BCM-01-01-AUX (Crew Fatigue)
Questions and Answers 2026
Describe the situations that may cause fatigue. - answer- Operating in extreme hot or
cold weather conditions.
- Eye strain from hours of looking through sea-spray blurred windshields.
- The effort of holding on and maintaining balance.
- Stress.
- Exposure to noise.
- Exposure to the sun.
- Poor physical conditioning.
- Lack of sleep.
- Boredom.
(Boat Crew Seamanship Manual / Chapter 3 / Page 3-5 / Section B.1. Fatigue)
State the crew's responsibility and the policy regarding fatigue. - answerThe crew's
safety and welfare are the coxswain's primary responsibility. Coxswains must be
constantly aware of stress signs evident in their crews, learn to recognize fatigue, and
take corrective action. Crewmembers must watch each other's condition to prevent
excessive fatigue from taking its toll.
(Boat Crew Seamanship Manual / Chapter 3 / Page 3-5 / Section B.2. Crew
Responsibility)
Auxiliarists crewing Auxiliary surface facilities or Coast Guard boats must follow Coast
Guard fatigue standards.
- Crew underway time begins when the crew members reports to the designated pace
to prepare for a specific mission is complete. Crew underway time includes time spent
accomplishing pre-mission and post-mission wessel checks.
- Time spent conducting trailering activities and at a sheltered anchorage counts as
50% underway time.
- Operators may exceed crew fatigue guidelines only after receiving a waiver from the
Commander exercising TACON and OPCON in accordance with the U.S. Coast Guard
Boat Operations and Training Manual.
- The operator is responsible for keeping track of crew mission time and advising the
OIA when their crew mission time is approaching the limits.
(Aux Operations Policy Manual / Chapter 4 / Page 4-20 / Section E.8. Crew Fatigue)
Describe the primary symptoms of fatigue. - answerThe primary symptoms of fatigue
are:
- Inability to focus or concentrate/narrowed attention span.
- Mental confusion or judgment error.
- Decreased coordination of motor skills and sensory ability (hearing, seeing).
Questions and Answers 2026
Describe the situations that may cause fatigue. - answer- Operating in extreme hot or
cold weather conditions.
- Eye strain from hours of looking through sea-spray blurred windshields.
- The effort of holding on and maintaining balance.
- Stress.
- Exposure to noise.
- Exposure to the sun.
- Poor physical conditioning.
- Lack of sleep.
- Boredom.
(Boat Crew Seamanship Manual / Chapter 3 / Page 3-5 / Section B.1. Fatigue)
State the crew's responsibility and the policy regarding fatigue. - answerThe crew's
safety and welfare are the coxswain's primary responsibility. Coxswains must be
constantly aware of stress signs evident in their crews, learn to recognize fatigue, and
take corrective action. Crewmembers must watch each other's condition to prevent
excessive fatigue from taking its toll.
(Boat Crew Seamanship Manual / Chapter 3 / Page 3-5 / Section B.2. Crew
Responsibility)
Auxiliarists crewing Auxiliary surface facilities or Coast Guard boats must follow Coast
Guard fatigue standards.
- Crew underway time begins when the crew members reports to the designated pace
to prepare for a specific mission is complete. Crew underway time includes time spent
accomplishing pre-mission and post-mission wessel checks.
- Time spent conducting trailering activities and at a sheltered anchorage counts as
50% underway time.
- Operators may exceed crew fatigue guidelines only after receiving a waiver from the
Commander exercising TACON and OPCON in accordance with the U.S. Coast Guard
Boat Operations and Training Manual.
- The operator is responsible for keeping track of crew mission time and advising the
OIA when their crew mission time is approaching the limits.
(Aux Operations Policy Manual / Chapter 4 / Page 4-20 / Section E.8. Crew Fatigue)
Describe the primary symptoms of fatigue. - answerThe primary symptoms of fatigue
are:
- Inability to focus or concentrate/narrowed attention span.
- Mental confusion or judgment error.
- Decreased coordination of motor skills and sensory ability (hearing, seeing).
