my general day on board

On board the ship, a general day is different for everyone!! Whether you’re on the 8-12, 12-4 or 4-8.

In today’s blog I’m going to focus on the duties and general day of the 3rd Officer.

WHAT DO I DO AS A 3RD OFFICER? The 3rd Officer is usually in charge of the 8-12 watch and LSA + FFE on board. This includes the monthly checks of the lifeboats, life rafts, lifebuoys, fire extinguishers, etc. This duty is usually done in the officers spare time (after completing their cargo or navigation watch).

When I am on the 8-12, I usually do these checks after lunch and get a little bit chipped away day by day!!!

The 3rd Officer also has the duty of updating and completing the drills register and roster. This is included in any other paperwork required of them and any paperwork given by the Chief Officer.

The duties of the officer during navigation, anchor and cargo watches change depending on the chief officers assignments and the company’s SMS procedures. However, all companies usually follow a similar procedure to ensure the safety of the vessel, crew and environment.

It is also the 3rd Officers duty to maintain the flags, signalling equipment and shapes. However, at my company, this is shared between the 2nd and 3rd Officer.

When I am on the 8-12, my day consists of:

0730 wake up

0745 arrive at cargo control room OR bridge

0800- 1200 watch

1200-1300 lunch and chill out

1300- 1430/1500 checks + study (if done checks)

1500-1600 gym

1600-1700 yoga

1700-1900 sleep

1900 dinner

1930 get ready for watch

1945 arrive at bridge

2000-0000 watch

As an overview, an Officer’s day can change immensely from port to port due to different situations faced throughout the voyage and the different requirements of that day e.g port state inspections, etc. Therefore, an officer may struggle to have a set routine. Routines on board are important for the crew to be able to manage their fatigue!! Finding the right pattern of sleep is important for the safety of your crew.

Each ship has different routines and this post sums up MY general day on the 8-12!!

Happy new year,

Talk to you in 2022!

- The Aussie Shefarer xx