• The officer or petty officer assigned to the
gangway watch for the maintenance of a
properly posted and alert watch on the
crew’s brow or accommodation ladder
• The petty officer of the watch for super-
vising the quarterdeck watch, anchor
watch, fog lookouts, brow and dock
sentries, and security watches and patrols
under the control of the OOD
• The duty master-at-arms for maintenance
of good order and discipline and security
and processing of prisoners
• The sergeant of the guard for direction of
the guard in performing their duties, if a
Marine Detachment is assigned
The duties, responsibilities, and authority of
the OOD are clearly defined in the Standard
Organization and Regulations of the U.S. Navy
(SORN), OPNAVINST 3120.32B. You should
periodically review the duties, responsibilities, and
authority of the OOD to make sure they have not
changed. The following list of OOD duties,
responsibilities, and authority is an excerpt from
article 441.3, Officer of the Deck (In Port):
(1) Keep continually informed of the
unit’s position, mooring lines or ground
tackle in use, tide and weather informa-
tion, the status of the engineering plant,
the status of the unit’s boats, and all other
matters affecting the safety and security
of the unit; and take appropriate action to
prevent grounding, collision, dragging or
other danger in accordance with the U.S.
Coast Guard Navigation Rules of the Road
and the orders of the commanding officer
and other proper authority.
(2) Ensure that required reports to
the OOD (in-port) concerning tests and
inspections and the routine reports of
patrols, watches, and sentries are promptly
originated and that the quarterdeck watch,
lookouts, anchor watch, and other sentries
or patrols are properly posted and alert.
(3) Ensure all required entries are
made in the deck log, and sign the log at
the conclusion of the watch.
(4) Carry out the routine as published
in the” plan of the day, ensuring the ex-
ecutive officer, CDO (in-port), and depart-
ment heads are informed of circumstances
which require changes in routine or other
action on their part.
(5) Initiate and supervise unit’s evolutions
or operations as necessary.
(6) Attend one of the unit’s gangways,
and supervise watch personnel assigned to
attend other gangways.
(7) Supervise the operation of the unit’s
boats in accordance with the boat schedule
published by the executive officer and the
orders of the commanding officer and other
proper authority.
(8) Ensure that all boats are operated safely
and all boat safety regulations are observed.
Give particular attention to changes in wind
or sea conditions and notify the CDO (in-port)
when the suspension of boating is advisable.
Ensure that boats are not overloaded, and
reduce the allowed loading capacity when
weather conditions require caution. Recom-
mend use of boat officers to the CDO when
weather or other conditions warrant. Require
boat passengers to wear life jackets when
conditions are hazardous; ensure
that all boats assigned trips are fully equipped,
manned, fueled, and in working order; pro-
vide harbor charts to boat coxswains; give
boat coxswains trip orders and orders to shove
off.
(9) Supervise the general announcing
system, the general and chemical alarms, and
the whistle, gong, and bell in accordance with
the orders of the commanding officer and
U.S. Coast Guard Navigation Rules of the
Road.
(10) Permit no person to go aloft on mast
or stacks or to work over the side of the ship
except when wind and sea conditions permit,
and then only when all safety precautions are
observed.
(11) Display required absentee pennants,
colors, and general information signals, and
supervise the rendering of honors.
(12) Make all required reports to the CDO
(in-port), executive officer, and commanding
officer as directed by standing orders to the
OOD.
(13) Supervise and conduct on-the-job
training for the JOOW, the JOOD, and
enlisted personnel of the quarterdeck watch.
(14) Assume other responsibilities as the
commanding officer may assign.
(15) Supervise striking of the ship’s bell
to denote the hours and half-hours from
reveille to taps, requesting permission of the
commanding officer to strike eight bells at
0800, 1200, and 2000.
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