Officer of the watch

This occupation is found in a wide range of specialist vessels, both commercial and military such as Royal Navy landing craft, tugs, fishing boats and workboats. Vessels are typically used to transport cargo, passengers or crew. They work close to the shore, in waters designated by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency as "Near Coastal"; an area of operation restricted to 150 miles from a safe haven on the coast of the UK and 30 miles from Ireland.

Vessels vary considerably in their size, type and use, and therefore an Officer of the Watch’s (OOW’s) responsibilities will also vary between different vessels.

The broad purpose of the occupation is to take charge of a vessel’s safety, security and navigation during operations both at sea and when in harbour; the OOW must make key decisions on these issues, often in rapidly changing situations. Their work directly impacts the safety of all those onboard and also impacts protection of the marine environment.

An OOW can expect their working patterns to vary considerably, depending on the type of vessel and scope of operation. This can include working for several weeks at a time on board and working at any time of day or night and in all weathers. Lengthy operations at sea are potentially followed by a similar length of leave.

In their daily work, an employee in this occupation interacts with the crew, the Master of the vessel (sometimes known as Captain or Skipper), and other navigational and engineering officers (depending on the size of the vessel). They may also interact other professionals, such as seafarers on board other vessels. An OOW may interact with colleagues ashore, alongside, and on fixed structures at sea (e.g., oil platforms), This could include owners and their representatives, organisation senior managers, port and navigational authorities, technical and safety standards organisations, Coastguard Officers and other Search and Rescue professionals.

An employee in this occupation will be responsible for their vessel, which they are in charge of throughout their watch. They are also responsible for keeping an accurate record of notable events during the watch. An OOW is required to perform a full handover at the beginning and end of their watch.

An OOW is also responsible for directing and monitoring the crew. The OOW may also be responsible for coaching inexperienced crew.

They are responsible for the security and the safe embarkation or mooring / anchorage of a vessel. They must manage the passage plan that describes the voyage in detail, and for the safe handling of a vessel during its operation. These operations may also take place when the vessel is involved in other tasks likes towing or pushing other vessels, fishing, or landing military personnel. An OOW may be required to supervise specialist tasks such as loading cargo when in harbour.

They must also take appropriate action and respond during emergencies to ensure the safety of the vessel and those working on board.

An OOW may also have responsibilities for the maintenance of navigational and safety equipment, lifesaving and fire-fighting appliances or have a part of vessel to look after. An OOW must work with the legal requirements set by a number of international and national bodies, particularly with regard to safety and to protect the marine environment.

Though the Master has overall responsibility for the vessel, there are times they will be unavailable. An OOW has delegated authority in the Master’s absence. This is done within the scope of the Master's standing orders, which set out the operational plans and also sets out when the OOW should seek guidance. In any type of organisation, an OOW will need to balance their responsibilities with the business priorities of the vessel’s owner (if in commercial service), or Command Aim of the Commanding Officer in the case of the Royal Navy.

Mandatory qualifications are listed below. Important notice: passing the MCA Oral and Written exams culminate in the MCA award of a Certificate of Competency to practice as an Officer of the Watch. These exams also form part of the partially integrated approach to End-Point Assessment (EPA). These exams must not therefore be completed during the apprenticeship on-programme. All of the remaining mandatory qualifications must be passed by gateway to EPA.

Training providers. Important notice - Only training providers who are on the ESFA register (the RoATP) and who are also approved by MCA to deliver OOW near-coastal 500 may deliver this apprenticeship. Training providers must contact MCA before commencing any training of apprentices.