On Watch

[Inland Pirate]

Hi everyone,

When you apply, the companies want you to know what you're letting yourself in for.

After reading through this site, and some blogs, I reckon I've built up a fairly good idea, but I realised something. I don't actually really know what an officer does on watch.

I know there's logs to do, and plotting, weather and other admin type things, but surely that can't fill 4 hours?!

Obviously there's the bit about looking out of the windows too, making sure you're not bashing a local fisherman or hidden rock, but I can imagine that can be rather dull if you're staring at waves and water for a long stint. What else do you do / have to do?

Is it common to take up a book or have some quiet music on in the background, or is this the sort of stuff that tends to get you out of a job faster than you can say "I swear that ship wasn't there until I hit it"?

[GuinnessMan]

Hi everyone,

When you apply, the companies want you to know what you're letting yourself in for.

After reading through this site, and some blogs, I reckon I've built up a fairly good idea, but I realised something. I don't actually really know what an officer does on watch.

I know there's logs to do, and plotting, weather and other admin type things, but surely that can't fill 4 hours?!

Obviously there's the bit about looking out of the windows too, making sure you're not bashing a local fisherman or hidden rock, but I can imagine that can be rather dull if you're staring at waves and water for a long stint. What else do you do / have to do?

Is it common to take up a book or have some quiet music on in the background, or is this the sort of stuff that tends to get you out of a job faster than you can say "I swear that ship wasn't there until I hit it"?

Officially, you are there to monitor the ship's position and navigate her safely. Whilst folks will bring books, have music, do chart corrections, update records, etc all of this, from us and my previous employer, are frowned upon and is not officially endorsed. We kicked one Captain's arse for allowing free weights and full blown sound system on the bridge of a vessel doing coastal runs...

I was on board one ship during a SIRE inspection and the inspector asked the 2nd Mate, "when did you update your charts?" and he replied "during my watch". Result, one observation raised and was considered "high risk" by one OM because the 2nd Mate wasn't maintaining a proper navigational watch (this doesn't mean you lie about it)....

[EH75]

Reading books on watch? No. Certainly not.

Music is down to the company/captain's policy really. I don't see the problem as long as it's a low volume and you are in the open sea but others may disagree.

It's mostly looking out of the window and checking the radar etc. That's what you are there for; keeping a lookout at all times by all available means. And yes it is incredibly boring a lot of the time. But other times in heavy traffic areas it's anything but!

[Inland Pirate]

I can imagine in high traffic it get's a bit squeaky!

So it's down to policy and common sense really? As long as you get all your work done of course.

[alistairuk]

Chart corrections, publication corrections, and misc. paperwork are generally done out with your watch - or if your on a ship where you maintain bridge watch in port, then you do it then - as well as occasionally taking a wonder outside to make sure you're not blowing away... (happened to me before).

As others already said, not much more to add, watches at sea are normally spent starring out the window, acknowledging random alarms, answering phones and stupid questions from guest relations and if you're lucky you occasionally get to alter course a few degrees.

Ohh, and you will drink lots of random flavours of tea...

[HolyNougat]

It also depends on what ship you are on.
Queen Mary 2 is much more strict on what you can get up to than a small coastal bulk carrier for example.
On QM2 (or any CUK ship) they have this (rather silly in my opinion) Bridge Team Command and Control regime where you have two officers at pretty much all times sitting in the conning position doing nothing but monitoring the ships position course and speed and generally looking out for traffic. They also do things like try to keep the ship upright using the heeling tanks, look out for environmental limits the weather, monitor ships ETA / speed required and answer the odd telephone call and generally spend hours filling in checklists, writing logbooks and saying 'yes' to everyone (get used to saying yes if you go with Carnival - long story) You are absolutely not allowed to listen to music, read books, play angry birds or admire the Latvian dancers sunbathing on the foredeck.
On smaller ships I do occasionally bring a kindle up to the bridge if I'm on a long sea passage and I know it will be quiet, some people do listen to music, although I don't like it personally and I also write things on Officercadet.com.... and do the stability, all of the things above write the OLB, plan maintenance jobs, speak with the bosun, make my own tea and generally do the things that a chief officer needs to do on a daily basis, all the while keeping a safe navigational watch.
So the duties of deck officer on watch change from ship to ship, but fundamentally you are there to make sure you don't hit anything or run aground.

[bobofinga]

Like everybody has said , you really shouldn't be doing anything but 'keeping watch'... and as Holynougat says depending on company and ship type extra it will be more or less strict.

I have been on vessels where they have TV's on the bridge (to watch world cup) and seen officers playing computer games on the bridge.

Music I personally don't mind as long as its at a reasonable volume and the bridge wing doors are open or something.

[Inland Pirate]

Computer games are a bit extreme!
What's the significance of the wing doors being open?

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[EH75]

So you can hear sound signals of other vessels etc.

[laura]

Anything that takes you away from your primary duties is a distraction, if you're on the bridge alone and have got to be away from keeping a look out yourself to do any secondary duties (admin or whatever) it's best to get an extra look out up, but if there's a lot of traffic you just have to prioritise navigation, plus some look outs are more reliable than others and you get so distracted keeping an eye out on what's foing on anyway it's best to just go up for'd on the bridge.

Music quietly played when there's little traffic/ mid ocean is okay by me- I turn it off if I feel I need to.

[Inland Pirate]

So you can hear sound signals of other vessels etc.

I'll get my coat on the way out...

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[bobofinga]

I've seen a 2nd mate playing Football Manager on his laptop in the North Sea whilst dodging... to be honest there is never any significant traffic around for like 100 miles but still

[laura]

Yeah I've worked with guys who have sat and played games on their phones or whatever... there's a time and a place- it's pretty unprofessional really- same on DP, lots of guys bored and doing stuff they really shouldn't... been on one ship as a cadet where they had no night look out-pretty bad practise really, there's not much you could do about that kind of culture as a cadet/ junior officer but when folk are lazy about that kind of stuff they're sure as hell lazy about other stuff too, I don't want to work on a ship like that.

We're pretty informal about a lot of things on our ship, but we do have maintain a high level of professionalism in regards to the important stuff especially navigational practises, I wouldn't work somewhere that didn't keep that level of professionalism up, it doesn't sit well with me, this ' ah it will be fine' attitude.

I really do think that this culture starts at the top with the Captain and Chief in most cases.

[HarmlessWeasel]

I'll get my coat on the way out...

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have you pulled? :P

[Inland Pirate]

have you pulled? :P

My brain muscle!

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