A deck officer speaks English constantly: handing over and taking the watch, conning the helmsman, working the radio with VTS and the pilot, applying the COLREGs, reporting to the Master. One wrong word here can be very costly. Here is an expanded working vocabulary with phrases.
Bridge equipment
- Radar / ARPA — radar / automatic target tracking.
- ECDIS / chart / chart table — electronic charts / paper chart / plotting table.
- Gyro compass / magnetic compass — the two compasses.
- Autopilot / hand steering — automatic / manual steering.
- GPS / AIS — satellite position / vessel identification.
- Echo sounder / speed log — depth / speed measurement.
- VHF radio / telegraph — radio / engine order telegraph.
- Rudder angle indicator — shows the rudder position.
Taking over / handing over the watch
What to pass on: course, speed, steering mode, traffic, weather, the Master's orders, special instructions.
- To take over / hand over the watch — start / end your duty.
- Standing orders / night orders — the Master's written instructions.
- Traffic / target — vessels around / a radar contact.
- CPA / TCPA — closest point of approach / time to it.
Handover phrase:
> "I have the watch. Course one-two-zero, speed twelve knots, autopilot, two targets on the starboard bow, CPA one mile, visibility good, no special orders."
Navigation and manoeuvring
- Course / heading / bearing — intended track / compass heading / direction to an object.
- Fix / position / DR (dead reckoning) — determined / current / estimated position.
- Waypoint / route / leg — a point / the plan / a segment.
- To alter course to port/starboard — change heading.
- To reduce / increase speed — the speed verbs.
- Under keel clearance (UKC) / squat — depth margin / sinkage in shallow water.
- Set and drift — the current's direction and rate.
COLREGs — avoiding collision
- Give-way vessel / stand-on vessel — who keeps clear / who holds course.
- Crossing / overtaking / head-on situation — the three encounters.
- To keep clear / to pass astern — stay away / go behind.
- Risk of collision / close-quarters situation — the danger terms.
- Restricted visibility / sound signal — poor visibility / fog signal.
Stating your intention:
> "A vessel is crossing from starboard. She is the stand-on vessel. I am the give-way vessel and I will alter to starboard to pass astern of her."
Pilot
- Pilot on board (POB) / pilot boarding ground — pilot aboard / boarding area.
- Pilot ladder / combination ladder — the access ladders.
- Pilot card / master-pilot exchange — the information handover.
- The pilot gives helm and engine orders — you relay them to the helmsman and monitor.
Anchoring
- Stand by the anchor / walk out the anchor — prepare / lower it under power.
- Let go the port/starboard anchor — drop it.
- Pay out to three shackles — veer the cable.
- The anchor is holding / dragging — secure / slipping.
VTS and radio
- VTS (Vessel Traffic Service) — the shore traffic service.
- To report / to request permission — the core radio verbs.
- ETA / ETD — estimated time of arrival / departure.
"VTS, this is motor vessel Neptune, my ETA at the pilot station is one-four-three-zero, request permission to proceed inbound, over."
Weather
- Wind force / gale / swell — wind strength / storm / long waves.
- Visibility good / moderate / poor — the visibility scale.
- Fog / rain / heavy seas — the conditions.
Reporting to the Master
- Nothing to report, sir.
- Vessel crossing from starboard, CPA half a mile, request permission to alter course.
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