Decisions
Governing: STCW Table A-II/1 'Knowledge and ability to apply decision-making techniques'; MCA The Human Element, 'Making decisions'.
The STCW model
Table A-II/1 (and A-III/1) lists four elements:
| Step | Questions |
|---|---|
| 1. Situation and risk assessment | What is happening? What could go wrong, how likely, how bad? What time do I have? |
| 2. Identify and consider options | What could we do? Include 'do nothing', 'wait' and 'abort'. |
| 3. Select a course of action | Which option best balances safety and the task? Who needs to know? |
| 4. Evaluate outcome effectiveness | Is it working? What would make me change course? |
It looks slow. In practice, with time, you run it in a minute on the bridge wing; with no time, you run a fast version and revisit.
How people actually decide
The MCA guide notes that real-world decisions are rarely a comparison of all options. Experienced people recognise a situation and apply what has worked before. That is fast and usually good. Experts differ from novices in two ways: the accuracy of their mental picture, and the directness with which they reach a good decision under time pressure, which depends on familiarity.
The weakness is the unfamiliar situation that looks familiar. The pattern fits well enough to act on, and the difference is missed.
Traps
| Trap | Yacht example |
|---|---|
| Plan continuation | Continuing to the planned anchorage as the wind rises because 'the guests are expecting it' |
| Confirmation | Looking for evidence that the anchor is holding rather than testing whether it is dragging |
| Efficiency pressure | The guide describes cultures dominated by time and cost pulling people toward efficient rather than thorough decisions |
| Authority | Accepting a poor decision because it came from the captain or owner |
| Fatigue | The guide notes fatigued people take longer to decide or decide worse, and are often unaware of it |
Tools
- Decision points set in advance: 'If the wind at the beach exceeds X, we use the port.'
- Abort criteria for manoeuvres, tender runs and toy operations.
- Think aloud so others can challenge.
- Time-out: when something feels wrong, stop and reassess.
- Risk assessment in the SMS for routine operations, so the thinking is done before the pressure.
Owner and guest pressure
On yachts, commercial pressure is personal. A guest wants the tender now; the owner wants to leave port in weather. Your job at operational level is to give the master a clear, honest assessment and options, not to decide for the owner or to hide the risk. The master decides.
WARNING — 'We've always done it' Past success is not proof of safety; it may be luck. The MCA guide notes that risk perception shifts with familiarity and feeling in control.
TIP — Record the reasoning A brief log note ('Tender run cancelled: sea state at beach, guests collected by car from port') protects the decision and helps the next person.