Why Master Standing Instructions is

Important??

Various conventions, codes and guides provide the framework within which
officers’ duties shall be performed in nearly all cases of routine and many
extraordinary circumstances. Operational procedures will be based upon the
owner’s navigation policy and these should work without conflict within the
safety management system. This will apply to every ship. 
The master should provide his own standing orders – which will be
supplemented on a daily basis by night orders – to spell out to his officers his
own personal requirements. This may be with regard to the particular ship,
her trade, the bridge team and their experience. These standing orders may
reflect points that have caused him concern in the past and lessons he has
learned and will set the standard that he requires from his watch keepers. 
Among the mass of written guidance on board, this is the opportunity for the
master to set down quite simply the ground rules for exactly what he expects
the officers to do in different circumstances, to reinforce practices that he
expects to be followed and to create a relationship in which a mutual
confidence is established. The officers will know when the master wants to be
called and the master will know that they will do so. 
It is advisable to consider carefully the special circumstances, which exist
every time a master takes over command. These will relate to the particular
ship and to the officers and crew serving in her. There is a temptation to use
just one set of tried and tested master’s standing orders without any
adjustment for each ship. 
This would be a mistake and a lost opportunity to address the special needs
and the circumstances of each different command. 

The purpose of good operational procedures is to ensure that a mistake – be it

In Port

► Follow the instructions of the chief officer with regard to ballast, cargo
being worked, repairs carried out etc. This supports the chief officer’s
authority with the ship in port. 
► Ensure that access to/from the ship is kept as safe as possible, well lighted
and the gangway net properly rigged; make sure watchmen are on deck and
shore people do not smoke in unauthorised places. The chief officer will see
that the gangway and safety net are set up on arrival but it is then up to the
00W to keep it that way. 
► Keep the ship alongside and moorings tight; replace any ropes that break
and call me if the ship starts ranging or weather becomes adverse. Some
officers don’t appreciate that mooring winches have much more holding
power ‘on the brake’ than they do ‘on heave’ and if the ship comes off the
berth in strong winds, it can make things worse by trying to heave her back
alongside. 
► Never hesitate to call for shore assistance (tugs, pilots, fire brigade or
ambulance) in any emergency and keep engineers advised. In practice the
captain or chief officer will be aboard if cargo is being worked but makes sure
the 00W knows he has authority. 
► There are many thefts from ships in port and stowaways are a major
problem. Try to check on people coming aboard, that they do have business
on the ship and, if in doubt, take them to the person they wish to see or send
watchman with them. The co-operation of everybody on board is necessary to
try to minimise thefts and stowaways but the example of a duty mate who
takes this task seriously motivates others on duty. 

Before arrival and sailing

► Test all the bridge gear in accordance’ the checklist; switch on both
steering motors, radars and check alignment of radars, gyro repeaters and
course recorder. Prepare pilot information card. 

► Give the engine room one hour notice’ meaning that at the end of the one
hour on arrival we shall want to manoeuvre; and likewise one hour before
‘stand by’ on departure. This is best defined to avoid confusion and of course
the engine room has to be advised of this. 

Log Books

► Entries must be clear and accurate; names of all persons involved in any
incidents must be given fully and he must sign entries by the 00W or duty
officer. This is invaluable a few years later if there are any claims made. 
► If the wind is force 7 or more, put the weather in every two hours and the
barometer every hour if it is changing much, plus remarks on water coming
aboard etc. In port, ensure that weather remarks continue to be made in the
log book. In cyclone areas or adverse weather, further detail would be given
in the night orders. 
► While the log book only needs the important times, keep a complete
movement book with details of tugs, whose lines, moorings used fendering of
the quay, which side alongside and number of the berth. Routine again, but so
often records are incomplete.  
At Anchor

► Keep a good check on position of this ship and others close by – ships may
drag soon after anchoring, when the tide changes, when the weather freshens
or when the brake won’t hold with a lot of yawing. The danger is not only of
this ship dragging but of others drifting down to us. The bow stopper must
always be in use when at anchor. In adverse weather it is helpful to paint a
link on the aft side of the gypsy so it can easily be seen if the brake renders. 
► Normally full anchor watches will have to be kept but if cargo is being
worked while at anchor the opportunity must be taken at regular intervals to
check the ship’s position. Always a problem but deck and bridge have both to
be watched. 
► Ensure the lights/signals are correctly exhibited; usually a VHF watch will
have to be kept and if you’ve been away from the bridge for a time check
with the shore station that they have not been calling us. 
► If another ship tries to anchor too close or starts to drag, try and get them
on the VHF or flash them with the Aldis lamp. 
► At the moment of letting go the anchor, try to get a position on the chart
and note the ship’s heading – that way the swinging circle can best be worked
out on the chart. If the scale of the chart is good enough, it gives a circle
within which the ship should remain and is handy when weighing anchor in a
crowded anchorage. 

