A midshipman undergoes bridge watchkeeping training in the bridge simulator in HMAS WATSON.

In early February 2000 the Maritime Commander endorsed a proposal by the Training Authority Maritime Warfare (TAMW) at HMAS WATSON to restructure and modify the Seaman Officers' Application Course (SEAAC) having identified current shortfalls in Officers of the Watch (OOW) training.

The revised system, which will take effect on July 1 2000, primarily reschedules the SEAAC training phases and initially separates mariner training and warfare training. Additionally, a cornerstone of the new system will be a fleet board that ensures an officer achieves consistent and competent mariner skills prior to warfare training.

At this stage the SEAAC officer will be awarded a Navigation Watch Certificate by the Maritime Commander which certifies that the officer is competent to "take charge of a navigational watch by day and by night." Warfare training both ashore and at sea follows, culminating in the award of a Bridge Warfare Certificate by the commanding officer. The Primary Qualification (PQ) is then awarded.

The following is the broad plan and provides the framework for the detailed policy, which is due for publication in late April.

* Phase one (seven weeks) -shore training in basic navigational and mariner skills.
* Phase two (12 weeks)- sea training to consolidate phase one theory.
* Phase three shore (13 weeks)- shore training concentrating on mariner
skills.
* Phase three sea (250-400 watchkeeping hours)- sea training to complete competency log mariner skills and achieve a CO recommendation for fleet board.
* Fleet board (two weeks)- award of navigation watch certificate.
* Phase four shore (eight weeks)- warfare training.
* Phase four sea (up to 450 watchkeeping hours depending on ship class)- sea training to complete competency log warfare skills.
* CO awards Bridge Warfare Certificate (BWC) - available for posting to
any OOW position either for consolidation or endorsement.

TAMW, Captain Steve Hooke, heads the BWC Continuum Implementation Team, which intends to visit as many Fleet units as possible prior to implementation.

Implementation Team Points of Contact are:
LCDR Tony Mather (Assistant TAMW (Policy)) on either e-mail, tel. no (02) 9337 0692 or fax no (02) 9337 0299 and LCDR John Cowan (OIC Bridge Training) on either e-mail,
tel. no (02) 9337 0432 or fax no (02) 9337 0338.