Fatigue is also a growing problem on-
board vessels. With fewer crew mem-
bers onboard, the pressure on everyone
is growing. This is a particular problem
on smaller coastal vessels, where it is
not unusual to only have two watch-
keeping officers including the captain,
compared with larger vessels where
three watchkeeping officers plus the
captain is the norm. To operate the ves-
sel with only a safe minimum manning
might be sufficient for some trades and
areas, but it might not be applicable in
areas with dense traffic or many port
calls. To navigate a coastal vessel in
Europe with two watchkeeping officers
including the captain might be accept-
able according to the safe manning
certificate, but the vessel’s trade might
have changed and the number of