Delegation of authority

The master has the ultimate responsibility for the safety of the ship. Delegation of authority to the officer of the watch (OOW) should be undertaken in accordance with agreed procedures and reflect the ability and experience of the watchkeeper.

Similarly, when a pilot boards the master may delegate the conduct of the ship to the pilot, bearing in mind that pilotage legislation varies from country to country and from region to region. Pilotage can range from optional voluntary pilotage that is advisory in nature, to compulsory pilotage where the responsibility for the conduct of the navigation of the ship is placed upon the pilot.

The master cannot abrogate responsibility for the safety of the ship and he remains in command at all times.

If the master delegates the conduct of the ship to the pilot, it will be because he is satisfied that the pilot has specialist knowledge, shiphandling skills and communications links with the port. In doing so the master must be satisfied that the pilot's intentions are safe and reasonable. The OOW supports the pilot by monitoring the progress of the ship and checking that the pilot's instructions are correctly carried out. Where problems occur which may adversely affect the safety of the ship, the master must be advised immediately.

The process of delegation can be the cause of misunderstanding and so it is recommended that a clear and positive statement of intention be made whenever handing over and receiving conduct of the ship.

When navigating with the master on the bridge it is considered good practice, when it is ascertained that it is safe to do so, to encourage the OOW to carry out the navigation, with the master maintaining a monitoring role.

The watch system provides a continuity of rested watchkeepers, but the watch changeover can give rise to errors. Consequently routines and procedures to monitor the ship's position and to avoid the possibility of mistakes must be built into the organisation of the navigational watch.

The risks associated with navigation demand positive reporting at all times, self verification, verification at handover and regular checks of instrumentation and bridge procedures. The course that the ship is following and compass errors must be displayed and checked, together with the traffic situation, at regular intervals and at every course change and watch handover.

ICS BRIDGE PROCEDURES

Date: 2016-04-22; view: 891