DUTIES OF DECK OFFICERS ON BOARD ΠΤΥΧΙΑΚΗ ΕΡΓΑΣΙΑ ΤΟΥ ∆ΕΛΗΓΙΑΝΝΗ ΚΩΝΣΤΑΝΤΙΝΟΥ ΑΓΜ: 3077 ΑΚΑ∆ΗΜΙΑ ΕΜΠΟΡΙΚΟΥ ΝΑΥΤΙΚΟΥ ΜΑΚΕ∆ΟΝΙΑΣ ΣΧΟΛΗ ΠΛΟΙΑΡΧΩΝ Κ ΑΚΑ∆ΗΜΙΑ ΕΜΠΟΡΙΚΟΥ ΝΑΥΤΙΚΟΥ Α.Ν ΜΑΚΕ∆ΟΝΙΑΣ ΕΠΙΒΛΕΠΩΝ ΚΑΘΗΓΗΤΗΣ: ΠΑΡΑΣΚΕΥΗ ΠΑΠΑΛΕΩΝΙ∆Α ΘΕΜΑ: DUTIES OF DECK OFFICERS ONBOARD ΤΟΥ ΣΠΟΥ∆ΑΣΤΗ: ΚΩΝΣΤΑΝΤΙΝΟΥ ∆ΕΛΗΓΙΑΝΝΗ Α. ΤΣΟΥΛΗΣ ΝΙΚΟΛΑΟΣ 1|Page Contents ABSTRACT. WHAT IS A DECK OFFICER .1 The bridge team .2 The bridge team and the master .3 Master’s standing orders. DUTIES OF THE OFFICER OF THE WATCH (OOW) .4 Controlling the speed and direction of the ship.
OPERATION AND MAINTAINANCE OF BRIDGE EQUIPMENT .5 Speed and distance measuring log, Echo sounders and EPFS.6 Integrated bridge systems (IBS).7 Charts, ECDIS and nautical publications .2 Responsibility for passage planning.3 Notes on passage planning .4 Notes on passage planning in ocean waters.5 Notes on passage planning in coastal or restricted waters .6 Passage planning and pilotage .7 Passage planning and ships' routing .1 Senior on board operations manager .4 Controlling ship operations.5 Job responsibilities of Chief Officer .6 What must a chief mate know? .7 Before and during cargo operations .8 Before putting to sea .10 Certification of second mate .11 Certification of third mate .2 Administrative and Economics Authorities .3 The Chain of Command and assignment.72 APPENDIX: BRIDGE CHECKLISTS .83 3|Page ABSTRACT The purpose of this project is to give the reader the essential knowledge about the duties of the deck officers onboard. At the next pages we will see about the electronic equipment that deck officers use. I include certain Bridge Checklists as an appendix which, I refer to in my main text and indicate in detail the duties of deck officers. In the first chapter I talk about the deck officers.
How you can become an officer, what is the bridge team and the master and also, about the master’s standing orders. In the second chapter I will saw you about the duties of the OOW, just like how he must make his watch, the navigation, controlling of the ship and the speed, the radio communication that he must carry, the pollution prevention and what he must do in an emergency situation. Then in the next chapter, I will analyze about the operation and the maintenance of the bridge equipment. In this chapter we will deal with the radar, the compass systems, the ECDIS and the integrated bridge systems.
Then in the fourth chapter, I talk about the passage plan. What the officer who is in charge does, what he must be careful about, what his responsibilities are, because the passage planning is one of the most important things on board. It’s the alpha and omega. And for the last two chapters we will talk about the chief mate and the master, what their duties and responsibilities are, what they must do in to the port or during and before the cargo operations and what authority they have.
Being a deck officer in general is a very difficult job, because they must be alert all the time and especially the Master, because the OOW will call him any time for any reason. They must have good seamanship and know their duties very well, because the navigation is the most important thing on board for the safety of the crew, the environment, the cargo and the ship. WHAT IS A DECK OFFICER The owner who has a vessel must man it at least with the safe manning system as per IMO (International Maritime Organization). All these crew-member can be are separated in two categories.
The first is the deck department and the second is the engine department. We will discuss the deck department and especially the deck officers and what their duties are. A deck officer first of all is the officer who is responsible to navigate the ship with safety from one place to another, to load and unload the cargo Figure 1 Officers on the bridge from the ship, to make the proper maintenance of the ship, of the deck and to communicate with the agents, the cargo operation of the company and generally is responsible for the human life, the environment, the cargo and the ship. To become an officer you must first of all finish the merchant academy which is four years, for more analysis of the studies in the merchant academy (as per Greeks’ academies) are: SEMESTER PLACE FOR EDUCATION 1ST In academy (to take the basic knowledge of the ships) 2ND On a ship (as a deck cadet) 3RD In academy 4TH In academy 5TH On a ship (as a deck cadet) 6TH In academy 7TH In academy 8TH In academy A student, in order to take his degree must collect a twelve-month experience onboard from two vessels or more.
Then he goes at the records, he submits his sea service to them with the license from the academy and then he takes the degree. Then he travels to collect more experience until s/he becomes a master or retires. Until the retirement, he must attend many 5|Page seminars. The most important seminars are: G.1 The bridge team All ship’s personnel who have bridge navigational duties will be part of the bridge team.
