- Joined
- Jan 21, 2009
- Messages
- 580
Captains need to write standing orders and night orders such that when the ship is approaching shoal water or areas of higher traffic density, they get a call.. If I was captain on FITZGERALD I might not have been up on the bridge either; at least initially. However, I would have written night orders that would have required my watch officers give me a call well in advance of a developing 'close quarters' situation.. In that area [and I've been through there countless times] I would have required a call if any plotted contact had a CPA [closest point of approach] less than 1 mile in a TCPA [time to CPA] of less than 18 minutes. That would have given me sufficient time to get to the bridge, gain my night vision, assess the situation and then assume the conn if necessary and act to avoid a collision..Just like on the Marine Ground side, ship COs have 'wake me up' rules. I had dinner a few weeks ago with a buddy who was recently a CO out of Japan. My room mate from USNA who was a SWO was here all weekend. She broke down the report for me and what she thinks happened based upon that. She is still baffled how they had contact with a commercial ship that large and within a certain distance (can't remember what number she gave) without waking up the CO. Be curious to see what happens with the McCain. She did mention that area it was transiting in was notoriously busy and usually had the CO on the bridge while maneuvering through there.