Page 153 - NAVAL SCIENCE 3 TEXTBOOK

lEI Watches

A naval ship or shore station can nevcr be left to run itselt~ Just as ing watch at a given time comprise a Ilumbered wate" seelio/I.
equipment slich as boilers, water evaporators. and electrical gen- Underway during routine operations, smaller ships lIsuall)1 have
erators must be kept running. so officers ilnd enlisted personnel three rotating watch sections; larger ships may have four or more.
must stand watches. \,Vhile at sea, underway watches sllch as helms- Sometimes when involved in \'Cry demanding operations, ships
man and lookouts must nlways be stationed. Other watchstanders may go to only two underway watch sections, called "port and
keep the ship's equipment operating and propulsion machinery starboi.lrd," so that roughly one-half the crew is always up 011 watch
running. In port, watchst.mders must be posted to keep the ship nt any given time. In port, most ships have four or more rotating
secure and to provide needed services. A naval watch I11tl)' be COI11- watch scctions each duty dny.
pared in many ways with a "shift" in an industrial plant. During routine conditions at sea and in port, those persons
"\"'atch" in the Navy is a word with several meanings. It some- not on wntch are involved in ship's work, drills, recreation, and rest.
times refers to the ioention of the person on watch (for example. \Vhen the ship goes to general quarters lor battle or some other
the bridge watch or COIl1I1l watch), or to his or her II'ntc/t sectioll el1lergenC)', all wntch personnel are relieved and go to assigned bat-
(for example, port or starboard, first or second). It may also refer tle stations.
to the individual on watch, stich as the lookout watch. \·Vatches \Vatches must be relieved on time. That docs not mean the
take precedence over all normal duties and jobs that a persall must relief shows up at the exact minute the walch ch,mges, but nor-
routinely do aboard ship or il shore station. mally about fifteen minutes before the exact time. This is both <1
Traditional shipboard watches nre normally four hours long, cOllrtes)' and a practical procedure. This period allows all pertinent
except for 1\\'0 1600-1800 and 1800-2000 riogll'nlc/les in the early information and instructions to be passed on to the relief from the
evcning. These divided or "dogged"watches allow crew members persoll going off watch before the watch is relieved. In the case of
to go off watch at l800 to cat their evening meal, and to rotate the night watches topside, this period is also necessary lor the reliever's
wntches so people are not standing the same watch cvery day. An eyes to adjust tor night visioll.
alternative watch schedule in use on a number of ships today fea- \·Vhen reporting to the person to be relieved, the relief will say,
tures four five-hour-long w<ltches from 0200 until 2200, then a "J am rend}' to relieve you." The watchstallder then passes on to
2200-0200 mid-watch. This schedule facilitates the morning and the relief all the pertinent information and instructions. \·Vhen the
evening meals for watchstanders, ilnd eliminates the two early eve- relief understands everything and is ready to assume the watch, he
ning dogwatches. or she says. "[ relieve you." After that, the new person is responsible
Shore station watches arc normally eight or twelw hours long. for the w<ltch. \Vhen enlisted watches are relie\'ed, and an officer of
\·Vatches ashore are usually less demanding and not so frequentl)1 that watch is present, the change of watchstanders is r~ported to
stood. that ofHcer.
As mentioned in the last chapter, each division is responsi- A watch officer or senior petty officer is placed in charge of
ble for maintaining"l \\flfCh, Quarter, alld Statioll Bill for .. 111 the each watch. Nonnall}" there is a duty officer or petty officer for
personnel in the division. This is based on the ship's or shore sta- each duty and watch section of each department. Each duty and
tion's Banle Orgal1;znt;oll I"'ml/lal and the Ship's Olg(lIIizatioll mId watch section is rough I)' equal in size and in experience.
Regulatiolls IHa/llUlI. They show cnch person's name, rate, and billet Command duty officer (COD). To provide continuity throughout
number; the ballie station; the duty section assignment; the watch each duty day. most ships appoint a senior officer to act i.IS CDO
assignments; the stntion or duty in the event of an emergency such each day when the ship is in port. This officer represents the CO
<IS fire, collision, or Illall overboard; alld c1eanillg station. when he or she is off the ship or otherwise unavi.1ilable. The COO
makes sure all events in the XO's plan of the day (POD) for the
ship arc carried out.
Shipboard Watches Officer of the deck (ODD). The 000 is the officer on watch in
As mentioned above, crew members of i.l ship are assigned to var- charge of the ship. He or she must have good knowledge of the
iOlls watches both nt sea and in port. All crew members stand- policics of the CO, XO, and COO ,mel must make decisions. The

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