The master and pilot (s), as necessary, will support the team, which will comprise the OOW, a helmsman and look-out (s) as required. The OOW is in charge of the bridge and the bridge team for that watch, until relieved. It is important that the bridge team works together closely, both within a particular watch and across watches, since decisions made on one watch may Figure 2 Bridge team have an impact on another watch. The bridge team also has an important role in maintaining communications with the engine room and other operating areas on the ship.2 The bridge team and the master It should be clearly established in the company’s safety management system that the master has the overriding authority and responsibility to make decisions with respect to safety a pollution prevention.
The master should not be constrained by a ship owner or charterer from taking any decision which in his professional judgment, is necessary for safe navigation, in particular in severe Figure 3 Bridge team and the master weather and in heavy seas. The bridge team should have a clear understanding of the information that should be routinely reported to the master, of the requirements to keep the master fully informed, and of the circumstances under which the master should be called. 6|Page When the master has arrived on the bridge, his decision to take over control of the bridge from the OOW must be clear and unambiguous.3 Master’s standing orders Shipboard operational procedures manuals supported by standing instructions based upon the company’s navigation policy should form the basis of command and control on board. Master’s standing orders should be written to reflect the master’s own particular requirements and circumstances particular to the ship, her trade and the experience of the bridge team employed at that point in time.
Standing orders and instructions should operate without conflict within the ship’s safety management system. Standing orders should be read by all officers before the commencement of the voyage and signed accordingly. A copy of the orders should be available on the bridge for reference. DUTIES OF THE OFFICER OF THE WATCH (OOW) 2.1 Overview Master’s representative Under the STCW Code, the OOW is the master's representative and is primarily responsible at all times for the safe navigation of the ship and for complying with the COLREGS.
As the master's representative, the OOW is in charge of the bridge and therefore in charge of the bridge team for that watch, until properly relieved. In compliance with shipboard operational procedures and master's standing orders, the OOW should ensure that bridge watch manning levels are at all times safe for the prevailing circumstances and conditions. Primary duties In order to maintain a safe navigational watch, the primary duties of the OOW will involve watch keeping, navigation and GMDSS radio watch keeping. Watch keeping The watch keeping duties of the OOW include maintaining a lookout and general surveillance of the ship, collision avoidance in compliance with the COLREGS, recording bridge activity and making periodic checks on the navigational equipment in use.
Procedures for handing over the watch and calling for support on the bridge should be in place and understood by the OOW. Figure 4 Watch keeping Navigation The navigational duties of the OOW are based upon the need to execute the passage plan safely and monitor the progress of the ship against that plan. 8|Page Radio communications With the introduction of the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS) radio communications have now become an important element in the functions of the OOW, who will be responsible for maintaining a continuous radio watch at sea. During distress incidents, one of the qualified radio personnel should be designated to have primary responsibility for radio Figure 5 Report of the OOW communications.
On passenger ships that person can have no other duties during a distress situation. In support of primary duties Controlling the speed and direction of the ship The OOW will need to be conversant with the means and best practices of controlling the speed and direction of the ship, handling characteristics and stopping distances. The OOW should not hesitate to use helm, engines or sound signaling apparatus at any time. Pollution prevention, reporting and emergence situations The OOW also needs to be fully conversant with shipboard obligations with regard to pollution prevention, reporting and emergency situations.
The OOW should know the location of all the safety equipment on the bridge and how to operate that equipment. Figure 6 Pollution Additional duties There may also be a number of additional duties for the OOW to undertake while on watch. General communications, cargo monitoring, the monitoring and control of machinery and the supervision and control of ship safety systems are typical examples. Additional duties should under no circumstances interfere with the exercise of primary duties.
9|Page Bridge attendance The OOW should not leave the bridge unattended. However, in a ship with a separate chartroom the OOW may visit that room for short periods of time to carry out necessary navigational duties after first ensuring that it is safe to do so.2 Watch keeping Maintaining a look-out In compliance with the COLREGS, a proper look-out must be maintained at all times to serve the purposes of: • maintaining a continuous state of vigilance by sight and hearing as well as by all other available means, with regard to any significant change in the operating environment; Figure 7 Maintaining a look-out • Fully appraising the situation and the risk of collision, stranding and other dangers to navigation; • Detecting ships or aircraft in distress, shipwrecked persons, wrecks, debris and other hazards to safe navigation. Full attention to look-out duties must be given by the bridge team on watch. A helmsman while steering, except in small ships with an unobstructed all round view at the steering position, should not be considered to be the look-out.
On ships with fully enclosed bridges, sound reception equipment will need to be in operation continuously and correctly adjusted to ensure that all audible sounds on the open deck can be clearly heard on the bridge. Sole look-out Under the STCW Code, the OOW may be the sole look-out in daylight provided that on each such occasion: • The situation has been carefully assessed and it has been established without doubt that it is safe to operate with a sole look-out; 10 | P a g e • Full account has been taken of all relevant factors, including, but not limited to: • State of weather • Visibility • Traffic density • Proximity of dangers to navigation • The attention necessary when navigating in or near traffic separation schemes; • Assistance is immediately available to be summoned to the bridge when any change in the situation so requires.