Since a ship operates 24 hours around the clock, the crew is divided into watches. This applies to both the deck department and engineering. What are the watch keepers responsible for?

Responsibilities.
The watch keepers are responsible for the following during their period on watch:

1. Ensuring the effective and efficient functioning of all machinery, equipment and systems aboard the vessel.
2. The regular monitoring of control systems and instruments.
3. The regular monitoring and recording of navigation and meteorological instruments and
   data.
4. The steering of the vessel.
5. The safe navigation of the vessel.
6. The safety of the vessel, which includes:
   • Keeping a sharp lookout for other vessels or objects that might pose a danger to
     their vessel.
   • Ensuring that the cargo remains safely and securely stowed.
   • Ensuring that a proper radio watch is kept.
   • Keeping a continuous watch on the weather.
   • Ensuring that proper precautions are taken when personnel move about the on upper deck during periods of heavy weather or seas.
   • Ensuring that proper precautions are taken when men are required to work aloft on the masts or upper structure.
   • Ensuring that the correct navigation lights are displayed at night or poor visibility.
   • Ensuring that the correct sound signals are made when proceeding in poor visibility and when manoeuvering in close proximity to other vessels.
   • Ensuring that the correct emergency procedures/drills are followed during emergency situations, ie man overboard.

Alertness.
It is essential that watch keepers remain alert throughout their watch. The entire ship, it’s cargo and crew are entirely dependent on their vigilance during their period on watch. If a proper watch is not kept, the ship could run aground, collide with another vessel, capsize if the cargo had to shift significantly during bad weather or heavy seas or catch fire if some system malfunctions and it is not detected in time. The lives of your friends and colleagues aboard as well as your own is literally in your hands when you take over a watch.

Taking over a watch.
When taking over your watch, you should report at least 10 minutes beforehand. The reasons for this are that you are able to familiarise yourself with the situation onboard and in the vicinity of the vessel, before taking over, ie state of visibility and weather, the presence of other vessels in the vicinity of your vessel and what they are doing, etc. Secondly, at night, you need to adjust your vision to the dark. Remember that in order to get to the bridge you will be passing through alleyways that are lit, even if the colour of the lights is red.
The person you are taking over from must put you completely in the picture before handing over the watch. In the case of bridge watchkeeping officers this includes the following:

1. The course the ship is maintaining.
2. The speed ordered and that over the ground.
3. The engine revolutions ordered.
4. The compass error (gyro error) if any.
5. The ship’s position on the chart.
6. Any course alterations expected and when.
7. Any navigational dangers in the area.
8. Any currents being experienced.
9. Any other information necessary for the safe navigation of the vessel.
10. Any special instructions from the captain.
11. The bearing and movement of all vessels in the vicinity and whether any of the them pose a danger to your vessel.
12. The expected weather along your track.

In the case of bridge lookouts, they should be informed of the visual surface situation, ie what ships are in the vicinity of the ship and where, as well as what their perceived movements are. The relieving lookout should be correctly dressed for the prevailing weather conditions, ie foul weather gear if it is cold and wet. He should also be equipped with a pair of binoculars.

In the case of the helmsman, when steering manually, he should be briefed by the person he is relieving on the course to be steered and the engine revolutions ordered.