ORGANIZATION OF WATCHKEEPING ON BOARD A SHIP AS AN INTEGRAL PART OF ITS SAFETY

Abstract

The purpose of the article is to systematise the principles of ensuring safety of navigation, the principles of organisation of the underway navigation watch and the organisation of the bridge watch, the procedure for keeping watch on the bridge, the content of the master's standing orders and the night watch log, and the reasons for calling the master to the bridge. To achieve the aim of the study, the author analysed the relevant literature and identified the objectives and requirements for achieving the goals of the Code for the Management of Safe Operation of Ships. The article clearly shows the distribution of responsibilities of officials for the organisation of watchkeeping and its properperformance by ship's crew members, with special emphasis on the issue of watchkeeping. The article identifies the peculiarities of organising navigational and engine watch on the move and at berth and the principles of organising watch on the bridge. The options for the required number of navigators and the organisation of the underway navigation watch, in accordance with the prevailing circumstances of the watch, are considered. It is revealed that to increase the efficiency of the ship's crew and prevent accidents on ships, a set of officially established special actions of a complete nature (procedures) is introduced. It is revealed that the following procedures have been introduced into the practice of keeping a navigational watch: acceptance/delivery of the watch; observation; keeping track; determination of the vessel's position; divergence from an oncoming vessel. The elements of the procedure are detailed in the instructions. Checklists are used to control the correctness of the procedure. It is proved that this approach allows to guarantee the required quality and time indicators of all actions and to form a conscious attitude of the crew to the performance of their duties. The requirements of the master in the Masters Standing Orders and the content of written instructions to the watch officer to ensure the navigation safety of the vessel at night are briefly explained. Theconditions under which the watch officer must immediately call the master to the bridge are identified. It is emphasised that the alarm schedule is the basis for organising the fight for the ship's survivability, according to which the responsibilities of all crew members are established and the general procedure for the watch is described. The main result of the study is a systematic approach and clarity in presenting the main provisions of the Code. Further research is aimed at comparing the measures taken to organise watchkeeping on a particular vessel and the level of safety achieved with the systemic principles set out in international and national documents.