Running COLREGS Drills Without Crashing Tired Watchkeepers

A Chief Mate on a 14,000 TEU container vessel ran a surprise COLREGS scenario drill on his Second Mate during a 02:30 watch change in the South China Sea. The Second Mate, seven days into a Pacific transit, muted the drill in 40 seconds to refocus on real traffic. The drill measured nothing except the crew's exhaustion. This post is about how to drill well without burning the watchkeepers you rely on.

The Chief Mate meant well. He had read the IMO COLREG convention page that morning and noted Rule 5 on lookout and Rule 6 on safe speed. He wanted to refresh his Second Mate on crossing-situation give-way obligations before the ship entered busier waters. He chose a realistic time — 02:30 watch change — because real traffic encounters happen at realistic times, and drills should feel like the real thing. The reasoning has weight. The execution did not.