200058 Keep Messages Off of the Bridge

27 Feb 2000 MARS

Keep Messages Off of the Bridge
Report No. 200058

For the sake of renewing my license for 'Master All Ships', I return to sea occasionally. My license as Radio Officer ceased on February 1, 1999. I refuse to have any aversion to anything which is new to me and do not feel incapable of keeping pace with rapid technological developments. At the age of 33, I graduated in electronic engineering, as a matter of interest and to have an option in a different profession. It disturbs me greatly that the watchkeeper has to answer the phone and, hearing the words: "Captain, please" he has to take action to contact the captain, who might not be in his cabin. He might have to look in the swimming pool or elsewhere and so divert his attention from watchkeeping features.

The question often asked from ashore is "What is the ETA?". This is the sort of information which the mate himself could pass on without having to call the Captain. Consequently, I prohibited watchkeepers from answering the phone in certain areas. However, a ringing phone also makes many people nervous, so does not contribute to safe watchkeeping. The best way to draw attention is the general alarm!! However, the PA system or the general alarm cannot be used on certain ships without causing some commotion.

Now that Satellite communications systems are found on the bridge some mentality change is needed to improve safe watchkeeping. If there is a computer in the Engine Room and in the Deck Office or other strategic places on board, a message can be prepared by the relevant person(s) to be sent out when convenient without interfering with the OOW. No mate or watchkeeping staff will have to be involved in typing messages during their time on the bridge and supposedly busy with watchkeeping features at the same time. I prohibited the watchkeepers to pay attention to (prepared) messages to be sent-out when the ship was in certain areas. Mostly I did such things myself, as the captain is supposed to be aware of anything going through the telecommunication machine. On board my ship, the people usually type/prepare their own messages. The equipment is fool-proof and moreover, who is not familiar with computers nowadays? There is no harm in learning something new! Abuse of Satcom-M or any other equipment with a fax machine is a fair possibility. I believe that the access to the telecommunication equipment on the bridge, by a selected group of persons, might lead to adverse situations. I have found out that there has been an exchange of fax messages between the technical department on board with the same department onshore without my knowledge. Certainly I wonder which legal issue will show up in this respect.

Except for the emergency buttons, should we have to return to a confined space for the commercial communication? I do not think so. There is a large variety of technology. Isn't it better to create an electronic access facility to the communication equipment? Consider a networking and server facility between the computers! Some ships do produce printed messages in the captain's office, with or without a copy on the bridge. The option is to make messages public or not. There is a lack of privacy in certain cases, when that is requested. Many people onshore do have the option to send message, which are often to be limited to certain persons on board, but usually not more than two. It makes some people feel uncomfortable. A ship is not only a working environment, but also a place where people live for a certain period of time. The only private territory is the cabin. There is no option or alternative for crew members.

Apart from the fax message referred to above, anyone on board of a ship could have a private E-mail address, which blocks access for others, due to the features of Internet technology. It will certainly lead to exchange of business related messages, without the knowledge of the Master, who is responsible by any means. I did communicate with my Laptop on Satcom-M equipment and exchanged E-mail messages as well as fax messages. This could be done by anyone with access to the equipment. Technology exists to ensure that nobody on board can receive and make phone calls from their cabins, which includes fax messages and Internet technology. The equipment could document the communication and access limits be set, if required, to certain persons. This relieves the watchkeeper of the duty to establish connections.