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.

Hours of rest (STCW VIII)
COLREG picker reference

Primary sources

STCW Regulation VIII/2 + Section A-VIII/2 — Watchkeeping arrangements · imo.org
COLREGs Rule 5 — Look-out · imo.org

High confidence

Last verified 5 months ago