Waterline. The waterline should be properly struck; nothing looks worse—except perhaps a camouflaged tramp—than a vessel with a slovenly line to her boot top.
The correct and neat painting of the draft numerals on stem and stern should be seen to.
Docking Notes. It is well for the Chief Mate to keep "docking notes," these will come in very handy later on.
Seeing a vessel out of water is vastly different from merely inspecting her blue prints.
If Vessel Has Grounded. If the vessel has grounded before going on the dock, the greatest care should be taken in her inspection.
The bottom should be "sighted"; the cement on the tank bottoms and in the bilges should be examined for cracks.
The dock master should be consulted before weights of any kind are shifted while the vessel is on the blocks.
Duties of Chief Mate at Sea. The duties of the Chief Mate, while the vessel is at sea, depend upon the size and organization of the ship. If a large vessel, he does not stand a bridge watch, but devotes his entire time to the management of the deck department of the vessel. He is on duty all the time, but turns in at night, much the same as the Master.
In most vessels the Chief Mate stands a watch, usually the four to eight. This enables him to oversee things from the bridge, which he should never leave, and it gives him some time after breakfast to look over the vessel and outline the work of the boatswain.
The duties of the watch, the navigation, and lookout, are much the same for all officers, and will be dealt with under the chapter on the Officer of the Watch.