Duties of the Officer of the Watch

The OOW is the Master's representative and carries the safety of the ship for the duration of the watch.

Core duties

• Keep the watch on the bridge; never leave it unattended.
• Maintain a proper lookout and safe speed at all times.
• Check the vessel's position, course, and speed at regular intervals.
• Comply with COLREGs and the Master's standing and night orders.
• Monitor machinery alarms and the status of navigational equipment.
• Record all relevant events in the deck log.

Calling the Master

Call the Master immediately in case of: restricted visibility, traffic density causing concern, failure of steering or propulsion, heavy weather, land or marks sighted unexpectedly, or any doubt.

The OOW retains responsibility for the safety of the ship even with the Master on the bridge, until the Master explicitly takes the conn.