Watch Officer Duties

Starter

1. Read the case and answer the questions:

• Why did the Second Officer leave the bridge?

• What was the result of his absence on the bridge?

The second officer, soon after taking over the midnight watch, left the bridge and descended two decks down to his cabin to get a jacket and some cigarettes. There was no lookout. While in cabin, he decided to smoke a cigarette and thereafter fell off to sleep. Next, every one woke up at 05.15 hrs when ship had run hard aground. The second officer slept through the watch, no quarter call was given to the Chief Officer, he slept through an intended 30 degrees alteration and he also slept through the grounding.

2. In groups, suggest possible continuation of the case after each underlined sentence.

Reading

1 In pairs, write down and ask the questions about your first navigational watch.

Who helped you on the bridge?

The Watch Officer, the Captain helped me.

• What duties/ perform __________________________?

• Be nervous___________________________________?

• Where/ mark the ship’s position __________________?

• How often/ speak over the radio __________________?

• Whose orders/ obey____________________________?

• What navigational devices/ work with_____________?

• Navigate the ship______________________________?

Vocabulary

2 Match a verb in A with a line in B.

A	B
1 maintain 2 check 3 execute 4 record 5 monitor 6 comply with 7 use 8 ensure	passage plan bridge activities the progress of the ship the GMDSS equipment look-out manual steering master’s standing orders bridge team members are informed

3 Choose the correct variant.

1. The OOW should make regular checks to comply/ to ensure/ to record that the helmsman is steering the correct course.

2. The Watch officer is responsible for ensuring that the cargo plan/ the passage plan/ the ship scheme is properly carried out during his watch.

3. In no circumstances the Watch Officer should clean/ monitor/ leave the bridge until properly relieved.

4. In order to keep an efficient watch the Officer of the Watch should ensure that wheel orders are correctly executed/ checked/ maintained.

5. The OOW should record/ maintain/ comply with an alert all-round visual and aural investigation/identification/ lookout.

4 Read the text and translate it