ONDECK
Academy
OOW Oral Prep
Module 01 — OOW 3000 GT Oral Preparation
Who is the OOW?
Role, responsibilities, watchkeeping duties, handover, restricted visibility, anchor watch & rest hours
The Legal Position
STCW Code / MGN 315: The OOW is the Master's representative and is primarily responsible at all times for the safe navigation of the vessel and for compliance with the COLREGS.
| Principle | What it means in practice |
|---|---|
| Master's presence does not remove OOW responsibility | The OOW remains responsible for safe navigation until the Master explicitly states he is assuming the con — and this must be mutually understood |
| Pilot's presence does not remove OOW responsibility | The OOW continues to monitor. If there is doubt about the pilot's intentions, seek clarification. If doubt remains, call the Master immediately |
| OOW cannot leave the bridge until properly relieved | Under no circumstances — regardless of what else is happening on the vessel |
Primary Duty
To maintain a safe navigational watch at sea, at anchor, and in port — at all times.
This covers:
Navigation
- Execute the passage plan
- Maintain situational awareness
- Fix position at appropriate intervals
- Collision avoidance — COLREGS compliance
- Monitor navigational equipment performance
- Record all bridge activities
Bridge Management
- Manage the bridge team
- Maintain a proper lookout
- Ensure safe watch manning levels
- GMDSS radio watchkeeping
- Environmental compliance
- Security awareness
- Emergency management
Maintaining a Proper Lookout COLREGS Rule 5 / MGN 315
A proper lookout must be maintained by sight, hearing, and all other available means at all times. No other duty shall be allowed to compromise this.
HELMSMAN IS NOT THE LOOKOUT — The helmsman cannot serve as lookout except on small vessels with an unobstructed all-round view from the steering position. On a superyacht, these are separate duties.
| Lookout responsibilities |
|---|
| Assess the risk of collision with all vessels in the vicinity |
| Identify navigational hazards — wrecks, uncharted objects, ice, shoaling water |
| Detect significant changes in weather, visibility, or sea state |
| Identify all aids to navigation — buoys, lights, landmarks |
| Respond to vessels or persons in distress |
| Identify security threats — piracy areas and suspicious activity |
The OOW should brief the lookout on expected traffic, buoyage, weather, and any upcoming critical points — a briefed lookout is a more effective lookout.
When Can the OOW Be Sole Lookout? MGN 315
In clear daylight conditions only, the Master may determine the OOW can serve as sole lookout — but only after carefully assessing all of the following:
- Weather and visibility — clear conditions
- Traffic density — low
- Proximity of navigational dangers
- Whether a TSS is in the area
- Bridge layout and arcs of visibility
- Radar capability and limitations
- Other tasks the OOW may need to perform
CRITICAL: Even as sole lookout, assistance must be immediately available to be called to the bridge if conditions change. The OOW must be capable of performing both duties simultaneously without compromise.
When to Call the Master MGN 315
Call the Master immediately — never delay. The examiner will probe this hard. Know every trigger.
Navigation
- Restricted visibility encountered or expected
- Traffic movements causing concern
- Difficulty maintaining course
- Position significantly off expected track
- Failure to sight land or nav mark at expected time
- Unexpected land or nav mark sighted
- Unexpected change in soundings
- Passage plan amendment required immediately
- Ship meets hazard to navigation (ice, derelict)
Equipment & Emergency
- Engine, steering, or essential nav equipment failure
- GMDSS or comms equipment malfunction
- Distress alert received or distress signal sighted
- Heavy weather — doubt about weather damage
- Any security concern
- Any emergency situation
- Any situation beyond the OOW's experience
- Any doubt whatsoever about the safety of the ship
If in doubt — call the Master. There is no wrong call. There is only the failure to call.
