December 11, 2020

Ship’s organisation – command and control

There are considerable differences between the organisation of naval and merchant ships and yet there are also basic similarities. In this module we will be looking at the merchant navy structure. The master of a ship is usually referred to as the captain which is usually the rank of the […]
December 11, 2020

Deck department

The deck department comprises all the navigating officers and seaman ratings carried onboard. Their duties and responsibilities are as follows: Navigating officers. They are responsible for the “driving” of the vessel. By this is meant: The safe navigation of the vessel. Managing the day to day running of the vessel. […]
December 11, 2020

Watchkeeping

At sea a ship requires personnel to operate it on a continuous basis. In order to do this the crew have to work shifts or watches. The system of watchkeeping may differ from ship to ship, but the system usually employed is based upon a three watch rotation, ie four […]