Guiding Principles
- Ensure situational awareness at all times, do not allow distractions to cause you to lose situational awareness.
- Keep a proper lookout at all times. Additional lookout as required.
- Bridge Manning Levels appropriate to navigational risks and passage plan.
- Position fixing interval and method.
- Change of Watch effectiveness.
- Clarify expectations - Master’s Standing Orders / Night Orders shall be clear on the Master’s and company expectations with regards to when the Master is to be called.
- Familiarise with equipment and vessel – robust bridge familiarization process for onsigners, verified by the Master.
- Ensure seaworthiness before the start of every voyage - Charts and nautical publications fully up to date, Certificates of Competency and Flag Endorsements valid and held onboard, Berth to berth passage plan, reviewed and approved by the Master, Arrangements established to receive Nav Warnings relevant to the intended voyage.
- Conduct pre-voyage and post-voyage meetings and share improvement areas with the company to enhance wider learning.
- Implement training programme to ensure deck officers trained on ECDIS relevant to the intended vessel of employment
- Conduct simulator-based Bridge Resource Management and Crew Resource Management (HELM) refresher training.
- Include critical courses such as COLREGS, Passage Planning and Chart Correction (incl ECDIS) within the Competence Management System.
- Conduct Sailing (Live) Navigation audits by Company Superintendent (former deck officer).
- Utilise Remote VDR Auditing opportunities.
- Implement competence assurance measures for new entrant deck officers – knowledge based and skills based – such as online / simulator assessment.