That I already know, what surprises me is that you haven’t figured the way around that regulation… 
Bring 2 phones. 1 for me 1 for Petrobras.
[QUOTE=follow40;95665]Yes this is would be all in an ideal scenario, and will probably never happen. Ideally this would mean that companies either cut down on paperwork or hire an additional officer to give the mate time to do the paperwork, neither of which is likely.[/QUOTE]
Agreed. It would take one company to step out on a limb and hire someone to do most of the paperwork while the other Officers run/manage their vessel. It could be an advantage or disadvantage by having this depending on how you look at it.
Advantage: Paperwork is completed in a timely manner and vessel performs work as expected.
Disadvantage: Paperwork may be stating things have been done that may not have and Officers not knowing everything taking place on their vessel.
The paperwork isn’t going away, it will only increase. This is another ever expanding self-inflicted wound that has gotten way out of hand. Its time, in the interest of safety, to bring back the “Purser.” The type of “Purser” that I’m thinking of would be the HSE guy, medic, radio operator (i.e. he would handle most communications with the beancounters on shore who call, fax, or email the ship 20 times a day), and the file clerk.
I don’t necessarily agree that the wheelhouse is a bad place to do paperwork. In fact, what better place? Of course the the proper number of watchstanders must be attending to lookout and navigation duties but if the captain’s presence is not required on the bridge it is far easier to monitor the bridge team from the bridge then from an office below.
Bridge teams often consist of two watch standers, an AB and a mate. Why not require a junior OOW instead of an AB? In open waters during the day the junior OOW could act as lookout and navigator (the equivalent of a single person watch) and the senior OOW could do clerical work while monitoring the junior officer. If the junior officer required assistance the senior OOW would be quickly available and would also have good situational awareness.
K.C.
That is a good idea… and it is how most DP drillships operate. The only problem is that, at least offshore, one while mate is doing paperwork the other ends up stuck on the phone or answering phone calls from and dealing with visitors (the worst offender usually being the captain… a man who really needs a secretary).
In fact, often you’ll have 3 mates on the bridge… A sr dpo in charge of the watch, a dpo and a dpo trainee.