Bridge watchkeeping

STCW Reg VIII/2, look-out, position fixing, traffic, weather, fatigue.

Why it matters

The vast majority of collisions and groundings are traced back to bridge watchkeeping failures — fatigue, single-person watches, distraction, BNWAS not used.

Common hazards

• Single-person watch in restricted visibility or heavy traffic.
• Over-reliance on ECDIS without a parallel paper or radar plot.
• Fatigue.
• Distraction (phones, paperwork, off-watch chat).

Practical checklist

• Look-out posted as required by COLREG Rule 5 + the Master's standing orders.
• Position fixed at the prescribed interval.
• BNWAS armed.
• Master called when in doubt.
• ECDIS chart up to date and route checked.

Last verified 15 days ago