Individual Competence That Support BRM ~ Enhancing Competence of Inexperienced Navigation Officers ~

Checklist for Self-Assessment and Improvement

No.

1
2
3
4
5
6
7

Items
Lookout
Can you estimate distance and bearing to the object (such as another ship) by means of visual observation
alone?
Can you perform lookout duty by effectively combining various methods (including binoculars) in any
navigational situation?
Can you link the target obtained by means of visual observation to that found using other methods (such as
navigational instruments)?
Can you distinguish between dangerous targets* and non-dangerous targets**?
By means of continuous monitoring, can you determine whether or not they are at risk of collision with your own
vessel?
When performing lookout duty, do you consider the ship type when deciding how much attention should be paid?
(e.g. a fishing boat towing a net, or two fishing boats towing a net between them, etc.)
Do you practice reading the names of ships in your vicinity even though they have AIS?

Can you concisely report information obtained in lookout to other members on the bridge?
Do you perform lookout by taking into consideration your own passage plan and the traffic situation in your
vicinity?
*Dangerous target: A target that is at risk of collision with your own ship or at risk of coming too close to your own ship.
**Non-dangerous target: A target other than the above (A ship unlikely to collide with or come too close to your own ship.

Instrument Manipulation
1
Do you understand the characteristics of information you obtain from each individual navigational instrument
(such as Radar/ARPA, AIS, ECDIS and GPS)?
2
Have you correctly adjusted the Radar range based on navigation area or traffic situation?
3
Have you properly adjusted the vector length of ARPA, etc. after taking into account distances to the other ships,
your own ships speed and navigation area?

Self-check

Recommended Behavior
To identify and recognize
other ships, buoys, etc.,
and gather information on
the direction, distance and
speed of the detected
targets using visual
observation and
navigational instruments
(such as radar), and to
estimate the future status
of the targets.

8
9

Can you understand the difference between X-Band and S-Band Radar, and use them properly for lookout?

Can you understand the difference between True motion and Relative motion of ARPA, and use it appropriately?

Can you use the various functions of Radar/ARPA (e.g. parallel index, trail function)?

Can you confirm by means of navigational instrument or another method that orders issued by you or the master
have been carried out?
Do you monitor navigational instruments to obtain information and identify trouble, human error, etc.?
Do you check to make sure the navigational instruments are working properly?

8
9

1/3

To become familiar with all

instruments used for
lookout, positioning,
maneuvering, etc., and to
use them properly
To become able to
cross-check all information
using a combination of
tools rather than relying on
a single method or
instrument.

No.

1
2

Items
Positioning
Can you fix the ships position by various methods?
Do you have confidence in the accuracy of your fixed position when you do not use a positioning system?

3
4
5

Can you maintain an appropriate position fixing interval based on the passage plan?
Can you fix the ships position quickly without interfering with your lookout duties?
Can you properly report deviation from course line, distance and bearing to the next way point, leeway and
required speed to a senior bridge team member when you obtain the ships position?
Can you fix the anchors position when the anchor is dropped?

Self-Check

Recommended Behavior
To recognize and select
objects by means of visual
observation or radar
To quickly and accurately
obtain ships position
using nautical charts, etc.,
and to report it properly to
other bridge team
members.

4
5

Communication
Can you prepare necessary information to communicate with VTS or port control stations? Can all bridge team
members confirm the information quickly?
Can you contact another ship by VHF even if you have not identified the ships name?
Have you confirmed the names of passages or conspicuous objects (islands, lighthouses, etc.) before passing
through a narrow channel or entering/leaving port?
Can you keep phone conversations as short as possible to avoid interfering with lookout?
When you speak on the phone, do other bridge team members easily understand what you are saying?

Maneuvering

Do you understand the maneuvering characteristics of your own ship?

To control the ships

Can you keep or alter ships course by yourself?

course, speed and

Do you understand that your ships maneuvering characteristics will change depending on the load condition?

position using the rudder

When altering the ships course, do you understand when you should order a rudder angle change and when

and the main engine, etc.

you should order a ships course change to the quartermaster?

after considering external

Do you understand how to use the telegraph in case of increasing/decreasing R.P.M. and crash astern?

forces and other ships so

During manual steering, can you quickly perform the quartermasters duties (meteorological observation, etc.) by

as to maintain your

yourself to minimize interference with lookout duties?

intended course or route.

2
3

When altering the ships course, can you accurately check ships position, traffic behind your ship, rudder angle
indicator, turn rate indicator, etc.?

Are you aware of the external forces (current, wind, etc.) that affect your ships maneuvering characteristics?

2/3

To exchange information
quickly and properly with
other areas of the ship
(bow/stern, engine room,
galley, etc.) or with
external parties (VTS,
head office, etc.).

No.

Items

Self-Check

Recommended Bahavior

Rules of the Road

Do you understand the COLREGs (International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea)?

To faithfully observe

Can you maneuver the ship while properly observing the regulations in an actual navigational situation?

marine traffic regulations

Do you study the local regulations in each sea area and port (like Tokyo Bay) before entering?

(such as COLREGs) and

local rules.

Planning

Prior to your watch, do you compare the navigational sea area against the passage plan and nautical charts?

To gather information

Before altering ships course to avoid another vessel, do you draw a new course line and check for underwater

concerning the

dangers?

navigational environment

Do you make notes on the chart, etc. when you find remarkable events (a group of fishing boats or an uncharted

and use it to make a

buoy, etc.) during your watch?

maneuvering plan and a

passage plan.

Management

Do you determine your priorities based on the actual navigational situation (navigational area or vessel traffic

To always base your

conditions)?

actions on your clear

Do you navigate your ship based on the time schedule indicated in the passage plan?

understanding of

immediate priorities.

Emergency

Do you understand which situations demand that you call the captain?

To properly cope with

Do you have other methods for contacting the captain when you cannot use the phone (because he is not in his

emergency situations

cabin)?

such as main engine or

Do you know which navigational instruments you can use in case of blackout?

steering system

As officer of the watch, do you understand what to do in each type of emergency situation?

man overboard, distress

signals, etc.

Please use the self-check system you prefer (e.g. grades like A, B, C, or percentage completed) for each item.

3/3

trouble,