In the Navy, we had an expression “gundeck,” which referred to falsifying logbooks and records after the fact. We used it as a verb – as in “to gundeck.”
As Quartermaster of the Watch, I had to maintain a number of different logbooks and records, in addition to maintaining the navigation plot on the chart. The Quartermaster’s Log contained a minute-by-minute record of everything that happened on the ship, including every change in course or speed. I also had to keep a magnetic log comparing the gyro-compass and magnetic compass at least every 30 minutes and after every course change, and detailed weather observations every hour. Sometimes, especially during high-tempo operations (for instance, when at General Quarters), I might fail to record log entries immediately as required. At the end of my watch, before being relieved, I might “gundeck the log” by adding entries after the fact. This was of course against regulations, but probably relatively benign in most cases. There’s a big difference, however, between gundecking and deliberately falsifying the ship’s records after an incident to escape culpability.
Here’s a case in point, as reported in Safety at Sea International (www.safetyatsea.net).
The MS Atlantic Eagle, a 74,086 dead-weight ton bulk carrier loaded with wheat, struck Maude Reef off Western Australia in July 2008, seriously damaging its hull, rudder and steering gear. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) investigators determined that for more than 40 minutes prior to the grounding the ship’s position was not charted by the bridge team. The investigators said the second mate “… had little appreciation of where the ship was or would be with respect to navigational dangers ahead.”
Now the mischief begins. The ATSB found that entries in the ship’s bridge log book had been made in pencil and included erasures, while the official deck log was completed in pen by the master at a later time. Positions on the chart were falsified. “Log books and records were then completed in a manner aimed at ensuring consistency with the chart rather than being accurate, factual and indisputable as required,” said the report.
In the future, it will be a lot harder for a watch officer to gundeck or falsify logs, as manual record-keeping is replaced by electronic logbooks. Most merchant ships today are required to carry a Voyage Data Recorder (VDR), which is similar to an aircraft’s “black box.” The VDR interfaces with the ship’s navigation and control sensors, as well as microphones on the bridge and VHF radio, and stores this data in a hardened waterproof and fireproof capsule for later retrieval to be analyzed after an incident at sea. You can download a helpful guidebook explaining VDR technology at Sperry Marine’s website (VDR technology guidebook).
As Quartermaster of the Watch, I had to maintain a number of different logbooks and records, in addition to maintaining the navigation plot on the chart. The Quartermaster’s Log contained a minute-by-minute record of everything that happened on the ship, including every change in course or speed. I also had to keep a magnetic log comparing the gyro-compass and magnetic compass at least every 30 minutes and after every course change, and detailed weather observations every hour. Sometimes, especially during high-tempo operations (for instance, when at General Quarters), I might fail to record log entries immediately as required. At the end of my watch, before being relieved, I might “gundeck the log” by adding entries after the fact. This was of course against regulations, but probably relatively benign in most cases. There’s a big difference, however, between gundecking and deliberately falsifying the ship’s records after an incident to escape culpability.
Here’s a case in point, as reported in Safety at Sea International (www.safetyatsea.net).
The MS Atlantic Eagle, a 74,086 dead-weight ton bulk carrier loaded with wheat, struck Maude Reef off Western Australia in July 2008, seriously damaging its hull, rudder and steering gear. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) investigators determined that for more than 40 minutes prior to the grounding the ship’s position was not charted by the bridge team. The investigators said the second mate “… had little appreciation of where the ship was or would be with respect to navigational dangers ahead.”
Now the mischief begins. The ATSB found that entries in the ship’s bridge log book had been made in pencil and included erasures, while the official deck log was completed in pen by the master at a later time. Positions on the chart were falsified. “Log books and records were then completed in a manner aimed at ensuring consistency with the chart rather than being accurate, factual and indisputable as required,” said the report.
In the future, it will be a lot harder for a watch officer to gundeck or falsify logs, as manual record-keeping is replaced by electronic logbooks. Most merchant ships today are required to carry a Voyage Data Recorder (VDR), which is similar to an aircraft’s “black box.” The VDR interfaces with the ship’s navigation and control sensors, as well as microphones on the bridge and VHF radio, and stores this data in a hardened waterproof and fireproof capsule for later retrieval to be analyzed after an incident at sea. You can download a helpful guidebook explaining VDR technology at Sperry Marine’s website (VDR technology guidebook).
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