# Duties of the modern day Master



## woodend (Nov 23, 2009)

There was, what I found, a very interesting 'snippet' in the 'Maasmaritime clipping news' on a survey of Masters on their perceived work load and duties. They all maintained that they couldn't keep up with the paper work and daily phone calls required by the managers ashore and with the port paper work required for both ship and cargo. Their conventionally considered duties 'ie running a tight ship' were being neglected or having to be delegated.;
Sparks and Pursers are long gone as a source of paper work assistance but is it not time to to consider maybe an on board 'ship manager' responsible for office communications and requirements who reports to the Master. They have Hotel Managers or Guest Managers or whatever on the 'people carriers' so why not other than ECONOMY!!!!!!(Cloud)


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## trotterdotpom (Apr 29, 2005)

Who administers the breathalyser? Some of the Old Men I sailed with would have been great at that.
john T


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## NZSCOTTY (May 20, 2006)

woodend said:


> There was, what I found, a very interesting 'snippet' in the 'Maasmaritime clipping news' on a survey of Masters on their perceived work load and duties. They all maintained that they couldn't keep up with the paper work and daily phone calls required by the managers ashore and with the port paper work required for both ship and cargo. Their conventionally considered duties 'ie running a tight ship' were being neglected or having to be delegated.;
> Sparks and Pursers are long gone as a source of paper work assistance but is it not time to to consider maybe an on board 'ship manager' responsible for office communications and requirements who reports to the Master. They have Hotel Managers or Guest Managers or whatever on the 'people carriers' so why not other than ECONOMY!!!!!!(Cloud)


Another person to reduce the master,s authority unless there is a problem - blame the master he is in charge!


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## Ian Brown (Jun 25, 2008)

I just retired as Master and I really struggled to keep up with the paperwork when everything was running smoothly. Anything extra and I just couldn't do it all as it should be done.
If you went through the company ship management system and added up the man hours needed to complete all the paperwork (properly) over 1 month and then compared that with man hours available to deck and engine officers under STCW work/rest hours permitted, there would be a huge disparity.
So if you walk round any ship on an average day at sea, you will see from the Captain + Chief Engineer downwards, officers working at computer terminals and only spending a small part of their time doing what I would consider their real job.


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## Ian Brown (Jun 25, 2008)

The breathalysers we had were automated. 
The test was made by either the Master or designated person.
The person being tested enters their company employment number in the unit then blows into a tube until a light on the unit changes to indicate the correct volume, then it measures and records the individuals results.
It was required to be used if there is an incident or near miss. Also when a unannounced test was required for all the crew. A message would be received from the Company and the (automated) results had to be returned with 3 hours.


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## Chris Isaac (Jul 29, 2006)

Fun ?
RIP


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## tunatownshipwreck (Nov 9, 2005)

They lost their typists when they discharged all the R/Os.


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## DURANGO (Aug 22, 2005)

On a voyage from China to the U.K.the ships master would spend most of his time in front of a computer have I got that right and I,m guessing that would take around 4 weeks , I have to ask the question what would they be writing about for all that time best regards .


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## makko (Jul 20, 2006)

Durango,
I don't think that it would be on a long passage, just those hectic times when you are doing "outports" every couple of days. In a similar vein, we had 5 gennys and when in port needed all of them for the ramps, ballast system, hold ventilation, mooring system. We had to do a major every 500 hours. We just looked forwardto the long passages to get on with the maintenance and then, when on the coasting ports, all for nought running up the hours again!

Rgds.
Dave


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## DURANGO (Aug 22, 2005)

makko said:


> Durango,
> I don't think that it would be on a long passage, just those hectic times when you are doing "outports" every couple of days. In a similar vein, we had 5 gennys and when in port needed all of them for the ramps, ballast system, hold ventilation, mooring system. We had to do a major every 500 hours. We just looked forwardto the long passages to get on with the maintenance and then, when on the coasting ports, all for nought running up the hours again!
> 
> Rgds.
> Dave


Thanks for that Dave at least now I know and if I find out they are looking for any 72 year old A.B,s I,ll make sure I don't sail in any coasters although the thought of going deep sea nowadays does not hold much interest so I think I had better just sit back and bore my friends with yarns from way back many thanks again regards Dave .


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## makko (Jul 20, 2006)

And long may you swing that lamp, Durango!


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## surfaceblow (Jan 16, 2008)

Ian Brown said:


> The breathalysers we had were automated.
> The test was made by either the Master or designated person.
> The person being tested enters their company employment number in the unit then blows into a tube until a light on the unit changes to indicate the correct volume, then it measures and records the individuals results.
> It was required to be used if there is an incident or near miss. Also when a unannounced test was required for all the crew. A message would be received from the Company and the (automated) results had to be returned with 3 hours.


