BOOKS AND READINGS prior to NWO II, III and IV

[jmico91]

Hello Everybody
I was accepted as NWO going to BMOQ in February.
I want to start prepping myself ahead and see if there's any books/readings available to the public to be better prepare for BMOQ and for NWO II, III, IV?
I know that I need to focus and pass BMOQ first, but also I have a couple of months before then when I'd like to be as preparado as I can. (The fitness aspectos is being worked as well)

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Deleted member 28249]

I'll preface this by saying that I don't belong to HMCS Venture, so I don't know exactly what readings are on the current curriculum there. But I have a pretty good idea of what you need to be successful.

Without a doubt, the single most useful document to be intimately familiar with as a Command-stream NWO between now and your promotion to Lieutenant-Commander is the Collision Regulations (C.R.C., c. 1416), aka "COLREGs". This is the NWO Bible. While assessment standards within the naval training establishment ebb and flow, knowing the important rules (i.e., the "Interpretation" section, and Schedule 1 - Rules 1-19) verbatim will greatly help you, both during training and with the Captains that you'll sail with.

Knowing this much text by heart isn't easy, and the ability to recite verbatim fades quickly. It's better to study small amounts of it regularly rather than trying to cram all at once. Any memorization you do now will only make life simpler over the next decade. With the exception of the Canadian-specific modifications, these rules are international. As such, there's ample free training available on the internet that can help you visualize it all, especially lights and shapes. As well, a book that you'll encounter during training that really helps to contextualize these rules is A Guide to the Collision Avoidance Rules, colloquially known as "Cockcroft". A word of advice - you'll be issued this during training for free; if you want a personal copy do not pay full price for this, as there should be a number of used copies available either online or locally in Victoria for a much cheaper price. Older versions are just as good.

If your brain starts to go numb after trying to remember all of the Rules, the pop-science book Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman is pretty well regarded by myself and a number of peers for being relevant to the profession. Just understand the usual caveats for any science-turned-bestselling book.

Hopefully this helps. Feel free to reach out with any questions.

 

[SeaKingTacco]

Reading Patrick O’Brian’s complete works would also be useful.

No finer take on how a warship operates has ever been written. Age of sail? Sure. Timeless? Absolutely.

 

[jmico91]

Thank you for the suggestions!!
For sure have a couple of books to read next couple of months!!!!

 

[Loachman]

https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.7722/j.ctt1c3gz0g

 

[Lumber]

Hello Everybody
I was accepted as NWO going to BMOQ in February.
I want to start prepping myself ahead and see if there's any books/readings available to the public to be better prepare for BMOQ and for NWO II, III, IV?
I know that I need to focus and pass BMOQ first, but also I have a couple of months before then when I'd like to be as preparado as I can. (The fitness aspectos is being worked as well)

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

I'll preface this by saying that I don't belong to HMCS Venture, so I don't know exactly what readings are on the current curriculum there. But I have a pretty good idea of what you need to be successful.

Without a doubt, the single most useful document to be intimately familiar with as a Command-stream NWO between now and your promotion to Lieutenant-Commander is the Collision Regulations (C.R.C., c. 1416), aka "COLREGs". This is the NWO Bible. While assessment standards within the naval training establishment ebb and flow, knowing the important rules (i.e., the "Interpretation" section, and Schedule 1 - Rules 1-19) verbatim will greatly help you, both during training and with the Captains that you'll sail with.

Knowing this much text by heart isn't easy, and the ability to recite verbatim fades quickly. It's better to study small amounts of it regularly rather than trying to cram all at once. Any memorization you do now will only make life simpler over the next decade. With the exception of the Canadian-specific modifications, these rules are international. As such, there's ample free training available on the internet that can help you visualize it all, especially lights and shapes. As well, a book that you'll encounter during training that really helps to contextualize these rules is A Guide to the Collision Avoidance Rules, colloquially known as "Cockcroft". A word of advice - you'll be issued this during training for free; if you want a personal copy do not pay full price for this, as there should be a number of used copies available either online or locally in Victoria for a much cheaper price. Older versions are just as good.

If your brain starts to go numb after trying to remember all of the Rules, the pop-science book Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman is pretty well regarded by myself and a number of peers for being relevant to the profession. Just understand the usual caveats for any science-turned-bestselling book.

Hopefully this helps. Feel free to reach out with any questions.

Definitely read the COLREGs first. If you get the Canadian version, ignore the Canadian modifications for now. They are much easier to understand once you've fully understood the baseline COLREGs. COLREGs are not that long until you get to the sections on lights and sounds. You really can memorize verbatim the general rules.

I would skip Cockroft for now. Cockroft really provides you with a deeper understanding of the rules, but you need to already have a bit of experience with the rules to understand the nuances Cockroft tries to convey.

Finally, outside of readings, practice math. Basic arithmetic and fractions. You need to be able to do them quickly in your head. You need to be able to measure that your point of aim is 5 degrees off what you expected, measure that you are 2 nautical miles away, and then calculate in your head in just 2 or 3 seconds that you are 333 yards off of where you need to be.

 

[DukeDemise]

A lot of good advice here - a good understanding of COLREGs, mental math, and the ability to think quickly on your feet are definitely important to every NWO.

Something that is often overlooked (until much too late, to the detriment of many Officers of the Watch) is the ability to speak clearly, concisely, and effectively. This is crucial because one of the most important, if not the most important, function of the OOW is making various reports to the captain.

Many of the routine reports that the OOW makes to the captain, such as contact reports, have a standardized, pre-approved format. For example, when reporting another vessel to the captain, the OOW must follow the BRIAD-CR format, where:

B: bearing,
R: range,
I: identification,
A: aspect,
D: drawing (left or right),
C: closest point of approach (CPA) and time to CPA, and
R: recommendation.

By the time an NWO graduates from Venture, they will have made hundreds of these reports that they should be able to make these reports in their sleep.

Where most OOWs fall short is when they have to deviate from these standard formats, such as when reporting multiple contacts in one report. Multi-contact reports have subtle nuances that are so situationally dependent that even the most experienced OOWs sometimes have difficulty producing a good, concise report.

Keep in mind that other vessels are not the only things that you will be reporting to the captain. In fact, you can be certain that the "Occasions to Call the Captain" chapter of your Captain's Standing Orders (CSOs) will be extensive and broad, spanning anywhere from reporting changes in weather to foreign warships in the vicinity. There will not be a standard format for every single one of these situations, and it is the OOW's job to compile the information at hand into an informative, concise, and well-spoken report to the captain.

The one thing I would recommend to all prospective NWOs is to practice public speaking. The ability to speak clearly and confidently in high-pressure situations is invaluable to an NWO, and the reality is that there aren't many opportunities to practice this skill until you are placed in the hot seat. The sooner you start to build confidence in your oratory, the better.