Watch Handover MGN 315
Handing Over — the OOW shall:
- Confirm the relieving officer is fully capable and fit for duty
- Allow time for the relieving officer's eyes to adjust to light conditions
- Ensure all standing orders and Master's orders are understood
OOW shall NOT hand over:
- If the relieving officer appears incapable of carrying out the watch — notify the Master
- While a manoeuvre is in progress — complete the action first
Taking Over — the Relieving Officer Shall: MGN 315
| Confirm or Check |
|---|
| Vessel's position — verified on the chart |
| Intended track, course, and speed |
| Any dangers to navigation during the watch |
| Tides, currents, weather, and visibility — prevailing and forecast |
| Gyro and magnetic compass errors |
| Status of all bridge equipment |
| Bridge/engine controls setting and engine room manning |
| All vessels in sight or in the vicinity — movements noted |
| Passage plan status and any outstanding actions |
Restricted Visibility — Immediate Actions COLREGS Rules 5, 6, 19, 35 / MGN 315
FIRST PRIORITY: Comply with the COLREGS. Everything else follows from that.
| Action | Detail |
|---|---|
| Call the Master | Immediately — this is a standing requirement in almost all SMS |
| Advise the engine room | Engines to standby — ready for immediate manoeuvre |
| Increase bridge manning | Post a dedicated lookout — this cannot be the OOW alone |
| Switch to hand steering | Autopilot is not appropriate in restricted visibility |
| Proceed at safe speed | COLREGS Rule 6 — able to take proper and effective action to avoid collision and stop within appropriate distance |
| Navigation lights | Exhibit correct lights for conditions |
| Fog signals | Sound appropriate signals — COLREGS Rule 35 |
| Radar | Operate on appropriate range, plot all targets — COLREGS Rule 7 |
| AIS | Monitor — but do not rely on it solely |
| Watertight openings | Close all watertight doors and openings |
| Consider anchoring | If in doubt and in suitable depth — COLREGS Rule 19(d) |
OOW Duties Prior to Proceeding to Sea
Bridge
- Passage plan checked and approved by Master
- Charts corrected to latest NtM
- ECDIS route loaded and checked
- Gyro running 6–12 hours before departure
- Steering gear tested — within 12 hours
- All bridge equipment tested
- GMDSS checked
- Latest weather obtained
Vessel
- Watertight integrity confirmed — hatches, doors, portholes
- Anchors cleared and ready
- Tenders and cranes secured for sea
- Departure draughts taken
- Fire main pressurised
- LSA equipment checked
Personnel
- All crew and passengers accounted for
- Stowaway search completed
- Muster list posted and current
- Bridge team fit for duty
- Engine room notified and ready
- Mooring stations manned
OOW Duties at Anchor
The OOW does not stand down at anchor. Full navigational watch responsibility continues.
| Duty | How |
|---|---|
| Plot and confirm anchor position on chart | As soon as anchor is down — take and record transit bearings |
| Monitor for dragging — continuously | Regular cross-bearings of fixed marks; GPS alarm set; echo sounder on |
| Maintain proper lookout | By sight, hearing, radar |
| Conduct regular inspection rounds | Per SMS instructions |
| Exhibit correct lights and shapes | Anchor ball by day; anchor light by night |
| Sound correct signals in restricted visibility | Bell forward: 5 seconds every minute — Rule 35(e) |
| Monitor weather and tidal conditions | Act early if conditions deteriorate |
| Maintain GMDSS watch | Ch 16 monitored at all times |
| Engines at required readiness | Per Master's standing orders |
| Call Master immediately if dragging | Do not wait — take action before calling if required |
DRAGGING ANCHOR: If bearings change, GPS alarm triggers, or depth increases — call the Master immediately and prepare to weigh anchor or use engines. Second anchor should always be ready for letting go.
STCW Rest Hours STCW Code Chapter VIII
| Requirement | Minimum |
|---|---|
| Rest in any 24-hour period | 10 hours |
| Rest in any 7-day period | 77 hours |
| Maximum rest periods per 24 hours | Two periods — one must be at least 6 hours; intervals between periods must not exceed 14 hours |
| Blood alcohol limit | 0.05% — administrations shall set this limit |
EXCEPTIONS: Rest requirements may be suspended in emergencies or overriding operational conditions. Drills should be conducted to minimise disruption to rest periods and must not induce fatigue.
Watch schedules must be posted where they are accessible to all crew — bridge, crew mess.
