Scout Leadership Training, and all Quartermaster requirements