A professional who commands barge to transport passengers on inland waterways, such as estuaries, lakes, bays, sounds, and rivers. Responsibilities include:

• Sets course of barge, using navigational aids, such as charts, area plotting sheets, compass, and sextant.
• Steers or orders crew worker at helm to steer barge and navigates barge to avoid reefs, outlying shoals, and other hazards to shipping, utilising aids, such as lights, lighthouses, and buoys.
• Determines geographical position of barge, using loran and azimuths of celestial bodies.
• Inspects barge to ensure that passengers and crew observe regulations pertaining to safe and efficient operation of barge.
• Relinquishes command of barge to pilot, ship to guide barge through hazardous waters.
• Maintains barge's log.
• Must be licenced by U.S.
• Coast Guard for steam or motor barge according to waters navigated and tonnage of barge.