OOW Duties

Question 1

What are the primary duties of an OOW? (19)

Answer 1

The OOW is the Master’s representative and is responsible for the safe navigation of the
ship, in full compliance with international regulations.

Navigation
* Effective watch handovers
* Maintaining a proper lookout
* Maintaining situational awareness
* Execution of the passage plan
* Collision avoidance in compliance with the
COLREGS
* GMDSS watchkeeping

Bridge
* Management of the bridge team
* Familiarity with the bridge layout and equipment
* Familiarity with and implementation of bridge procedures
* Monitoring the performance of navigational equipment

Security
* Overall monitoring and surveillance of the ship
* Security Awareness

Safety
* Risk assessments
* Permits to work

Emergencies
* Management of emergencies

Paperwork
* Compliance with environmental requirements
* Recording bridge activities

Question 2

How to maintain a proper lookout? (7)

Answer 2

*Make a full appraisal of the risk of collision with other vessels
* Identify navigational hazards, e.g. wrecks, floating objects, ice and uncharted hazards;
* Determine the risk of grounding or stranding;
* Detect and respond as appropriate to any significant change in the weather, visibility
or sea state;
* Identify aids to navigation, including buoys and lights;
* Respond to persons, ships or aircraft in distress;
* Identify threats to security, especially in areas with a known risk of piracy or armed
robbery.

Question 3

How to keep the lookout engaged?

Answer 3

The OOW should consider the lookout as an integral part of the Bridge Team and utilise the
look-out to the fullest extent.
As a way of fully engaging the look-out’s attention consideration should be given to keeping
the look-out appraised of the current navigational situation with regard to expected traffic,
buoyage, weather, landfall, pilotage and any other circumstance relevant to good
watchkeeping.

Question 4

When to call the master? (17)

Answer 4

• Restricted vis
• Traffic concerns
• Distress alert received or sighted.
• Maintaining course and speed issues
• Position fixing issues
• Failure to sight land or navigational aid when expected
• Sighting land or navigational aid when unexpected
• Passage plan amendment
• Critical equipment malfunction
• GMDSS malfunction
• Heavy weather (damage)
• Navigation hazards (ice
• Security concerns
• Safety emergency
• In any doubt
• Vessel aground
• Emergency wreck mark
• MSO, Night orders & Passage plan