I am in the Navy.

Gary... I am very familiar with your credentials... much less your
contributions on this forum as well the chaotic A.S.A gang. I have
enjoyed your past postings and feel that the viewing public has
benefitted quite a bit from your expertise as a seaman and naval
officer with an active command assignment (HMCS Oriole).

Having said that... I will cut the crap and get to the chase so to
speak.

Few ships steam around without a proper watch...

While I am unqualified to make such a statement... I did try to
indicate to a poster who questioned this fact... that in my limited
experience aboard one particular vessel we *did* maintain a 24
hour bridge watch... albeit with certain distractions.

If the previous poster - billwarnock... is a passenger he is
riding on a very poorly run ship.

I feel that was a rather harsh generalization to make based on
my limited commentary.

I guess I should have said something about all the numerious type
drills (abandon ship... fire... hazmat...terrorist etc..) that were
routinely undertaken and on a continuing basis. Or the daily
inspections made by the Master and deck officers throughout
the vessel during the day and night. Or the two hour saftey classes
(all hands... excluding the bridge watch)held every Friday afternoon
with questions and expected correct answers.

Or the real lifeboat launch with some crew aboard...which can
sometimes be hazardous to one's well being... sprained backs
etc.. Their lifeboat is one that looks like a giant hi top shoe that's
sits way above the poop deck on a launching ramp... and when
the coxswain pulls the releasing hooks... the lifeboat flies off
the end of the stern into the water... reminding you of something
like a Disneyland ride. Because of the possibility of injury in
this type of a drill... it wasn't done any more than what the law
required... I believe every three months.

Or some of our fire drills... when the chief engineer would literally
start a controlled fire (in a safe area of course) so that the fire
fighting detail would have to experience the use of their breathing
apparatus and making their way in a smoke filled invironment with
limited vision and sense of direction.

We hail passing commercial ships where ever we go...

And I am very certain that on our ship... who ever was the duty
officer on the bridge would make sure that his communication
abilities were functional and would be responsive to any *official*
vessel that was hailing.

On the other hand... I sailed with one master (Russian) who
wouldn't bother to talk with one of our sister ships going the
other way... for whatever reason. Now the authorities... he
was always commutative for obvious reasons

Likely it is nothing but exageration.

Gary... I attempt to write honestly and openingly (to a fault
sometimes)
even my email address is for real.

Accordingly I did not mean to exaggerate things as I saw them
on the bridge of my ship. Then again my writtings are subject
to my perception of things...

Being an ex Marine (FMF) I was on a myriad of Navy vessels...
and some what exposed to this type of maritime environment
and discipline required to keep things running smoothly.

On a small foreign flagged container ship with a minimally staffed
multi national crew... was a whole different ball game altogether.
Yet, from what I saw on this ship, the officers and crew were
credentialed and capable and ran an impeccably well maintained
ship.

I don't know if you have had much prolonged exposure to this
type of a maritime setting... but trust me... it's quite a trip. :-)

Best regards

Bill