Guidelines for Health and Safety on Board Small Fishing Boats

The watch keeper’s main job is to ensure the safe navigation of the vessel and to prevent:

• running aground
• colliding with another vessel or moving object
• hitting a rock or other hazard

The law says that someone must be on watch at all times. In order to avoid collisions with either land or a floating object sound, professional bridge watch-keeping practices and procedures must be put in place on all seagoing vessels regardless of their size!

There is a lot of information and resources to help with watch keeping. While there may still be the odd uncharted rock around the globe, the charts, radars, and other navigational aids are now detailed and very reliable. If a vessel does run aground, the reason will often be because someone made a mistake or had poor seamanship skills.

This section covers

• the watch keeper’s job
• using two methods to check the vessel’s position
• look out duties
• tips for using navigational equipment
• being fit for duty as a watch keeper
• the signals to display when fishing and trawling

The watch keeper is responsible for the vessel and the lives of all those on board the vessel.

The watch keeper must remain vigilant at all times to ensure the safety of the vessel and all who sail on board.

Watch keeping duties are rarely performed in ideal conditions. The weather may be rough and make it hard to do the job. Even when the weather is calm the watch keeper can sometimes get a bit bored, and not focus on the job.

Two watch keepers on board
If possible, it is a good idea to have two qualified watch-keepers at sea.

It can be hard to achieve this on a small vessel. Vessel operators should consider training all deckhands in watch-keeping and encourage them to sit the most basic qualification so the watch-keeping duties can be shared.

The three main jobs of the watch-keeper are:

• Avoid collision with other vessels or objects either floating or submerged.
• Keep the vessel on track and away from dangerous land and rocks and on her intended track.
• Manage the vessel and its logs books, charts and communications well and conduct other routine and training tasks professionally.

These are important responsibilities. Navigational watch-keepers on all vessels (large and small) have to be alert and aware – the vessel’s safety depends on you.

Good watch keeping practices

• Use more than one method to confirm your actual position. Use visual fixing, radar fixing and GPS regularly.
• Keep records of incidents, sea conditions and watch changes in Log Book.
• Safe navigation should never become second priority. Even when you have to attend to fishing operations and have to take longer between fixes, complete thorough checks before you leave the bridge.
• Keep yourself active through out the watch. Make sure you have plenty of jobs to do. If you are moving and working, you are less likely to fall asleep.
• Do not have a television in the wheelhouse area.
• Ensure, and regularly check that your own navigational equipment, particularly navigational and fishing lights are operable and switched on (or off) to indicate the vessel’s mode of operations.
• Always maintain anchor watches. Make sure your position is checked regularly. In adverse weather keep a bridge watch while at anchor.
• Keep a good lookout. To do this:
• Regularly go outside and scan the sea around the vessel.
• Use binoculars to scan the horizon.

• Regularly check the radar for new contacts.

• Keep note of the water depth under the vessel.

• Listen for sounds that are different or unusual.

• Look-out on the faxes and radio for changing weather.

• Make sure you know the shapes and light configurations of different signals. This will help you to know what other vessels are doing.

• It is very important to remain vigilant. Listen and look for things that may endanger the vessel and the crew. “All available means” includes using your equipment such as depth sounders and radars that provide “look-out” information
• When you finish your watch, conduct a good handover. Explain what has happened during your watch, point out the vessel’s current position, intended track and any immediate hazards. Tell the next watch keeper about any other points of concern you have.

Legal requirements

The Maritime Rules Part 22 states that vessels “”must at all times maintain a proper look-out by sight and hearing as wells as by all available means in the prevailing circumstances…”

Navigational Charts

Paper navigational charts are used with a parallel ruler, dividers and a pencil. Charts are an essential navigational tool, and are especially useful when you need to plot a course for a longer trip.

Charts show depths, hazards, land and deviation figures for the area you are navigating.

Even if you have electronic chart software on your vessel, keep in the habit of using the paper charts. Then if a power failure or a power spike causes the computer to fail you will still have access to the information.

Compass

It is good practice to get into the habit of using the magnetic compass. It helps to:

• Confirm electronic devices are operating correctly.
• Show less experienced watch-keepers the true position of hazards on charts, when they calculate deviation and variation corrected headings.
• Ensure that watch-keepers can perform their duties if GPS and Radar fail.
• Break the monotony of the watch.

Radar

The radar set on your vessel is critical when visibility is poor (for example in poor weather, fog or at night). The radar will also often be the first indicator that there is something small ahead.

The watch-keeper must keep an eye on the radar set at all times. Small objects or vessels can appear on the radar very quickly. The time between the radar detecting something, and the vessel colliding with that thing can also be very short.

