Positions on for a 3/C Watchstander on Cruise:
-Lookout: Reports to bridge in khakis (or dress uniform
if otherwise noted). If possibility of foul weather, bring foul weather gear. Always bring a warm coat for a night watch because
the bow watch gets mighty chilly. On each watch there are multiple lookouts, most often two; one will be on the bow and the
other will be on a bridge wing. Duties of a lookout are simply this, keep a vigilant watch on the seas around our vessel.
The lookouts should constantly be scanning the horizon both ahead and behind the vessel. In restricted waters, it is extremely
important to also check astern as we don't want to be overtaken unawares. If you see a ship or a light, report it immediately
to the bridge. When reporting, provide as much information as possible on position, distance, color, shape, size, course and
speed, and other relevant items. When reporting position, use the points system discussed elsewhere.
-Security: Reports to bridge in khakis (or dress uniform if otherwise noted) and makes hourly
rounds of ship, checking fan rooms primarily for fire and flooding. Fan rooms in particular are prone to flooding, occasionally
several inches in an hour. When not conducting rounds, will stand as a secondary lookout on a bridge wing. Also acts as a
messenger between the bridge and the rest of the ship.
-Helm: Reports to bridge in khakis (or dress uniform if otherwise noted) and steers the ship when
under manual steering control. No worries, you won't be on the helm for all four hours because fatigue sets in after about
an hour, and you don't steer so straight when you're asleep.
-Ballast and Safety: Reports to C/M in work uniform (dungs) at his quarterdeck office at 0745. Will
conduct at least one round of soundings on all of the tanks and will learn how to extrapolate tonnages and volumes from tables
using sounding values. If ballasting, will continually sound tanks until ballasting operations are complete. May also be asked
to perfrom special safety-related tasks, such as inspecting the lifeboat gear or stenciling a fire station.
-CC: Reports to lower class mess in work uniform (dungs) at assigned times before each meal. Various
duties include bussing and cleaning tables, washing dishes, sorting trash, sweeping and mopping mess decks and main deck passage
after meals, and cleaning heads. Not a whole lot of fun, but it has to get done.