At Sea

► Make sure the navigation lights are on at night and that a good lookout is
kept at all times. The seaman on watch is always available to the 00W and
should be used as a lookout at night, in rain or in fog. Usually single seaman
watches are kept at sea but the 00W must know that a man is available to him
if required during daytime. 
► Comply fully with the regulations for preventing collisions with other
ships and use sound signals when within two miles. 
► In an emergency do not hesitate to use the engines but, if at all possible,
warn the duty engineer first and call me. Try to avoid close quarter situations
by early and substantial course alterations and in open waters give all traffic
plenty of room. Nothing is gained by passing too close. Running UMS, it is
preferable to have the duty engineer in the engine room first if that is
possible. 
► Respond to any requests from the engine room to reduce speed and, in. the
event of a blackout with other ships around, try to get maximum helm on
quickly and switch on emergency NUC lights. Not always possible but, if it
can be done; this is the best way of reducing travel as running the way off
may take a long distance. 
► On taking over the watch, check the position, check the course to steer and
the course actually being steered; check the distance to go to the next
alteration, soundings or picking up land. In the night watches, please read and
initial the night orders. The routine of using the night orders every night is
preferred as it reduces the risk of something being missed if the book is
sometimes used, sometimes not. 
► Compare magnetic and gyro compasses at least every hour and take
azimuths every watch. This is not an outdated routine, but good navigational
practice. 
► Change to hand steering and back each watch (tests both) and check the
course recorder. Aim for the minimum use of rudder but don’t fiddle with the
settings unless you think you can improve the situation. Small alterations, of
course, may be done on the autopilot but always change to hand steering for
bigger alterations. When a helmsman is engaged in hand steering, keep a
close watch on him  until you are sure of his ability, both in steering and
following helm orders. The ability of helmsmen due to the small amount of
experience they gain (both in general and in any particular ship), causes
concern, particularly in canals and restricted channels. 
► Use the navigational aids fully (including the echo sounder) but as a
backup to 8. visual position fixing and do not rely on the aids to the point
where common sense is ignored. Always check the chart details for WGS
details when using GPS in coastal waters and In restricted waters always use
visual bearings and radar distances. We passed through the era of ‘radar
assisted collisions and may now be into that of ‘GPS assisted stranding’.
When a ‘black box’ (voyage data recorder) is fitted, continue to fix positions
on the chart, particularly in restricted waterways. 
► If not already running always put the radar on in good time if there is rain
around or visibility is doubtful. In open waters the best use of radar is in
tracking ships from 12 miles so that their movement is assessed by 8 miles
and there is then plenty of time to alter course if necessary and to make sure
the alteration is having the desired effect. This clearly spells out the
philosophy required by the master to avoid close quarter situations – the other
ship may be fast, may not be keeping an efficient watch and may
unexpectedly alter course. 
► Approaching heavy rain or fog, have a good look around, switch on radar,
warn the engine room, call up the seaman for lookout, switch on the
navigation lights, fix the position of the ship, switch on fog signal to
automatic and call me. Extra manning or plotting routines will be arranged
then, depending on the locality/situation. Specific arrangement for bridge
manning in fog is wise for ships trading to the USA, and a lookout forward
may be required. 
► Keep the ship on the course lines laid off on the chart and allow set as
necessary to do so (and use GPS for this in open waters). In coastal waters
bring the ship back to the course line and use set to keep her there, rather than
simply laying off a new course line to the next waypoint. The passage
planning notes should help with tides/currents. The whole point in laying off
courses is that is the route we want to follow; laying off new ones when the
ship has set inside can take her much closer to dangers than was the
intention. 
► Fix positions regularly and continue to do so even when there is a pilot on
board to ensure the pilot’s route is safe. Ensure that pilot’s instructions are
correctly carried out by helmsmen and look after the pilot with coffee etc. We
are still fully responsible for the navigation of the ship despite the presence of
the pilot and position fixing and track monitoring continue in just the same
way as without a pilot aboard. Language difficulties or unusual expressions
sometimes confuse helmsmen. The ability of each helmsman must be
verified. 
► Never respond to calls on VHF to ‘ship on my starboard bow etc for any
action unless you are positive of her identification (an Aldis lamp may be
used for such identification at night). Even then, do not agree to any action
that contradicts normal safe practices. This is a frightening habit in some
ships but is better controlled rather than banned, as it is going to happen
anyway. 
► Do check and identify – lights and buoys can shift very easily – so try not
to use them for position fixing without are used for the using the land as well.
In some overseas ports foreign charts  channels and for these we may receive
no corrections. 
► The man overboard response and manoeuvring data are posted on the
bulkhead in the wheelhouse; you should be fully familiar with the former to
respond immediately and be aware of the stopping distances and turning
circles of this ship. The manoeuvring data is posted and available to pilots;
the ‘man overboard’ response regarding release of the bridge wing ‘man
overboard’ and Williamson turn should be detailed if they are not already
available. 
► The 00W, particularly at sea, should be aware of the situation regarding
cargo ventilation or work being carried out on deck. If weather worsens, the
deck work may have to be suspended and a watch should be maintained to
ensure the safety of those working on deck. Instructions will be specifically
given with regard to cargo ventilation but the 00W should be directly aware
of the work being carried out on deck (whether routine or of a specific nature)
and must be aware that he is the one person able to keep an overview of such
work and the safety of those doing it. 
► Rounds of the decks must be made after securing the anchors on any
departure. These include ropes, forecastle doors, deckhouse and
superstructure doors and lights, hold/tank access hatches, ventilators, any
items stowed on deck being adequately secured and equipment left on deck
being collected and secured. Rounds of the decks are to be made each evening
at the end of the working day but before darkness and these are to be entered
in the log. It is then a matter of naming who shall make the rounds; after
sailing it will either be the chief officer or the officer on the forecastle for
unmooring and at sea either the chief officer or the 1200-1600 00W. It is a
good practice to involve other officers in addition to the chief officer in these
basic routines that .are only too often neglected in many ships. 
► My presence on the bridge does not mean that I have taken over control
from the 00W. My handover to the 00W or my takeover from the 00W will be
made clear on each occasion. 

