Jun~o de 1928

(a) Deck department

The running of this department is the responsibility of the chief officer, who supervises the handling of cargo and is responsible for the upkeep of the ship and its equipment, but not the engine room and auxiliary power gear. In addition, he also acts as deputy to the Master. On larger vessels a second and a third officer assist him. There are three certificates of competence for deck officers. After passing examinations and with appropriate qualifying sea time, all deck officers have to be certified by the flag state. It is sometimes the practice for both the chief and second officers to hold Master’s Certificate of Competence.

The deck department also includes a Bosun (chief petty officer), including Able Seaman and Ordinary Seaman. The duties of the Bosun are such that he acts as foreman of the ratings. In common with the officers, the Able and Ordinary Seaman are watch keepers, taking their turn at steering and look-out duties, while the remaining deck hands are day workers employed at sea in general duties. The deck department in port usually works cargo watches in 4 or 6 hour stretches.

In the case of a large passenger liner, it is frequent practice to have a Staff Captain whose primary responsibility is as deputy to the Master, with a key role in running a ship with a large complement of crew. Deck officers are now required to hold a GMDSS certificate. This certificate replaced the need for a radio officer. Since the automation of equipment on ships’ bridges GMDSS duties are now included in watch-keeping responsibilities. Chapter IV of SOLAS 1974, entitled ‘Radio Communications’, was revised in 1988 to reflect GMDSS. Hitherto, it was titled ‘radio telegraphy’ and ‘radio telephony’, reflecting the forms of radio communication available prior to the introduction of satellites. These amendments became mandatory from February 1999, from which date all passenger and cargo ships of 300 gross tonnage and upwards on international voyages are required to carry equipment designed to improve the chances of rescue following an accident involving EPIRBs and SARTS for the location of the ship or survival craft.

90 Manning of vessels

(c) Engine room department

The engine room is the charge of the Chief Engineer, who is responsible to the Master, both for the main propulsion machinery and for auxiliaries comprising electrical plant, cargo winches, refrigerating machinery, steering gear, ventilating system, etc. He is also responsible for fuel, maintenance and repairs. According to the size of the vessel he is assisted by a number of engineer officers. The ratings of the engine room department of a modern cargo ship comprise a fitter (a chief petty officer) and a motorman (engine room rating). The complicated machinery of the modern ship has made the engine room department important. A growing proportion of modern ship propulsion is now electronic.

(d) Catering department

This department role has changed dramatically with the development of the mega cruise tonnage and focus on passenger needs in terms of catering, retail outlets, live and passive entertainment, bars and cabins. The staffing structure is often based on a hotel management style, with personnel in charge of catering, cabins and the range of shipboard facilities. Some shipping lines rely on the purser or hotel services manager to be in overall charge of hotel facilities onboard reporting to the Master. In their catering department most modern cargo ships will carry one cook and one or two stewards.

(e) Manning

‘Manning scales’ are laid down for vessels flying the British flag, and every vessel must carry a minimum number of duly certificated deck officers and engineers, and ratings as stipulated in the ship’s Safe Manning Document.

The number of personnel in each of the various departments depends on the type and size of vessel, and the trade in which she is engaged. For instance, a cargo vessel of 10,000 dwt would have a very small catering department compared with a vessel engaged in deep-sea cruising carrying 750 passengers.

The Merchant Shipping Act 1970 introduced new regulations regarding the certification of deck officers and marine engineer officers. These regulations are contained in the Merchant Shipping (Certification of Deck and Marine Engineer Officers) Regulations 1977, operative from 1 September 1981.

This legislation requires UK-registered ships of 80 gross register tonnage or over and passenger ships to carry a specified number of deck officers, that number determined according to the tonnage of the ship and the voyage to, from or between locations in specified trading areas in which it will be engaged.

Similar requirements are prescribed for ships registered outside the UK carrying passengers between places in the UK, between the UK and the Channel Islands or Isle of Man, or voyages which begin or end at the same place in the UK and call at no place outside the UK. Provision is made for Ship’s officers and crew manning 91

the exceptional circumstance when one deck officer cannot be carried because of illness. Special requirements are prescribed for tugs and sail training ships.

Certificates of competence will be issued to deck officers who satisfy the requisite standards of competence as determined by the Department of Transport. Additional training is required for certain deck officers in ships carrying bulk cargoes of specified dangerous chemicals or gases. The same applies to certain marine engineer officers. Overall the new standards of certification reflect broadly the outcome of discussions at the IMO.

The minimum number of deck officers to be carried is prescribed in the Merchant Shipping (Certification of Deck Officers) Regulations 1977. These must be regarded as the minimum manning scales and applies equally to marine engineer officers.

Differing scales apply to passenger vessels, and are much higher.

The regulations specify trading limits. The ‘Near Continental’ is any location within the area bounded by a line from a point on the Norwegian coast in latitude 62° N to a point 62° N 02° W; thence to a point 51° N 12°

W; thence to Brest, but excluding all waters which lie to the east of a line drawn between Kristiansand, Norway and Hanstholm lighthouse on the north Danish coast.

The ‘Middle Trade’ is any location not within the Near Continental trading area but within an area (which includes places in the Baltic Sea) bounded by the northern shore of Vest Fjord (Norway) and a line joining Skemvaer lighthouse to a point 62° N 02° W; thence to a point 58° N 10° W; thence to a point 51° N 12° W; thence to a point 41° 9 N 10° W; thence to Oporto.

Basically the unlimited trading area is any location not within the Middle Trade or Near Continental trading areas.

The classes of Certificate of Competence for deck officers are described in the STCW95 amendments. The Master Unlimited certificate is equivalent to the former Master Mariner and is equivalent to the Master Foreign Going Certificate, as prescribed under the Merchant Shipping Act 1894. Likewise, a First Mate Foreign-going Certificate and a Second Mate Foreign-going Certificate are equivalent to the Chief Mate Unlimited and Officer of the Watch Unlimited certificates respectively.

Differing Certificates of Competence exist for tugs and vessels under 3,000GT and 500GT. With regard to the regulations of marine engineer officers these involve UK-registered ships having registered power of 350 kW or more, including all sail-training ships with a propulsion engine. It embraces the voyage to, from or between locations in specified training areas. Similar requirements are prescribed for a specified number of engineer officers for ships registered outside the UK, which carry passengers between places in the UK or between the UK and the Channel Islands or Isle of Man or on voyages which begin and end at the same place in the UK and call at no place outside the UK. Provision is made for the exceptional circumstance when one engineer officer cannot be carried because of illness or incapacity. Special requirements are prescribed for sail-training ships.

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Overall there are three classes of Certificate of Competence which are related to the First Class Engineer Certificate as prescribed under the Merchant Shipping Act 1894. Under STCW95 these classes are to be described as the Chief Engineer, Second Engineer and Officer of the Watch (Engineer) Certificates.

In an attempt to raise the status of ratings in deck and engineer departments, plus the need to facilitate the productivity and diversification of rating workload on UK vessels, a new structure has been introduced to a number of posts. Brief details are given below of the new structure:

Deck department Engine room department

Trainee Rating Trainee Rating

Deck Rating Grade II Engine Room Rating

(Ordinary Seaman) (Wiper)

Deck Rating Grade I (Able Seaman) Motorman

Chief Petty Officer (Bosun) Chief Petty Officer (Fitter) Similar restructuring has taken place for catering staff. Further provisions relating to the levels of competence have been adopted in the STCW code and amendments.

5.4 The IMO Convention on Standards of Training, Certification