OOW

Transportation & Travel abbreviation · Maritime

OOW
Stands forOfficer of the watch
CategoriesTransportation & Travel

OOW stands for Officer of the watch, a maritime abbreviation.

Deck officer in charge of the ship's bridge and navigation during a watch, responsible for collision avoidance, monitoring the voyage and calling the master when needed. Engineers have an equivalent engineering officer of the watch.

Example: The OOW failed to keep a proper lookout, the investigation concluded.

Usage notes

Merchant ships usually run three watch periods of four hours each, twice a day. STCW certification is needed to serve as OOW. Navies use the same term, and the officer of the deck (OOD) is the US Navy equivalent.

More maritime abbreviations

  • MS – Motor ship
  • MV – Motor vessel
  • MY – Motor yacht
  • NRT – Net register tonnage
  • NT – Net tonnage
  • NVOCC – Non-vessel operating common carrier
  • OS – Ordinary seaman
  • P&I – Protection and indemnity
  • PFD – Personal flotation device
  • RHIB – Rigid-hulled inflatable boat
  • RMS – Royal Mail Ship
  • Ro-Ro – Roll-on/roll-off

See all 61 maritime abbreviations →

Edited by the AbbreviationList.com team. Spotted an error or a missing meaning? Contact us.