General

► All the deck officers should be familiar with the steering systems and
changeover procedures, with all the bridge gear and with all the lifesaving/fire
fighting equipment, regardless of whose duty it is to look after them. All the
publications watchkeeping, passage planning, codes of practice and manuals
etc – are there for your guidance. We may all think we’ve read them, but it is
wise to look through them again from time to time. The background of the
officers varies and ability to read pages of English may be limited; the deck
officers are bridge watch keepers firstly and secondly have their individual
duties and responsibilities. 
► If the weather gets bad and we may have to slow down or alter course, call
me. solid water washing aboard will damage deck fittings and ships do not
slow themselves down in head seas (the power is being used to drive the ship
into the seas rather than through the water). If we are losing more than 25 %
of our speed (comparing rpm and tog) it may well be time to do something
about it. The safety of the ship, the crew and the cargo are always the first
considerations and are all in your care while you are on watch. Remove the
theory that ships slow themselves down. If the officers cannot sense when the
ship is going too fast in heavy weather, give them a mathematical guideline to
follow. 
► Call me any time if in any doubt whatsoever – for navigation, traffic,
weather, breakdowns, safety or anything else. I would rather be called many
times, apparently unnecessarily, rather than just once too late. 

Summary

Many of these ‘standing orders’ help the anticipation of the 00W and explain
what is wanted – another master may have somewhat different ideas.
Nevertheless it helps the officers to know just what the master who is relying
on them not only to manage but also to call him if they are unsure of anything
expected from them. 
In the first night orders I would ask the officers to read and sign the standing
orders if they are fully understood – and would go through them with the
officers together explaining the ‘whys’ if there was any difficulty with
English reading. 
Night orders would give courses, rpm, manned / UMS, clock changes (always
at 0200 as far as the log book is concerned) and anything that was going on –
fire pump under repair, cargo ventilation, gas freeing, hatch lids or doors that
are deliberately left open, etc. A copy is normally sent to the owners for their
retention. 
The aim of providing these standing orders and night orders is to spell out the
framework within which the 00W or duty officer is expected to work. It
avoids any questions of ‘but I wasn’t told to do so’ by the officers. For all of
us in the bridge management team removes any opportunity for anybody to
suggest that we have been negligent in the conduct of our duties. Any such
suggestion would be an affront to our individual professionalism. 
Tagged with: master night orders, master standing instructions