What is the story with 3 person watchstanding rotation? I am on a 200ft US Research Vessel, working Foreign pretty much all of full time.
A 3 watch system is an absolute burden with “old school” personnel manning.
Can you give me some insight?
What are you considering ““old school” personnel manning”
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Yeah, going to need you to define that better. Old school manning would be a whole lot more than the average crew today for sure…
I’m not understanding how splitting the day up into three watches is an issue? On a 200’ ship you should probably have two mates at least. They and the Master all stand 8 hours of watch each in some format that won’t violate the rest hour requirements.
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Out of curiosity, does your vessel have a COI or is it ‘uninspected’?
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COI. Master, C/M, 2nd Mate, 3rd Mate.
Yes, I can use the C/M, but he should be supervising deck. Research vessel. Crane use, A-frame use, j-frame use, and DP for bottom samples. Not your ordinary vessel. And then, PMs and deck work needs to be done. 2 month hitches. If I could climb out from underneath the paperwork pile, I could assist more. I walk away from it for a walk around/ watches, but work until dark to finish the paperwork is my reward. 48 years as a seaman. Don’t need the smart-ass answers.
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Didn’t see anyone I knew. 
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It was a few years ago, but I worked on a 328’ research ship with all of that stuff, 3 mates and 4 month hitches. It seemed to be alright. 
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You got a bosun? How many unlicensed you got? OT?
Idk what “old school” means? The way pretty much every ship does their watch system?
Go to Europeans. CM gets the day watch and when he’s needed on deck the 3M or Master covers his nav watch. Get a bosun who’s good and can run the deck without the CM.
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My question was: when did this 3 watch system become an issue with the USCG. I give my guys the best watch I can, PMs are a continuous issue, and maintenance is hit and miss by how much we are using the cranes for the client. Why can’t I just do my best to make a watchstanding system that works for us. Micromanagement at the federal level.
That’s a function of how the U.S. Code is structured. The U.S. Code was enacted at least back in the 1930s and the default was for large steamships. Exceptions were made for smaller vessels such as tugs, fishing vessels, and”motorboats” but everything else was lumped together with the same rules for manning under the COI system.
The Code was written so that all vessels need a COI except the specific ‘uninspected’ classes, and manning/watch requirements follow the scheme set out in the Code. A simple system for simpler times.
The default was a three-watch system because that was normal for a time without electronic navigation, etc. Also, labor in the 1930s was cheap. Ship owners quibbled over costs but they also knew that with the methods of navigation they had a three-watch system protected their interests.
So, except for certain tugs, fishing boats, and ‘motorboats, everything else defaulted to the Inspection regime and COIs.
That’s baked into US Code, which is difficult to change completely. Too many vested interests. It can be modified. That’s why OSVs of a certain size are two-watch. That industry didn’t exist in the 1930s and it has a powerful lobby. So the rules were modified for smaller OSVs when they came into existence.
The U.S Code is what it is. The USCG can’t change it. Your RV falls under the inspection/COI regime and is locked into a three watch system while under navigational watch.
Hope that helps.
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I know I’m probably preaching to the choir on this, but the COI is minimum manning for the vessel. If you’re not able to comply with STCW rest hour regulations with the nature of your work, then it’s up to the shipowner/charterer to provide sufficient manning to alleviate the issue. Be sure to keep accurate rest hour logs that show what you’re dealing with.
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I’m not sure what’s being asked. IFAIK there’s nothing in the COI about watch systems. On coastwise it’s common to put the junior mates on 6 and 6 so the chief mate can work cargo.
The issue is coming up against work/rest violations with cargo and mooring ops on a busy coastwise.
More a case of what the required manning is than what watch system is required. 46 CFR § 15.705 lays it out that it has to be a three watch division.
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46 USC 1804:
d) On a merchant vessel of more than 100 gross tons as measured under section 14502 of this title, or an alternate tonnage measured under section 14302 of this title as prescribed by the Secretary…the licensed individuals, sailors, and oilers shall be divided, when at sea, into at least 3 watches…
[a lot of other fine print in there but I kept short]
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Are you wanting 2 people to either work a 6 on 6 off or a 12 on 12 off nav rotation? Both of those suck.
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4 0n 8 off for master cm and 2nd , delegates task and things you want done with the 3rd make him a 12 hour guy ?
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4 on 8 off for master, CM and 2nd is a 3 watch system. The third can work what ever watch he needs.
I worked 4 on 8 off as master. The CM and 2nd mate worked 6 and 6 in port. I was an exempt master and two of the pilotages were long and we had only two full days at sea a week. I did the pay, arranged travel and the other administrative duties and the CM did the cargo planning on a container feeder ship. Our hours were excessive and it was only because we were 14 on 14 off we could live with it. The first 2 days off were pretty quiet.
We have been forced, unasked, into a ‘Seafarers Charter’ and the most we can do is 2 weeks on.
Not really an issue as that is what our contracts are for but quite a few of the engineers worked 3 or 4 weeks about so they are pissed because that has gone now.
However, anything over 12 hours 30 minutes worked in a day is now overtime; I haven’t had overtime since the 1980’s I think!
Got more than 10% boost on my pay for 13 hours O/T last month, .result.
Mind you, 10% of shit is still crap.