WATCH QUARTER AND STATION BILL (WQSB)

WATCH QUARTER AND STATION BILL, 1. a large board showing what watch a member of the ship’s company is on, where his berth or cabin (quarters) is, what his watch duties are (station) and also what post he has on the ship’s org board. (FO 2674) 2. a watch quarter and station bill is incomplete unless it designates exact duties on station as well as what part of the ship. It must also designate where the person is berthed. It includes every person’s position and specific duty for every evolution and every drill. The basic bill is easier to keep if it is maintained in a standard form for the ship and only names and berthings changed. Stations, duties and drills do not change. (FO 1919) 3. every member of a ship’s company has two general types of activities, one of these is as a member of watches, wherein he handles his duties of steering, lookout, engines, etc., including emergency drills. The other is his administrative duty with regard to the vessel. The watch quarter and station bill covers his ship duties, the org board covers his administrative duties. (FO 1109) 4. tells every member of the company where he berths, what his title and duties are as per the ship’s org board, what his position and duties are for every evolution and activity and drill of the ship. It is a wide horizontal board with the names of the posts of the ship in the left hand vertical column, the names of the personnel in the second column, the berthing space assigned in the third column. In a small craft the names can be horizontal and the columns of duties vertical to save space. In the next few columns are the Condition I all hands evolutions, such as cleaning station, docking, anchoring and entering and leaving harbor and readiness lists for port and readiness lists for sea. Also an entertainment bill in which all hands take part. And also a full bill converting the ship to a Scn org. In the next columns are the Condition I] port and starboard watch duties at sea (4 hours on, 4 off) and in port (24 on, 24 off). And any entertainment bill doubled so port or starboard watch can give a party. In the next columns are the Condition 111 (4 on 8 off) duties. In Condition ID there are three watches in port and at sea. This includes an entertainment which one third of the ship conducts entirely in each watch. The fueling and taking in and lowering boats assignments arc which the first is man overboard, the second fire, etc., with the last an abandon ship. Then comes the landing party assignments for six different types of landing party, day exploratory from harbor and from sea, overnight from harbor and from sea. Then come shore party transport (of goods) which may require, in the main, manual labor. Additional bills are added by adding columns as before to the right. The columns are very narrow with only an indication of the place and duty, often abbreviated. (FO 80) Abbr. WQSB. ¹

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