NOTfine. Procedures at that point in the transit were ignored.
See KC’s post # 21 above:
Exxon’s own policy required that either the chief mate or master be on the bridge to assist the watch officer in that area. Also federal regulations required that an officer with federal pilotage be on the bridge which the third mate did not have.
Pilotage required twenty trips, the third mate had only made six.
The tankers Brooklyn and Arco Juneau had both left earlier that day during daylight and the masters had remained on the bridge.
Capt Hazelwood likely could have navigated by eye/radar without a plot but likely the third mate could not so he was taking six minute fixes. Likely didn’t have the cognitive bandwidth to maintain a plot, conn a loaded tanker through the 0.9 mile gap between the ice and Bligh Reef and supervise an inept helmsman.