A bridge, or wheelhouse, is a room or platform of a ship from which the ship can be commanded. When a ship is under way, the bridge is manned by an officer of the watch aided usually by an able seaman acting as a lookout. During critical maneuvers the captain will be on the bridge, often supported by an officer of the watch, an able seaman on the wheel and sometimes a pilot, if required.
Navigational bridge of a cargo ship docked in Port Everglades, Florida
The interior of the bridge of the Research Vessel Sikuliaq, docked in Ketchikan, Alaska
Wheelhouse on a tugboat, topped with a flying bridge
The compass platform of a British destroyer in the Battle of the Atlantic during the Second World War with central binnacle and the voice tubes to belowdecks
Watchkeeping or watchstanding is the assignment of sailors to specific roles on a ship to operate it continuously. These assignments, also known at sea as watches, are constantly active as they are considered essential to the safe operation of the vessel and also allow the ship to respond to emergencies and other situations quickly. These watches are divided into work periods to ensure that the roles are always occupied at all times, while those members of the crew who are assigned to work during a watch are known as watchkeepers.
A sailor keeps watch aboard USS George H.W. Bush.
Ringing the bell on the aft flight deck
