CHANGING OVER THE WATCH

• When changing over the watch relieving officers should personally satisfy themselves regarding the following:

- Standing orders and other speacial instructions of the captain relating to navigation of the ship.

- Position, course, speed and draught of the ship.

- Prevailing and predicted tides, currents, weather, visibility and the effect of these factors upon course and speed.

- Procedures for the use of main engines to manoeuvre when the main engines are on the bridge control and the status of the watchkeeping arrangements in E/R.

• Navigational situation, inluding but not limited to:

- The operational condition of all navigational and safety equipment being used or likely to be used during the watch.

- The errors of gyro and magnetic compasses.

- The presence and movements of ships in sight or known to be in the vecinity.

- The conditions and hazards likely to be encountered during the watch.

- The possible effects of heel, trim, water density and squat on underkeel clearance.

- Any special deck work in progress.

- Other points.

NAVIGATION IN HEAVY WEATHER OR IN TROPICAL STORMS AREAS

•  Have the master, E/R and crew been informed of the conditions.

- Have all movable objects been secured aboce and below decks, particularly in E/R, galley and in storerooms.

- Has the ship’s accommodation been secured and all ports and deadlights closed.

- Have all weather deck openings been secured.

- Has the crew been warned to avoid upper devk areas made dangerous by the weather.

- Have safety lines/hand ropes been rigged when necessary.

•  Have instructions been issued on the following matters?

- Monitoring weather reports

- Transmitting weather reports to the appropiate authorities or, in the case of tropical storms, danger messages in accordance with SOLAS.


- Other checks.

NAVIGATION IN RESTRICTED VISIBILITY

• Has the following equipment been checked to ensure it is fully operational?

- Radar, ARPA or other plotting facilities.

- VHF.

- Fog signalling apparatus.

- Navigation lights.

- Echo sounder, if in shallow waters.

- Watertight doors, if fitted.

- Have look-out(s) been posted and is a helmsman on stand-by.

- Have the captain and E/R been informed, and engines put on stand-by.

- Are COLREGS being complied with, particularly with regard to rule 19 and proceeding at a safe speed?

- Is the ship ready to reduce speed, stop or turn away from danger.

- If the ship’s position is in doubt has the possibility of anchoring been considerd.

- Other checks:

ANCHORING AND ANCHOR WATCH

•  Has an anchoring plan been prepared taking into account

- Speed reduction in ample time.

- Direction/strength of wind and current.

- Tidal stream when manoeuvring at low speeds.

- Need to adequate sea room particularly to seaward.

- Depth of water, type of seabed and the scope of anchor cable required.

- Have the E/R and anchor party been informed of the time of ‘stand-by’ for anchoring.

- Are the anchors, lights/shapes and sound signalling apparatus ready for use.

- Has the anchor position of the ship been reported to the port authority.

•  While an anchor, the OOW should:

- Determine and plot the ship’s position on the appropiate chart as soon as practicable.

- When circumstances, check at sufficiently frequent intervals wether the ship is remaining securely at anchor by taking bearings of fixed navigation marks or readily identifiable shore objects.

- Ensure that proper look-out is maintained.

- Ensure that inspection rounds of the ship are made periodically.

- Observe meteological and tidal condition and the state of the sea.

- Notify the captain and undertake all necessary measures if the ship drags anchor.

- Ensure that the ship exhibits the appropiate lights and shapes and that appropiate sound signals are made in accordance with all applicable regulation.

- Take measures to protect the enviroment from pollution by the ship and comply with applicable pollution regulations.

- Other checks.

TIPS FOR THE NAVIGATION IN OCEAN

•  Is keeping a look-out being given due priority?

- Are NAVAREA, HYDROLANT and HYDROPAC navigational warning broadcasts and other long-range weather reports being closely monitored?

- Are changes to the local weather being monitored and is the barometer regularly observed?


- Is participation in area reporting systems (e.g. AMVER) recommended?

- Is the ship’s position being fixed at regular intervals


- Are celestial navigational techniques being practised

- Are gyro/magnetic compass errors and radar perfomance being regularly checked

- Have radar techniques been practised (in clear visibility)?

- Have preparations been made for landfall


- Have measures been taken to protect the enviroment from pollution by the ship and to comply with applicable pollution regulation


- Other checks.

TIPS FOR THE NAVIGATION IN COASTAL

•  Have the following factors been taken into consideration in preparing the passage plan?

- Advice/recommendation in sailing directions

- Ship’s draught in relation to available

- Effect of ‘squat’ on underkeel clearance in shallow water.

- Tides and currents.

- Weather, particularly in areas renowned to poor visibility.

- Available navigational aids and their accuracy.

- Position-fixing methods to be used.

- Daylight/night-time passing of danger points.

- Traffic likely to be encountered-flow, type, volume.

- Any requirements for traffic separation/routering schemes.

- Are local/coastal warning broadcasts being monitored?

- Is participation in area reporting system recommended including VTS?

- Is the ship’s position being fixed at regular intervals?

•  Has equipment been regular checked/tested, including:

- Gyro/magnetic compass.

- Manual steering before entering coastal waters if automatic steering has
been engaged for a prolonged period.

- Radar performance and radar heading line marker aligment.

- Echo sounder.

- Is the OOW prepared to use the engines and call a look-out or a helmsman to the bridge?

- Have measures been taken to protect the environment from pollution by the ship and to comply with applicable pollution regulations?


- Other checks.

PILOTAGE

* Inmediately on arrival on the bridge has the Pilot been informed of the ship’s heading, speed, engine setting and draught?

* Has the Pilot been informed of the location of livesavings appliances for his use?

* Have details of the proposed passage plan been discussed with the Pilot and agreed with the Master, including:

- Radio communications and reporting requirements

- Bridge watch and crew satand-by arrangements

- Deployment and use of tugs

- Berthing/anchoring arrangements

- Expected traffic during transit

- Pilot change-over arrangement

- Fender requirements

- Has a completed Pilot Card been handed to the Pilot been referred to the wheelhouse poster?

- Have the responsabilities within the bridge team for the pilotage been defined and are they clearly understood?

- Has the language to be used on the bridge between the Ship, the Pilot and the Shore been agreed?

- Are the progress of the ship and execution of orders being monitored by the Master and OOW

- Are the correct lights, flags and shapes being displayed?

- Others.