Captain's Log

05/29/2004

Flogging was used as a means of discipline on board ships for hundreds of years.  It was a brutal form of punishment sometimes necessary to assert the authority of the officers on board ship.  While flogging is no longer an acceptable means of discipline, seamen still do break the rules on board ship and disciplinary action is still the order of the day.

However, today we have due process and the rights of the seaman.  When an offence is alleged, a hearing is scheduled and the guilt and or innocence is established.  Then, with a set of standard sanctions, an action is taken.  On the training ship, this usually involves such things as demerits, extra duty, and restriction from liberty or in very serious cases, dismissal from the cruise. 

While most of our offenses are minor such as late to class, out of uniform and unmade bed, some are considered to be serious problems for a career at sea.  In port, being late from shore leave is a serious offense as it causes us to worry about the safety of the individual.  We also have regulations, (Federal Law) about how much alcohol you can consume and be on board.  If you are late, we automatically give you an alcohol test to assure that your behavior is not alcohol related. 

In 99% of the late cases, alcohol is involved.  Our approach is to try to work with the cadets through counseling, discipline and example to try to modify behavior and impress them with how important and issue alcohol abuse is in this industry. 

We had three such cases in Vladivostok and they have finally completed the hearing process and received their sanctions.  Hopefully, the behavior was a simple onetime lapse of good judgment, otherwise, we may see a pattern develop and have to take more serious action.