Another platform for communication is the one taking place between functional zones. Furthermore there is the platform of the skipper’s orders directed to the whole crew or to the crewmembers in one of the functional zones of the ship.
The verbal communication between crewmembers sharing practices in the same functional zone are diminished as the crewmembers become more experienced; the crews of the functional zones grow into self-functional units, in need only of a spark, being an order from the skipper, to be ready to act.
Communication between the functional zones is dependent on the crew’s ability to understand the practice on board as a dialectic coherent unit. This involves insight and understanding of the practices of the other functional zones on board the ship. For instance, those operating the mid-sheet (in the midship) must have insight into and understanding of those operating the sheets and the back-braces (in the aftship).
The orders from the skipper and how these are being communicated to the whole crew will be the focus in the next blog feed.