NOT MY WAY OR THE HIGHWAY; PROCEDURES MATTER.

Preamble: This series of articles from Navguide Solutions, one every month, will focus on Rightship Inspection requirements, eventually going deeper into the subject and helping the industry phase into the RISQ regime.

- Capt. Robert Vaz, Chief Operating Officer, Navguide Solutions

Rayman was a very experienced Chief Officer and was very safety conscious, which is a great combination for any Chief Officer. The only issue was that Rayman served as Chief Officer for almost ten years on two sister ships; both these ships were on a time charter to the government and had only one load port and one discharge port. Due to the nature of her trade, she was never subject to third-party inspections, and even the PSC inspectors were very lenient with these two vessels as they were part of the national fleet, both these vessels would be in port at least twice a week, and all local officers and crew were employed.

The issue came up when both these ships were sold, and Rayman had to look for a new company. Well, due to his experience in cargo work and his commitment to personnel safety, the Blue Line ship management company( name changed) employed Rayman, but Chief Officer Rayman started having issues within a couple of days onboard.

On this vessel, there was a multinational crew. Some crew members had a good marine vocabulary but could not speak fluent English. Also, Chief Officer Rayman could be heard raising his voice, irritated and angry with most of the crew.

Capt. Kumar told Chief Officer Rayman that the managers would request a Rightship inspection in about three weeks and that we needed to be well prepared.

That's when Capt. Kumar decided to help Chief Officer Rayman. To begin with, Rayman had never witnessed a Rightship inspection and had never seen a comprehensive SMS, procedures, forms, or checklists. Rayman was always used to his way and could often be heard powering and muscling his way. That's when Capt. Kumar said, "Not my way or the highway; procedures matter," you need to be familiar with the company SMS."