First Navigational watch.

It seems odd to name this post my first navigational watch because strictly speaking that happened back in 1999.
But as I haven't been to sea in 3.5 years it does feel like I'm starting again.
Luckily I've had an easy re start to life at sea, with almost a week on board before actually sailing.
My watch started at 2000(8pm) and the first hour we were finishing off loading our sand cargo. We loaded it on an area just outside the Humber Estuary. I should perhaps explain here that the Arco Humber is an aggregate dredger. We load aggregate( sand & gravel) in specific licensed areas off the UK coast.
Once the Captain was happy we had loaded enough, we stowed our gear, switched off the deck lights and set our course north towards Teesport.
I spent quite a while re acquainting my self with all the various controls, lights, buttons and more importantly alarms and most annoyingly rattles!! I found that the starboard bridge door rattles if you close it firmly to, leave it slightly ajar and .....aaah....silence!
I did feel a little flutter of excitement when I saw a few ships on the radar. To me this has always been the most enjoyable part of the job, you can forget paperwork. Plotting a ship, seeing where it is going, how fast, is it on a collision with us? Do I need to do anything? Just like when driving a car you need to follow the Highway Code, when navigating a ship there is a similar set of rules to follow.
I knew that going from the dredging area to the Tees I wouldn't encounter too many ships and any I should encounter would be on a similar north/ south route like me.
I saw a few gas platforms in the distance, their bright lights highlighting their presence from miles away with their familiar light flashing Morse U (••-) meaning 'You are running into danger'. Their guard vessels, float around between a few platforms, like a guard dog making sure you don't get too close.
The navigation bridge is dark except for the glow of radar screens. My only companion is a Polish Seaman watch keeper who sits on the other side of the wheelhouse, keeping a look out. It's strange to think that only us two and the duty engineer in the Engine room are awake. Eight others are fast asleep down in their cabins as I navigate us safely through the night. What a responsibility!
At 0048hrs came the soft lilting tones of 'Sailing By' on 198LW, Radio 4. It is such a soothing tune which lulls you into a false sense of security in a way. As soon as it finishes, there you are all chilled out and then Wham! the weather shipping forecast is coming at you, you have to listen as well as scribble down really quickly what the man is saying about your shipping areas. Tyne,Dogger,Fisher, German Bight, Humber......... Not good news weather wise SW or W 8-10 occ violent storm 11! Expected soon. Luckily as we are creeping up the East coast, only 5-6 miles from the coast we are still fairly sheltered. The friendly lights of Flamborough Head and Whitby are on the port side. It's comforting to know we are not too far away from land!
So after a quiet watch, I hand over to the Second Mate (2/O) at 0400 and go down and curl up asleep for a few hours. The first watch over.

Watch snacks were 2 oranges, a banana and 4 cups of green tea!

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   



Arco Humber - Sand cargo

Night time on the bridge