sleeping...?

[thewildandelusivebacon]

hi guys. If your an officer do you still sleep in those racks.

I heard if your an officer instead of sleeping in an area with 30 people, you share a state room.

thanks.

 

[KrazyHamburglar]

Indeed, officers usually share a cabin but some Heads of Department might be alone, in destroyers at least... of course, most subbies end up in the messes at some point anyway.

 

[Pat in Halifax]

Ha Ha! - A stateroom????? These vessels are NOT "Oasis of the...", they are war ships plain and simple. Even HODs share cabins (2 per) and generally the only one alone is the XO. This may vary from ship to ship(and this is for HAL class) but you are never too far from someone.
Funny enough, the Officer who sailed with myself and my last group of trainees ended up in a mess deck due to a shortage of cabins - He said it was great! Around day 3, he actually asked me if there were lights in 10 mess!

 

[Ex-Dragoon]

Ha Ha! - A stateroom????? These vessels are NOT "Oasis of the...", they are war ships plain and simple. Even HODs share cabins (2 per) and generally the only one alone is the XO. This may vary from ship to ship(and this is for HAL class) but you are never too far from someone.
Funny enough, the Officer who sailed with myself and my last group of trainees ended up in a mess deck due to a shortage of cabins - He said it was great! Around day 3, he actually asked me if there were lights in 10 mess!

The Coxn and the CO also have their own cabins unless the CPF has the Commodore embarked and then he and the CO share a cabin. There are also topics that discuss living conditions onboard the various classes of ships the Navy has.

Milnet.Ca Staff

 

[Acer Syrup]

We get to sleep?

 

[Navalsnpr]

We get to sleep?

On board ship, the majority of Officers are 'Day Workers' and the ones who aren't (MARS) will do a 4 hour shift on the bridge. Now the ORO's are the only true shift workers onboard doing 12 hours in the Ops Room a day.

 

[Pusser]

Actually the term stateroom is not so far off the mark.  Although we call them cabins in Canada, US Navy officers do call them staterooms.

HODs in destroyers have single cabins.

Captains and Commodores do not share cabins.  They share a common area, but they each have separate sleeping areas.  In destroyers they also have their own heads (can't say for CPFs).

MARS officers frequently stand more than one four hour watch in a day. In a one in three rotation, that works out to three watches a day for two days followed by one day with only two watches, then the cycle repeats itself.  I'd say that pretty much qualifies as shift work, although I gather MARS officers don't often stand 1 in 3 anymore.

 

[Occam]

although I gather MARS officers don't often stand 1 in 3 anymore.

Unless things have changed drastically, the only people who stand 1 in 3 are engineering types.  Everyone else is always either 1 in 2 or 1 in 4 (or dayworkers).

 

[gcclarke]

Unless things have changed drastically, the only people who stand 1 in 3 are engineering types.  Everyone else is always either 1 in 2 or 1 in 4 (or dayworkers).

For the Bridge Watch Keepers (BWKs), it really just depends upon how many qualified BWKs you have aboard. I have heard of 1 in 3, however something like 1 in 5 is more common. Often times on actual deployments, the limiting factor is bunking. If you don't need more than 3 BWKs, you might only bring 3 to allow you space to bring along others, air crew, Int, padres, etc. But the rotation of the BWKs is pretty much independent of whatever watch rotation the rest of the ship happens to be standing.

 

[Dipstick]

Actually the term stateroom is not so far off the mark.  Although we call them cabins in Canada, US Navy officers do call them staterooms.

HODs in destroyers have single cabins.

Captains and Commodores do not share cabins.  They share a common area, but they each have separate sleeping areas.  In destroyers they also have their own heads (can't say for CPFs).

MARS officers frequently stand more than one four hour watch in a day. In a one in three rotation, that works out to three watches a day for two days followed by one day with only two watches, then the cycle repeats itself.  I'd say that pretty much qualifies as shift work, although I gather MARS officers don't often stand 1 in 3 anymore.

For Subbie MARS officers in my ship, 1 in 3 is the norm.  Good times are had by all.

