During a voyage, the ship is operated for 24 hours of
every day. The day at sea is divided into 4-hour periods starting from midnight. These periods are called watches. They are named as follows: Midnight to 0400 hours - Middle watch 0400 hrs to 0800 hours - Morning watch 0800 hrs to Noon - Forenoon watch Noon to 1600 hours - Afternoon watch 1600 hrs to 2000 hours - Evening watch 2000 hrs to Midnight - First watch Ship organization • The work of the ship is organized under four departments: The Deck, Radio, Engine-Room and Catering Departments. The names of the personnel and the departments to which they belong are shown in the following table: Ship organization Deck dept Engine dept Catering dept Officers Chief Officer Purser Chief Officer Second Officer Second Officer Third Officer Third Officer Fourth Officer Navigating Cadets Engineering Cadets Petty Officers Pumpman Chief steward Bosun Chief cook Carpenter
Ratings Motorman Second steward
Able Seamen (ABs) Greaser Second cook Efficient Deck Hands Oiler Ordinary Seamen Ship organization • The organization of the crew of a cargo ship is changing, but it is still customary to find Deck, Engine, Catering and Radio Departments in ships of a reasonable size. Each department is made up of a varied number of officers, petty officers and ratings. Ship organization
• The man in charge of a ship is the Master. He
must be well qualified and an experienced navigator. Although his correct title is the Master, he is addressed as 'Captain'. He is responsible for the efficient navigation of the ship, the lives of those on board and the safe delivery of the cargo. Ship organization The Chief Officer, or First Mate as he is often called, is the Master's chief officer and head of the Deck Department. He is assisted by a Second Officer (Mate), a Third Officer (Mate), and sometimes a Fourth Officer (Mate). Several companies employ a First Officer as well as a Chief Officer. Ship organization • The Deck Department also includes a Boatswain (Bosun) and a Carpenter, both petty officers, and a number of ratings. These are made up of Able Seamen (AB), Ordinary Seamen (OS) and a middle grade known as Efficient Deck Hands (EDH). There are other grades of seamen. On some ships Navigating Cadets are carried for training purposes. ' Ship organization • The Chief Engineer is head of the Engine Department. He is assisted by a Second, Third, Fourth and sometimes Fifth Engineer. An Electrical Officer may also be carried. The engine room petty officers are the Storekeeper and Donkeyman. Ship organization On tankers there is also a Pumpman. He is also a petty officer. The engine room ratings are Firemen and Greasers. There may also be Engineer Cadets. Ship organization The Catering Department is under the Chief Steward. It is divided into a saloon and galley section. The former is headed by the Second Steward, the latter by the Ship's Cook. They are both usually petty officers. They are assisted by several stewards and cooks, and by a number of junior ratings. Exercises • A. Are the following statements true or false? • The day at sea is divided into four periods. • The captain has an overall command of the ship. • The deck department is under the command of the navigating officer. • The afternoon watch is between noon and 1700 hours. • The loading and discharging of cargo is one of the responsibilities of the first mate. Exercises • B. Re-arrange the following groups of words to form meaningful sentences: • bosun, the, directly, officer, works, the, chief, under. • responsible, board, on, all, the, steward, is, catering, chief, the, for. • engineer, the, second, assists, chief, the, engineer. Exercises • C. Give brief answers to the following questions: • How many departments are there on board a ship? • What are the responsibilities of the master of the ship? • What are the duties of the chief officer? • Why is the second officer called the navigating officer? • Who is responsible for the safety equipment on board? • What is the main responsibility of the chief engineer? • What is the work of the carpenter? Exercises • D. Ask questions to which the underlined words are the answers. • The day at sea is divided into six periods. • The captain has an overall command of the ship. • The chief officer is responsible for the loading and discharging of cargo. • The work of the ship is organized under four departments. • The second officer is often called the navigating officer. Exercises Complete list A by choosing the right information from lists B.
Catering boys give way to power-driven vessels in narrow
channels Rolling ships are derricks and cranes
Sailing vessels should be regularly checked
Loading operations work in the catering department
Lifting machinery are of great importance at night
Fire-fighting equipment are uncomfortable for passengers
Steaming lights are the responsibility of the first mate