45.-Watches at Sea. | With a view to increased efficiency, five Officers are carried on all steamers of the Line, viz., Chief, 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th.
The three seniors are the bridge Officers, and divide the time into three watches of two hours' duration, i.e., each will have two hours on the bridge in charge of the ship, followed by four hours below. The Chief Officer shall keep the first two hours of the middle watch, say from midnight until two a.m., to be followed by the 1st Officer, he being followed by the 2nd Officer, and so on in the same rotation for each 24 hours. The two Junior Officers will keep watch and watch with the seamen, four hours on and four hours off, one having charge of the port, and the other of the starboard watch, and to be under the direction of the bridge Officer for the time being. When all hands are at stations entering or leaving port, the Officers are to be stationed as under:
Chief Officer ... On the forecastle head.
1st , ... Aft or on the after bridge.
2nd ... Look out crow's nest.
3rd … At con. standard compass.
4th ... On bridge with Commander, in charge of telegraph.
The watches are to be equally divided, and the ship is never to be left without an Officer in charge of the deck, either at sea or in harbour; and no Officer is, on any occasion, to leave the deck until he is relieved. Officers are expected, when performing the duties of the ship, or when at their different stations, to preserve silence among the men, and to see that the orders from the bridge or deck are executed with promptitude, and without confusion or noise. At sea, when the Officer of the watch believes the ship to be running into danger, it is his duty to act, at once, upon his own responsibility; at the same time he is immediately to pass the word to call the Commander. The Chief, First, and Second Officers are never to give up charge of the bridge during their respective watches, unless with the express permission of the Commander. When the watch is relieved, the Officer in charge of the watch going off duty is to be responsible that the correct course is passed to the Quartermaster relieving. This should be done in the presence of the Officer relieving, who is to satisfy himself that it is being steered.
When the watch is changed, it is to be understood that the Officer who is being relieved is to remain on the bridge and in charge during the change, that he is to see that the seamen placed as look-outs do not quit their posts until relieved, and he is to be the responsible Officer until he leaves the bridge. |