Keeping and leading the watch
The Chief Mate keeps a navigational watch to the principles of the STCW Code and the Bridge Procedures Guide — a proper lookout, regular position monitoring, correct use of the equipment, and a full handover — and, as a senior officer, helps set the standard for the whole bridge team. Bridge resource management means using every member and every source of information to keep situational awareness high and to catch errors before they cause harm, with clear roles, thorough briefings and challenge-and-response communication.
- Keep a proper lookout by sight, hearing, radar and AIS at all times.
- Monitor position and the ship's progress against the plan continuously.
- Use closed-loop, challenge-and-response communication so instructions are confirmed.
- Manage workload and fatigue, and know the circumstances for calling the Master.
TIP — Most incidents are a chain of small errors A monitored, communicating bridge team is the defence that breaks the chain. The senior officer builds the culture where a concern is voiced and heard, so no single error runs unchecked into a casualty.
WARNING — Call the Master when in doubt As with any watchkeeper, the standing duty is to call the Master in any doubt about the safety of the ship, and in the defined circumstances — restricted visibility, traffic causing concern, equipment failure, or failing to sight land when expected.