January 3, 2011
While the largest of megayachts require trained and certified watch keepers, yacht captains at this month’s From the Bridge luncheon said that on smaller vessels, the ticket isn’t as critical as the effort.
“I’ve used unlicensed crew that are perfectly capable of standing watch,” one captain said. “With four crew, you have no choice. You have to use unlicensed crew.”
As always, individual comments are not attributed to any one person in particular so as to encourage frank and open discussion. Attending captains are identified in the photo above.
So just how do captains create a watch system? It all starts with safety, these captains said.
One captain said he teaches his watch keepers what he feels they must know, including how to plot the course.
“It keeps them busy, keeps them alert, and it keeps their eyes on it,” this captain said. “We may rely on the GPS, but I teach them how to navigate. When I get a new guy onboard, I teach him stem to stern. I pull out the diagrams, everything. They need to be good, fast.”
“You won’t learn this stuff by reading,” another said. “You have to start doing it.”
How captains manage their watch keepers varies according to the number of crew onboard, the certifications required for the yacht and each member’s proficiency.
“On a 51m, it’s very formal, with a proper watch of three watch keepers and three look-outs,” a captain said.
“Ours is run informally,” another captain said. “We don’t have ‘qualified’ watch keepers -- meaning certified, licensed as officer of the watch crew.”
A third captain said he applies the principles of a large yacht ‘s standard operating procedures even on smaller boats. He trains the deckhands and runs them through training until he feels they are competent.
“If there’s an accident, you have to sign a document saying you believed them to be competent without a doubt,” this captain said. “If there is a court case, you hope you can justify your behavior.”
“When an accident occurs, I can guarantee, someone was not trained right,” another captain said.
As to allowing non-crew in the bridge, the answers ran the range from anyone to only watch keepers. Several captains allow people to sit on the bridge while they’re under way and the majority of the captains allow the owner at the station.
“But on the big ones, if you are not on watch, you are not allowed on the bridge,” a captain said.
The watch keeper is in charge of the vessel when under way, at anchor or at the dock. Although the captain is ultimately responsible for everything onboard, the watch keeper is temporarily in charge of all navigation and ship systems.
Most of the captains prefer to have two crew on watch, with one at the helm and one to walk the yacht. At the dock, most yachts have someone walk the boat every two hours, and each hour while under way. On many smaller boats, there is only one person to do both.
Depending on the trip or location, watch keepers will transfer their position to the next crew every two to six hours and the person leaving the post must relay pertinent information to the incoming crew. On the bridge, if you change anything, one captain said, you have to tell the next person.
“You don’t just pass each other,” he said. “You have to stay on the bridge, let your eyes adjust, tell the other person what has happened.”
Another captain said that seemingly insignificant information must be relayed. If the settings on the radar changed from 50 nautical miles to 20, for example, the next watch keeper might think there are no vessels nearby when there are.
“I changed this, we saw this, what our targets are, where we are, who we’ve communicated with, which settings were changed on radar...,” he said as examples.
“Everything has to go into the log, everything,” another captain said.
The captains listed the type of data they expect documented in their vessel’s logbook: communication with other vessels, the time, speed, course, distance, weather, sea state and even the barometric pressure.
What about sunsets and events such as dolphin sightings?
“Yeah, sometimes they’ll record that anyway,” a captain said.
As to who checks the engine room, that again, depends on the number of crew.
“The engineer does the engine checks on my boat and the engine log,” a captain said. “He does it every hour.”
Another captain said he trained his deckhand to do the checks and record the data because he does not have an engineer.
The captains talked about what type of issues can occur on the bridge.
“Fatigue is definitely the biggest problem,” a captain said.
Crew work their job and then serve as lookout, also. It can be even more taxing on long passages and at night, a captain said. Another issue, the captains said, is distractions.
“Absolutely no iPods,” a captain said. “No computers, no cell phones.”
“The MCA issued an MSN that said no mobile phones on the bridge,” another captain said.
“You can also put it into the standing orders.”
“They say, ‘I’m sitting here doing nothing,’” a third captain said of new crew. “I say, no you’re not, you’re working.”
Several captains had something to say about ensuring the watch keeper will call them for any possible concern.
“I tell them, any question, any doubt, don’t be afraid to call me,” a captain said.
“Don’t be a hero,” another said.
“Rather safe than sorry,” a third captain said.
Another captain suggested using written procedures, a watch keeper’s list, no matter the size of the vessel, so watch keepers know in what situations to alert the captain.
“It’s all great to say, but the problem is that cockiness,” a captain said. Several of the captains nodded in understanding that green, or young crew may feel that they can handle the situation on their own. One captain said that new crew may be hesitant to bother the captain with what could be a small matter.
On a similar note, several captains reiterated that they are in charge, even when they are not on watch. So how do they sleep with someone else at the helm?
“We have to reprimand, babysit and double check everything,” a captain said.
“I have to double check what they’ve done,” another captain said. “I have to.”
“If there is an issue and they are not licensed, the captain is still the one on the block,” a third captain said.
“But, I’m in the cabin behind the bridge,” he said, “I’m just behind the wall, they know I’ll help.”
“If you can’t sleep with that person on watch, then you might as well stay there,” another captain said.
Watch keeping is a big step toward being in command of a vessel in the future. Although the captains at lunch are the trainers on their yachts, are captains the primary mentors for the next generation?
“We must be, it’s part of the deal,” a captain said.
“We have to keep them interested,” another captain said. “We have to give them a massive carrot.”
“Unless one of us takes them aside, they can have two years on the chamois and have a license,” a third captain said. “I know these guys don’t want to be in that chamois position forever.”
One of the captains said he is in yachting for his career, not just a job, but he thinks some of the new crew don’t take it as seriously.
“Some of them don’t have the attention to detail,” another captain said.
“I tell them, I’ll teach until you stop learning,” said a third. “If you put in effort, I’ll put in the effort.”
“Sometimes I ask them for feedback,” the second captain said. “They have to feel comfortable, wanted and respected.”
“We’re not dictators or tyrants,” another captain said, “or we wouldn’t have any crew.”
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