The officer of the deck of an operating ship is a busy man. He must attend to the safe navigation of the ship, ensure she keeps a proper station if in formation, be aware of all ships and aircraft in the vicinity, be alert to signs of dangerous waters or worsening weather, and stay aware of all the internal routines that must occur on time. At the end of his watch, he is expected to write and sign a log recording all significant activity and occurrences, a document that becomes the official record of the ship. To assist him in this effort, the quartermaster of the watch maintains a notebook of such items from which he may select those considered most essential to a proper log. In the days before bridges—open or otherwise—the officer of the deck kept his notes of course and sail changes and other events chalked on a board. And like his latter-day counterparts, at watch’s end, he used the information there for his official log. After signing it, he then would wipe off his remarks and leave the board clear for his successor.
And so, dear readers, after more than a decade of “Salty Talk,” I have come to the end of my watch and with these words I “wipe the slate clean.” Fair winds and following seas to you all.