 

[FDO]

On board ship, the majority of Officers are 'Day Workers' and the ones who aren't (MARS) will do a 4 hour shift on the bridge. Now the ORO's are the only true shift workers onboard doing 12 hours in the Ops Room a day.

True because none of the hard sea NCM's like Bos'n's or combat stand 1 in 2!! :

 

[Navalsnpr]

True because none of the hard sea NCM's like Bos'n's or combat stand 1 in 2!! :

Really?  Every ship I've sailed on over the past 12 years, we've always been 1 in 2. When I was on the Tanker, we gave the Junior NCM's the option of 1 in 2 or 1 in 4 and they choose unanimously 1 in 2.

 

[NavyShooter]

I've rarely sailed anything but 1/2, the times we've done other than that have mostly been to do 1/4 the last couple of days before getting alongside to tidy the ship up.

NS

 

[trigger324]

Really?  Every ship I've sailed on over the past 12 years, we've always been 1 in 2. When I was on the Tanker, we gave the Junior NCM's the option of 1 in 2 or 1 in 4 and they choose unanimously 1 in 2.

Pretty sure Retired FDO was making that comment in jest, thus the rolling eyes.

 

[Neill McKay]

When I was on the Tanker, we gave the Junior NCM's the option of 1 in 2 or 1 in 4 and they choose unanimously 1 in 2.

Do you know why?

 

[Ex-Dragoon]

Do you know why?

Because 1 in 4 you are generally turning to, during 1 in 2 the 1 in 2 messes don't report rounds either. Pretty cut and dry.

 

[Pusser]

For years we sailed with most of the ship's company in 1 in 4, although except for one brief period I always stood 1 in 3 as a MARS officer (determined by number of folks available to stand watch).  The stokers have always stood and continue to stand 1 in 3.  In a 1 in 4 rotation, you stand your watches AND work the normal day (i.e. if off watch between 0800 and 1600 you are doing departmental work.  Everyone also "cleans into night clothing" (red sea rig for officers, golf-shirts and bunny slippers for C&POs) at supper time.  With the first Gulf War we started to sail more often in the Second Degree of Readiness, which put the combat operators on a 1 in 2 rotation.  When in 1 in 2, there is no night clothing and no departmental work (i.e. when off watch, folks can go to their racks if they wish.  As a navy, we've gotten very comfortable with this.  So much so that when last at sea, the CO wanted to give the sailors "a break" so he put us into the Fourth Degree of Readiness and a 1 in 4 rotation.  The sailors howled!!!  They hated it because the manning of the ship had changed over the years such that the numbers actually made it difficult to support 1 in 4.  In order to support 1 in 4, personnel who didn't normally stand watches ended up having to.  In short, the sailors had to work harder and longer when they were being given a "break."  The HODs & CHODsprotested, but go nowhere.  Makes one think.... :brickwall:

 

[Neill McKay]

When in 1 in 2, there is no night clothing and no departmental work (i.e. when off watch, folks can go to their racks if they wish.

Is the departmental workload taken up by more dayworkers, then?

 

[Pusser]

Is the departmental workload taken up by more dayworkers, then?

Generally, no.  For the most part, it simply doesn't get done at sea, unless it's operationally necessary.  Notwithstanding the watch rotation, officers and C&POs will generally use at least some of their "off" time to catch up on administrative work, which can sometimes be a little tricky with all the lights turned off.

 

[Oldgateboatdriver]

Do you know why?

An additional reason (at least in my days, and I hope still today) is that when in 1 in 2 rotation, you usually go into "modified Vietnam" mode: Four watches in a day - two of seven hours and two of five hours. And then plan the daily drills (fire/Mobex) refuelling and other similar necessary tasks to take place during the two five hour watches. This way, you are on watch at the same time everyday - no constant adapting to time shifts - and everyone gets a straight 6 to 6 1/2 hour  shut-eye period if they wish, that is only disturbed for real emergencies or operational requirements.

Coupled with the postponing of all departmental work that is not essential that goes with it, it makes for a much more relaxed work atmosphere for the NCM while it gets them more time practicing their actual trade. They usually love it and it makes for good morale.