To put things in context here is a story -
My first ship was WHEC-721. That’s where I first learned the chain of command. I believe that on that ship O-3 or O-4 were in charge of the various departments. Operations, supply,deck and engineering. Discipline and supervision followed the same path. The head of deck was not responsible for discipline in other departments.
I then went to work on tugs and small vessels where the crew worked together as a team as described by KPEngineer. Sometimes the engineers would come out and help on deck and sometimes I’d take the crew down to help in the engine room if we were in a tight spot.
Now to the story, the outfit I worked for went under and I went to work for MSC. I went on a cable ship, first as AB then as third mate.
So one night we are tied up in Adak Alaska after being at sea for some time and I am the mate on watch on the 12x4. Around 2 am the gangway watch calls me on the radio and tells me one of the oilers has returned from ashore drunk was last seen in the house carrying a fire axe.
Well this was my first in-port watch as mate. I need help and I think oiler ; engine department, so I call the Chief Eng on the phone and explain the an oiler is loose somewhere with a fire axe. He tells me it’s not his problem and hangs up. Ok, so I think I’d better call the Chief mate, the mate tells me ok, he is on the way and he’ll give me a call on the radio as soon as he is on deck and meanwhile he tells me see if I can find the oiler.
As soon I get off the phone with the mate the phone rings again and it’s the chief eng. He tells me that someone is trying to break his door down. In the background I can hear the oiler yelling obscenities and the sound of the fire axe pounding on the door Ok, so at least I’ve located the oiler.
Many times I’ve had engineers pull my bacon out of the fire and I’ve been helped many times by crew working outside their normal roles. I think that in this case the C/E was 100% justified in what he did. But the lesson I leaned that night was crew problems in port are handled by the mate on watch, chief mate and captain in that order. That night it was the Chief mate and I that had to confront the oiler. Not a lesson forgotten quickly.
K.C.