Dry Dock

[Guest]

Just a quick question really. Say you are on a ship and you go into dry dock for 2 weeks for example, what will you do (as a deck cadet/officer) for the 2 weeks? Will you be aloud time ashore when you are not on your watch hours, Or is there a different routine for the officers during dry dock?

Thanks guys

[alistairuk]

Re: Dry Dock

It depends on ship type, dry dock duration and what's going on around the ship.

As a cadet you most likely will be sent off to see whats going on around the ship and to help out with some of the tasks.

As an officer you will either be doing watches as normal (if its a pax ship and less than a few weeks), dealing with the mountain of paperwork or supervising and documenting the various things that are going on around the ship.

[Lewis]

Re: Dry Dock

Is a watch as a deck officer in dry dock going to be as dull as it sounds?

[GuinnessMan]

Re: Dry Dock

As a cadet, you will either be off helping out or gangway duty. I've normally seen the deck cadets on gangway duty as it frees up an AB to go and do other jobs....

[Chiefy]

Re: Dry Dock

Depends if it's a dry dry dock IE out the water
or a Wet dry dock, ship stays in the water (re-fit?)

If out the water then (box boats) dont tend to have a gangway watch and the Mates take night in turn being "the got to man" if the Dock Team need some one for anything. Trying to keep the ISPS running in DD is a nightmare and "normally" is covered by the Dock as they are in "secure" areas etc (gated work place / ship yard). The rest of the time everyone is on day work doing "stuff" normally the 3rd mate looks after the Lifeboat and it's overhaul, second mate might get given hatch repairs, and the mate hull painting , repairs and overall charge (this is from a box boat perspective). However other do things differently

[Lewis]

Re: Dry Dock

is that basically guard duty? Checking IDs of people coming onboard and the like?

[Chiefy]

Re: Dry Dock

is what gaurd duty? use whole sentences and give us a clue

[Lewis]

Re: Dry Dock

Sorry chiefy, I think we posted last messages at the same time. I ment is gangway duty basically guard duty?

chiefy says "okies"

[alistairuk]

Re: Dry Dock

Is a watch as a deck officer in dry dock going to be as dull as it sounds?

More boring than being in port, but you tend to occupy yourself by tidying / removing crap from the bridge... You tend to turn into the "receptionist" with everyone expecting you to know the location of everyone else and when they can't find them they come to you cause you have magical powers to be able to find people who have their radios turned off/down and no one has seen for hours.

Pax ships tend to assign waiters as security staff if they have a lack of them onboard :-)

[Chiefy]

Re: Dry Dock

I ought to apply for a cruise ships, I wouldnt know what to do with so many bodies, I'd be stuck for jobs after about a week

[Steve]

Re: Dry Dock

RFAs spend so long in dock (dry and wet) during a refit that all the deck officers are paid off, except the Chief Mate and a 3rd Mate. (Class I annual drydocking excepted). Cadets if borne will be found jobs, either AB level if they are first trippers or something supervisory assisting the deck officers if they have more experience.

The leisurely pace of refit still allows for the usual half-days at weekends and time for portfolio/study etc.

Pre-refit there will be a slow period of de-store while all the semi-permanent cargo and stores are discharged and post-refit there is a re-store period to get it all back on.

[GuinnessMan]

Re: Dry Dock

Even though your in dry-dock and the dock manage their own personnel, you still need to keep a gangway watch. Reason is, it's not just dockyard workers coming on and off. You've got Superintendents, Owner's Reps, Ship Chandlers, Technicians, Engineer's, other contractors and annoying touts (people trying to come on board and sell you provisions and what not) coming and going that you need to know about.

Its not just from a security point of view either, there is also the safety point of view. If you didn't keep track of the non yard personnel, then how would you know everyone is off the ship?