One ship I was on the company got a non compliance since the calibration gas was out of date and there were no records that the breathalyzer was calibrated since it came on board. Another thing to keep track of. 

Joe


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## Uricanejack (Jul 22, 2012)

Breathalysers?

First I thought you were kidding, apparently not by the number of comments.
I work on a dry boat with a zero tolerance policy. The world has changed since I were a lad. No random testing or breathalyser.

Modern paper, work the ISM code gone nuts.

I hate paper work, I hate pointless meetings even more, especially since they usually require pointless paper work.
Best just to bite the bullet and get it done. Don’t let it back up.
If you deal with issues, in a timely manner. You end up with less paper work. Festering issues un dealt with, more paper work

It is important to remember to prioritise what is actually important. Don’t forget the ship needs to run. To Run it needs to be in class. It has to be maintained, just taking care of paper work doesn’t cut it. 

I’ve never heard of a ship sinking because the paperwork was backed up. 

The phone can be a great asset or a P.A.I.Truth is I miss it when I need it and we have no signal..
The trouble with the cell phone and sat phone is I get so many dam calls when something is up. It interferer’s with dealing with anything.
Managers can be a bit slow on the uptake.
Sometimes its best just to point it out. When they realise they don’t bug you.


I usually find Lloyds, ABS, DNV helpful.
Often I know the local rep on first name basis.
The ability to phone and explain an issue can be a big help to get it resolved.

Life may be more difficult deep sea dealing with unknown often dare I say it corrupt local shore authorities.
I have not done that since I was a junior Mate decades ago.
I was on short coastal voyages for the last couple of decades. Doing my own pilot age, often on a small ship where I stood a navigational watch in addition to being Master with only 1 or 2 mates.


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## bob nightingale (Mar 18, 2007)

Ian #5,
Get the nominated non drinker,pool all employment numbers when breathalyser
is required,one does all. he he.
Bob.


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## Robert Hilton (Feb 13, 2011)

surfaceblow said:


> One ship I was on the company got a non compliance since the calibration gas was out of date and there were no records that the breathalyzer was calibrated since it came on board. Another thing to keep track of.
> 
> Joe


Handy if the ship was detained. You'd get a rest courtesy of owners' overdone beaureaucracy. It might even drive them to the booze.


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## Ian Brown (Jun 25, 2008)

bob nightingale said:


> Ian #5,
> Get the nominated non drinker,pool all employment numbers when breathalyser
> is required,one does all. he he.
> Bob.


No need Bob. LNG tankers are generally dry ships with limited chances for a run ashore.
Having said that I was on a LPG tanker many years ago where the C/O and P/pman secretly bought a case of vodka off a bunker barge at Fujairah with nearly disasterous results for us all when doing a transhipment off Taiwan..


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## trotterdotpom (Apr 29, 2005)

Uricanejack: "The phone can be a great asset or a P.A.I.Truth is I miss it when I need it and we have no signal..
The trouble with the cell phone and sat phone is I get so many dam calls when something is up. It interferer’s with dealing with anything."

What you need is a friendly Sparks. I always knew when it was necessary to wake the Old Man up, mostly I 'd just leave the telegrams on his desk.

John T


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## Varley (Oct 1, 2006)

John, And ensure you have given him time to 'cool off' before you manage to clear his more forthright missives I hope.


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## trotterdotpom (Apr 29, 2005)

Varley said:


> John, And ensure you have given him time to 'cool off' before you manage to clear his more forthright missives I hope.


The old "Should this "bastids" have a capital B, Captain?" department, David. Where would they have been without us?

John T


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## surfaceblow (Jan 16, 2008)

I worked with the same Master on the same ship for five years. Our hours were pretty much the same. Coffee in my office at 0600 start the office computer to open the satellite modem and download the morning emails. Answer the morning emails. Have breakfast do the morning walkabout of the machinery spaces and get the information requested in the morning emails. Answer the morning emails. At 10 am another pot of coffee with the Master open the gateway for the next batch of emails. Order the parts used the day before and review the maintenance logs and reports. Have lunch with the Captain at 11:30 so I can do the noon numbers. Send the noon reports via email. Take another walkabout. More paperwork until supper with another coffee and gateway transfer of data with the office of the inventory, requisitions, and maintenance reports at 1500. The Captain is usually in his office doing the same things that I have outlined until about 2200. 

Joe


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