Duties of the Watch Officer

The following is an excerpt from the Standing Orders of Toronto Brigantine Incorporated:

For normal operation, there will be three Watch Officers, one in charge of each watch of the ship’s company. Watch Officers shall be responsible to the Executive Officer for safe navigation, ship handling and the general safety of the crew and materials, smartness of manoeuvre, smartness of appearance, comfort and contentment of the crew, entries in the log, incidents during the watch, honours and ceremonies, and routine during his or her period on watch.

Before taking charge, a Watch Officer shall make himself/herself thoroughly familiar with the position of the ship, general condition of the weather, number of watch members available for duty, special evolutions or training requirements, and conditions and amount of sail set.

He or she shall report to the Executive Officer or Master all occurrences and navigational aids worthy of notice.

The Watch Officers shall remain on deck while on duty and under no circumstances carry on below decks until properly relieved. The Watch Officer on duty will, whenever possible, leave the helmsmanship of the vessel up to his or her Petty Officer and the trainees in his or her watch so as to be more mobile and able to concentrate on all aspects of his or her duties.

It is the duty of each Watch Officer to instruct himself/herself, his or her Petty Officer and, with the help of his or her Petty Officer, his or her trainees so that his or her watch, when on duty, can manage the vessel efficiently under normal conditions without help from other members of the ship’s company.

It shall also be the duty of each Watch Officer to carefully note the progress of each member of the ship’s company in his or her watch and to prepare an assessment of the trainees’ abilities for the use of the Executive Officer or Master.

Engineering Officer

The duties of the Engineering Officer shall normally be performed by a Watch Officer in addition to his or her regular duties. The Engineering Officer shall be responsible to the Master. He or she shall be responsible for the routine maintenance and operation of the main engine and all auxiliary machinery and equipment, including the main battery, steering gear, ships plumbing, and all electrical gear. He or she shall establish proper routines for checking engine oil, cooling water levels, battery water topping up. He or she shall see that a proper supply of lubrication oil and distilled water are aboard at all times and shall advise the Master when fuel supplies need replenishing. He or she shall also be responsible for the general cleanliness and efficiency of the engine and generator and will also maintain and store the ship’s tools and establish a proper routine for the loaning and recording of them.

He or she shall establish and maintain an engine log for the recording of points noted in this section.

He or she shall also ensure that pertinent information required by the official ship’s log is entered.

Supply Officer

A Watch Officer, in addition to his or her regular duties, shall normally perform the duties of the Supply Officer. The Supply Officer shall be responsible to the Master. It shall be the Supply Officer’s duty to work with the Cook to ensure that the food on board is stored and disposed of properly and that proper records are kept of the ship’s consumable stores. It is the duty of the Supply Officer to regularly update the Master if supplies are sparse or excessive.