When a pilot is on board, the Officer of the Watch (OOW) is no longer responsible for the ship.

When a pilot is on board, the Officer of the Watch (OOW) is no longer responsible for the ship.

• A. True
• B. False
• C. It depends on the pilot arrangement
• D. The OOW remains responsible

Answer: (B)

A pilot aboard is there to assist with navigation, not to take away the ship’s ultimate authority. The Master (and the Officer of the Watch) remains responsible for the vessel’s safety and compliance, even while the pilot is providing local knowledge and steering guidance in pilotage areas. The pilot’s role is advisory and operational under the master’s direction, and if anything goes wrong, the legal accountability stays with the Master and the OOW. So asserting that the OOW is no longer responsible is false. The presence of a pilot does not remove the OOW’s duty to monitor, supervise, and ensure safe navigation.

A pilot aboard is there to assist with navigation, not to take away the ship’s ultimate authority. The Master (and the Officer of the Watch) remains responsible for the vessel’s safety and compliance, even while the pilot is providing local knowledge and steering guidance in pilotage areas. The pilot’s role is advisory and operational under the master’s direction, and if anything goes wrong, the legal accountability stays with the Master and the OOW. So asserting that the OOW is no longer responsible is false. The presence of a pilot does not remove the OOW’s duty to monitor, supervise, and ensure safe navigation.