# Captain's overriding authority **URL:** \ **Category:** Professional Mariner Forum\ **Created:** [September 9, 2010, 1:43am UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/captains-overriding-authority/4606 "2010-09-09T01:43:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![caps](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/48db29/32.png) [@caps](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/caps)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2010, 1:43am UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/captains-overriding-authority/4606/1 "2010-09-09T01:43:07Z")
Does any of you -captains- had a serious brush in the field of “overriding authority” ? Did you ever use that authority ? Towards your company as well ? Here is some of my idea’s about it: [U][B][http://www.theartofdredging.com/overridingauthority.htm](http://www.theartofdredging.com/overridingauthority.htm)[/B][/U] Caps ---
**Author:** ![seadawg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3da27b/32.png) [@seadawg](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/seadawg)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2010, 8:00pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/captains-overriding-authority/4606/2 "2010-09-09T20:00:27Z")
now that is a classic “fly paper” issue…always loved this one…“well cap if you can’t do it we’ll get someone out here that can”…GoM circa 1980…snip!!snip!!whoops now where did my balls go…I had them a minute ago?? ---
**Author:** ![Azimuth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e9a140/32.png) [@Azimuth](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/Azimuth)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2010, 11:48am UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/captains-overriding-authority/4606/3 "2010-09-10T11:48:41Z")
I’ve used it twice. Both occurrences had positive outcomes. Just be sure you are doing it for the right reasons. It also helps if you can justify your position with documentation. ---
**Author:** ![caps](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/48db29/32.png) [@caps](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/caps)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2010, 1:36am UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/captains-overriding-authority/4606/4 "2010-09-11T01:36:07Z")
[QUOTE=seadawg;41860]now that is a classic “fly paper” issue…always loved this one…“well cap if you can’t do it we’ll get someone out here that can”…GoM circa 1980…snip!!snip!!whoops now where did my balls go…I had them a minute ago??[/QUOTE] Hmmm. I thought a few times my company would do the same… when I behaved cautiously. It helps - if you explain them in full why and why not - if they know you take calculated risks, based on experience and knowledge Caps ---
**Author:** ![Mr\_100-ton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/aca169/32.png) [@Mr\_100-ton](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/Mr_100-ton)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2010, 3:52am UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/captains-overriding-authority/4606/5 "2010-09-11T03:52:01Z")
Re: Captain’s overriding authority "In the case of Capt Lee and Anchorman, WHO would have the overriding authority??? The Captain or the Admiral??? ---
**Author:** ![Capt\_Fran](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d26b3c/32.png) [@Capt\_Fran](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/Capt_Fran)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2010, 11:20am UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/captains-overriding-authority/4606/6 "2010-09-11T11:20:16Z")
If you sail long enough, you will eventually find yourself in the extremely uncomfortable position of disagreeing with the ‘office’. I’ve had to put my foot down twice. Once ended happily, and once ended with me discovering I no longer had a steel deck under the foot I just put down as I was not-so-kindly asked to disembark the vessel. But, I’d make the same decision today if I had to. ---
**Author:** ![caps](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/48db29/32.png) [@caps](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/caps)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2010, 4:10pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/captains-overriding-authority/4606/7 "2010-09-11T16:10:45Z")
[QUOTE=Mr 100-ton;41895]Re: Captain’s overriding authority "In the case of Capt Lee and Anchorman, WHO would have the overriding authority??? The Captain or the Admiral???[/QUOTE] Talk merchant marine here, keeps it complicated. ---
**Author:** ![caps](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/48db29/32.png) [@caps](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/caps)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2010, 4:18pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/captains-overriding-authority/4606/8 "2010-09-11T16:18:08Z")
I used it thrice: 1. Ship has problem with steering gear, dredging on a river. I promptly anchored, until technical dept. fixed it, … much disgusted by my reaction. 2. Twin propeller dredger in Singapore, one crankshaft breakdown. Company asked me to go dredge with one engine. After serious consideration, I refused. (Ship was idle for one month.) 3. Company asks me to perform oversized crane job offshore -in opens ea. I refuse, ship sails to sheltered bay, takes 6 days for a round trip. It’s a matter of making a risk assesment, and sticking with it. Caps