Safe Manning MSN 1868 / MSN 1858
| Requirement | Detail |
|---|---|
| Safe Manning Document (SMD) | Required for all UK vessels 500 GT and over. Company submits proposals to MCA. Must be on board at all times. |
| Master's obligation | Ship shall not proceed to sea without a valid SMD and full compliance with it |
| Manning for yachts | MSN 1858 — minimum scales for motor and sail yachts over 24m. Scales are minimums — additional officers strongly recommended to prevent fatigue in intensive operations |
Your Own Certificate — NoE, the Oral, and What the Ticket Actually Says
Examiners routinely open with the certificate you are sitting for — and candidates who know every COLREG stumble on their own paperwork. The chain: you apply to the MCA with your sea service, ancillary course certificates and ENG1; the MCA checks eligibility and issues the Notice of Eligibility (NoE) — the document that admits you to the oral, valid for a limited period and to be brought to the exam. Pass the oral and the Certificate of Competency is issued: OOW (Yachts, less than 3000 GT) — and the words on it are the answer to the classic question "what does your ticket let you do": act as officer in charge of a navigational watch on yachts under 3000 GT within the limitations endorsed, NOT on cargo ships, NOT unlimited tonnage. Alongside it lives the STCW endorsement, and the flag state acceptance (CEC) that lets you serve on, say, a Cayman-flagged vessel with an MCA ticket.
| Fact | The figure the examiner wants |
|---|---|
| Revalidation | Every 5 years — by proving continued sea service (12 months in the last 5 years, or 3 months in the last 6) or by other MCA-approved routes |
| Medical | A valid ENG1 (or accepted equivalent) underpins the certificate — no medical, no watch |
| Ancillaries that expire | The STCW refreshers — updated training for basic safety, survival craft and advanced fire fighting run on 5-year cycles |
| Working beyond the ticket | Serving outside the certificate's limitations invalidates the safe manning compliance — a vessel matter, not just a personal one |
Know your own paperwork the way you know the vessel's: what the CoC authorises, what limits it carries, when it revalidates, and which supporting certificates expire underneath it. "I don't know what my own certificate says" is the cheapest fail available in this exam.
Additional Question
Your OOW CoC was issued four and a half years ago and you've been ashore for three years. Can you sail as OOW next month?
Only if I can revalidate — and the arithmetic says I can't do it on sea service alone: revalidation needs 12 months' service in the last 5 years or 3 months in the last 6, and three years ashore has hollowed that out. The routes back: an MCA-approved refresher/revalidation route, or accumulating the qualifying service in a supernumerary or lower capacity first. What I never do is sail on it quietly and hope — an out-of-date certificate breaks the safe manning document, the ISM compliance and potentially the insurance of the vessel, which makes it the master's and the company's problem the moment I step aboard.
Oral Exam Practice Questions
Question 1
What is the primary duty of the OOW?
To maintain a safe navigational watch at sea, at anchor and in port. The OOW is the Master's representative and is primarily responsible for the safe navigation of the vessel and compliance with the COLREGS at all times.
Question 2
The Master comes to the bridge. Are you still responsible for the watch?
Yes — until the Master explicitly communicates that he is assuming the con, and this is mutually understood between us. His presence alone does not transfer responsibility. I continue to be responsible until that handover is clear and unambiguous.
Question 3
Fog sets in while you are on watch. What do you do?
Comply with the COLREGS immediately. Call the Master. Advise the engine room — engines to standby. Post a dedicated lookout. Switch to hand steering. Reduce to safe speed (Rule 6). Sound fog signals (Rule 35). Operate radar on appropriate range. Navigate lights on. Close watertight openings. Consider anchoring if in doubt and in suitable depth.
Question 4
What are the STCW minimum rest requirements?
Minimum 10 hours rest in any 24-hour period, and minimum 77 hours in any 7-day period. Rest may be split into no more than two periods, one of which must be at least 6 hours. The interval between rest periods must not exceed 14 hours.
Question 5
You are at anchor. How do you know if you are dragging?
Take cross-bearings of fixed charted objects as soon as the anchor is down and record them. Monitor at regular intervals throughout the watch. Set a GPS anchor alarm. Monitor the echo sounder — increasing depth can indicate dragging. On a superyacht I would also monitor the heading indicator — a dragging vessel tends to sheer around. If any bearing changes, call the Master immediately and prepare the engines and second anchor.