Bridge

The ship's Captain or the Officer of the Watch, depending on who has the con, gives navigational orders from the bridge whilst the ship is underway. The bridge is also equipped with survey equipment, as surveys are controlled from the bridge. The ship's officers are qualified surveyors and responsible for the surveys whilst on watch. Not many people are required when surveying is in progress, as the process is largely computerized.

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The SAS PROTEA is fitted with a programmable automatic steering system, referred to as the "autopilot". The autopilot is linked to a very accurate global positioning system (GPS) and is thus a great advantage for precise surveying. The system enables the ship to sail along a predetermined track while surveying.
Click here to visit the SA Navy Hydrographer's site.	Echo sounders provide a digital image of the surveyed area, which is sent to the relevant survey computers. A graphical backup image of the surveyed area is created at the same time.

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Navigation, communication and survey controls are in easy reach of the bridge watch.

The chair (seen here on the left) is solely reserved for the ship's captain, hence it is known as the "Captain's chair".

Badge of the SA Navy
Hydrographic Office