Safe
and successful journey of a ship is the responsibility of its crew. To ensure
smooth functioning the functions are primarily divided under two major
departments and the deck department is one of them. The deck department is also
called the Navigation department and as the name suggests their main
responsibility is navigation of the vessel. The people working in this
department are called Navigation or Deck officers.
A
deck/navigation officer's typical work activities include:
·
Operating satellite and radar systems
and equipment to navigate the ship;
·
Following weather and navigation updates
and reports and taking necessary action;
·
Responsible for the safety of crew
and cargo as well as passengers (incase of a ferry/cruise ship);
·
Supervising the operation and
maintenance of deck machinery, e.g. winches and cranes;
·
Managing and handling communication
systems;
·
Monitoring and maintaining safety,
firefighting and life-saving equipment;
·
Scheduling the work and maintaining
legal and operational records;
·
Keeping up to date with developments
in maritime legal, commercial and political matters.
Ranks
in the Deck Department
The
deck department of a merchant vessel is headed by the Chief Officer, also known
as the chief mate. He works under the Sea Captain. The Second Officer or Second
Mate reports directly to the Chief Mate. He is the second in command in the
Deck Department.A ship may or may not have a third and a fourth mate depending
on its size. Apart from these higher officers there are boatswains, able seamen
and ordinary seamen also in the department. These are ratings that are
responsible for many manual jobs within the deck department. The people
training to become a part of deck department are called deck cadets. They help
the officers to carry out their duties.
Being
a part of the Deck department requires one to be able to take responsibility
and remain focused as they are not just responsible for safe navigation, but
also for the safety of the crew and passenger. This is a challenging job which
requires people who can remain calm under pressure.
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