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Foundations

Attention messages

Something might go wrong. Say so before it happens, what it would cost, and what to do instead.

On this page
Anchor watch will stop

Raising the anchor stops anchor watch and its drag alarm. You can start it again once the vessel is anchored.

Keep watch onRaise anchor
VOICE“Raising the anchor stops anchor watch. Keep it on until the anchor is aboard?”
An attention message before a risky action: what will happen, whether it can be undone, and the safe choice.

An attention message comes before a problem: a condition that may cause harm or loss if nothing changes, or an action that cannot easily be undone. It gives the crew time to choose. It is not called a warning: that word is an alert's priority, and a message is not an alert, so it wears a neutral mark and never an alert color. As a toast it stays until the crew dismiss it.

01Inform without alarmingState the condition and its consequence calmly. A message that shouts trains the crew to ignore messages.
02Give a timelineSay when it will happen, if known. “In about 40 min” lets the crew plan; “soon” does not.
03Offer the safe pathEvery attention message names what to do instead, and whether the risky action can be undone.

Anatomy

  • Title: three or four words that name the condition, not an instruction. Sentence case.
  • Body: why it matters, what will happen, and what to do. One or two sentences.
  • Actions: the safe choice first, then the risky one by its verb. Never OK and Cancel when the verbs can be named.

Patterns

Raise awareness

The condition exists and may matter later. No action is needed yet.

Holding is poor hereThe chart shows weed over sand within the swing circle. Consider a second anchor if the wind rises.

An imminent problem

Something will happen unless the crew acts. Always include when.

Do
Route crosses the bar at low waterLeaving at 06:30 UTC puts the bar at 1.2 m under the keel. Leaving an hour later gives 2.0 m.
Leave at 07:30 UTCKeep 06:30 UTC
Say what, when, and what to do.
Don't
DANGER!!The bar is shallow! Change the plan now!
Don't shout or leave out the timeline. Panic without a plan helps nobody at the helm.

Confirm a risky action

The crew asked for something that cannot easily be undone. Say what it costs and whether it can be reversed.

Do
Delete this passage plan?It can't be brought back.
Keep itDelete
Name the consequence and keep the safe choice first, as the entity list's own confirmation does.
Don't
Are you sure?This action cannot be undone.
OKCancel
Don't ask “Are you sure?” with OK and Cancel. The crew has to guess which button keeps the plan.

Attention messages and the board

An attention message about one action belongs beside that action. A forecast condition, such as gusts above the reef point, is an alert that bosund raises, not a message. A condition that affects the vessel belongs on the situation board with the priority assigned by the alert system. Use the shared priority shape, color and word; do not infer priority from an action-confirmation message. See Alarms and severity.