Sixth. One year's service as a licensed master of lake, bay, or sound steam vessels, or

Seventh. Two years' service as first-class pilot of lake, bay, or sound steam vessels, or

Eighth. One year's service as first-class pilot of lake, bay, or sound steam vessels, together with three months' service in the deck department of ocean or coastwise steam vessels, or

Ninth. One year's service as chief mate of ocean or coastwise steam vessels engaged in the fisheries, or

Tenth. One year's service as master of ocean or coastwise sail vessels engaged in the fisheries.

In cases where the experience of an applicant for license as second mate of coastwise steam vessels does not meet the specific requirements of this section, other service which the local inspectors consider a fair and reasonable equivalent may be accepted by them in lieu of the service herein specified.

Third mate of coastwise steam vessels.

34. An applicant for license as third mate of coastwise steam vessels shall be eligible for examination after he has furnished satisfactory documentary evidence to the local inspectors that he has had the following experience:

First. Two years' service in the deck department of ocean or coastwise steam vessels, or

Second. Three years' service in the deck department of ocean or coastwise sail vessels, or

Third. A graduate from the seamanship class of a nautical school ship, or

Fourth. One year's service as master or first-class pilot of lake, bay, or sound steam vessels.

In cases where the experience of an applicant for license as third mate of coastwise steam vessels does not meet the specific requirements of this section, other service which the local inspectors consider a fair and reasonable equivalent may be accepted by them in lieu of the service herein specified.

Examination for license as chief nate and second mate of coastwise steam vessels.

35. An applicant for license as chief mate or second mate of coastwise steam vessels on routes exceeding 600 miles shall be required

to pass a satisfactory examination as to his knowledge of the following subjects:

1. Latitude by meridian altitude of the sun.

2. Day's work.

3. Determination of distance from a fixed object.

4. International rules for preventing collisions at sea.

5. Chart navigation.

6. Stowage of cargo.

7. Storm signals.

8. Such further examination of a non-mathematical character as the local inspectors may require.

An applicant for license as chief mate or second mate of coastwise steam vessels on routes of 600 miles or less shall be required to pass a satisfactory examination as to his knowledge of the following subjects:

1. Chart navigation.

2. Aids to navigation on route.

3. Determination of distance from a fixed object.

4. Marking of lead line.

5. International rules for preventing collisions at sea.

6. Storm signals.

7. Such further examination of a non-mathematical character as the local inspectors may require.

Examination for license as third mate of coastwise steam vessels.

36. An applicant for license as third mate of coastwise steam vessels shall pass a satisfactory examination as to his knowledge of the following subjects:

1. Chart navigation.

2. Determination of distance from a fixed object.

3. International rules for preventing collisions at sea.

4. Marking lead line.

5. Storm signals.

6. Such further examination of a non-mathematical character as the local inspectors may require.

Indorsement of Inland Licenses for Ocean Service.

Resolved, That whenever it may appear to the satisfaction of the Supervising Inspector General, that the demand for licensed officers

for ocean and coastwise vessels of the American merchant marine is such that it cannot be met under existing requirements and regulations he may authorize local inspectors to indorse the license of officers of lake, bay, and sound steam vessels for ocean or coastwise service for a period not to exceed six months or until such officer shall have passed a satisfactory examination for ocean or coastwise service within this period.

Officers whose licenses have been so indorsed shall present themselves for examination at the earliest possible opportunity after said indorsement.

Amendments of General Rules and Regulations for Bays, Sounds, and Lakes Other than the Great Lakes.

Experience Qualifications of Officers Eliminated.

Resolved, That for the present and until further notice, sections 20, 21, 23, 26, 31 and 32 of Rule V, General Rules and Regulations applying to Lakes (other than the Great Lakes), Bays, and Sounds, be struck out, and local inspectors notified that hereafter in issuing licenses to officers of vessels within this classification they may exercise the judgment and discretion vested in them by the law, without regard to the experience required by the rules and regulations the sufficiency of such experience to be determined by the local inspectors when the candidate applies for examination.

CHAPTER XVII

THE WATCH OFFICER

THE Officer of the Watch or the Watch Officer, as he is usually termed in the Merchant Service, is the deck officer who has charge of the vessel while under way at sea. On other occasions, if stopped through trouble, or because of communication with other vessels, or on occasions requiring special maneuvering, as in coming in and out of port, rescues at sea, etc., the Master assumes full charge.

The Watch Officers. The watch officers are usually the Chief, Second and Third Mates, on vessels of moderate tonnage. In larger craft different watches are arranged. Then the Chief Mate may stand no regular bridge watch, and the Second, Third, and Fourth Mates take this duty.

In some liners it is the custom to style the watch officers, all "second" officers; namely Senior, Junior, and Extra, Second Officers. These are usually all master mariners. Junior officers of the watch are also on the bridge, attend to the conning of the course, the working of navigation and bearings, and the keeping of the bridge log, which is signed by the senior watch officer at the end of the watch.

Importance of Watch Duty. For a long time a slipshod method of keeping watch prevailed in certain steamers, the outgrowth of second-rate sailing-ship practice, where thrifty, but ill-informed, masters, insisted on their watch officers keeping "busy" during the day.

It was thought advisable by these gentlemen to have the officer on the bridge "with nothing to do" attend to a bit of sewing on canvas, or help out with the painting, and what

not. Of course such masters were doomed to the scrap heap where they belong. A few miles added to the coal bill, through slovenly day-time steering, with kinks in the course as well as in the seams sewed by the misused officer, soon brought about reform. Added to this a certain danger, such as running down submerged hulls, and the like—with the thing happening once or twice, helped to wake up owners. Also, the bumping of two of these "economical" (and lubberly) craft, may have helped too.

FROM NAVIGATION LAWS OF THE UNITED STATES

The board of local inspectors shall make an entry in the certificate of inspection of every ocean and coastwise sea-going merchant vessel of the United States propelled by machinery, and every ocean-going vessel carrying passengers, the minimum number of licensed deck officers required for her safe navigation according to the following scale:

That no such vessel shall be navigated unless she shall have on board and in her service one duly licensed master. (Mar. 3, 1913; sec. 2.)

Three watches.

That every such vessel of one thousand gross tons and over, propelled by machinery, shall have in her service and on board three licensed mates, who shall stand in three watches while such vessel is being navigated, unless such vessel is engaged in a run of less than four hundred miles from the port of departure to the port of final destination, then such vessel shall have two licensed mates; and every vessel of two hundred gross tons and less than one thousand gross tons, propelled by machinery, shall have two licensed mates.

That every such vessel of one hundred gross tons and under two hundred gross tons, propelled by machinery, shall have on board and in her service one licensed mate; but if such vessel is engaged in a trade in which the time required to make the passage from the port of departure to the port of destination exceeds twenty-four hours, then such vessel shall have two licensed mates.

That nothing in this section shall be so construed as to prevent local inspectors from increasing the number of licensed officers on