Radars need to be checked regularly. Radars do get out of sync and may need to be calibrated to give accurate readings. You can check radar accuracy by cross checking against visual fixing and GPS.

Key points when using the radar:

• ensure the Range is set correctly for the operation you are performing and the associated hazards in the area.
• make sure the Gain and Clutter settings are set appropriately for the weather conditions you are working in.
• remember the magnetron in your radar has a finite life and the radar’s performance will deteriorate so it is important that you have it checked and serviced regularly.

Navigation Lighting

The glow from your vessel’s navigational lights shows others where you are and what you are doing. At night, in fog, or in adverse weather, the lights will be the first warning other vessels may have of your presence. Navigation lights also help other vessels to figure out your vessels’ approximate course and indicate if you are fishing or towing to an adjacent vessel.

Lights must be well maintained and correctly operated.

• Always turn the appropriate lights on and off.
• Remember to turn your fishing lights on and off.
• Always run a quick visual check that the lights are shining after you have turned them on (you should do this even if you have an alarm fitted).

Shapes

Shapes are used during daylight. They show that your vessel is performing a specific task such as fishing. This indicates to other vessels that your manoeuvrability may be restricted and they should give you plenty of room. The shapes on other vessels tell you what they are doing. Using shapes is an important safety practice.

The watch-keepers eyes and ears

Your eyes and ears are the most valuable navigational aids you have. Even though you may have good and reliable technology, what you see and hear at sea is very important.

• Keep background noise in the bridge to a minimum (i.e. stereos, CDs).
• Have the maritime radio on, and listen to it.
• Regularly put your head outside to look out and listen.
• Listen for changes of sound.

Weather Faxes and Broadcasts

These provide valuable information about the environment. Get into a routine of using or listening to them.

Depth sounders

In shallower waters the depth sounder gives useful information that you can compare with the charts. It helps to clarify position as well as warn of an immediate danger of grounding.

Global Positioning System (GPS)

Most vessels have a GPS on board now. GPS is a useful tool, but it must not be used as the sole navigational tool.

Remember:

• GPS can become inaccurate due to electronic or satellite malfunctions.
• GPS does not show other vessels’ positions or warn of an imminent collision.
• GPS does not show the vessel’s position relative to adjacent shoreline.
• You have other navigational aids you can use.

Are you fit to be on watch duty?

The following things can affect your ability to do watch duty well:

• If you are tired or haven’t had enough sleep
• If you are under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
• If you are ill or drowsy.
• If you are stressed
• If you have other concerns that distract you from the task

A person may not be fit for duty if they are:

• More irritable or bad tempered than normal
• Anxious
• Bored, lethargic
• Lacking energy

If you do not think you are able to do watch keeping duty effectively, you need to tell the skipper.

Legal requirements

The Maritime Rules Part 31 require procedures and systems to be put in place by the master and owner that ensures the watch-keeper is fit for duty. It also requires the crew members to consider if they are fit for their duty.

For skippers:

• Often the first time you can assess that the person is fit or unfit for duty is when they appear in the Wheelhouse to take up their duty. As you discuss the handover watch for any signs of stress, uncertainty or fatigue. If you think the person is unfit for duty you must tactfully rearrange the watch to make it shorter, or divert and anchor up for a few hours if possible.
• Keep your vessel free of alcohol and drugs. Remember it is a work place as well as a home.
• After busy periods make sure you take the time to talk informally and casually to the crew and attempt to assess “how they are handling” the pressure.
• Adjust the planning of your watches to suit the work load, area of operations and the fitness for duty of the individuals.
• Check that log entries and charts have been completed properly and show each watch-keeper is keeping busy and conducting their watch in a professional manner.

When a vessel is fishing, it cannot manoeuvre as easily. It is important to signal that fact to other vessels. This allows the vessels to avoid the fishing vessel and prevent an accident.

Signals also tell you what other vessels are doing.

Lights and shapes must be used in accordance with the Rules of the Road

Signals to be displayed

By vessels fishing during the daylight

A black shape consisting of two cones with their apexes together.

By vessels trawling between sunset and sunrise

Two all-round lights in a vertical line, the upper being green and the lower white

If the vessel is more than 50m long a masthead light abaft of and higher than the all-round green light. Vessels of less than 50 meters in length may have this light but do not have to.

When making way through the water fishing vessels also have to display their sidelights and a sternlight

By vessels fishing (other than trawling).

Two all-round lights in a vertical line, the upper being red and the lower white.

When outlying gear extends more than 150 meters horizontally from the vessel, an all-round white light or a cone apex upwards in the direction of the gear.

When making way through the water these vessels also have to have sidelights and a sternlight on.

Finding the regulations

The Maritime Rules Part 22.26 gives details of where the requirements for lights and shapes that fishing vessels are required to display.