Stan_Deesey
LE
Probably a stupid question but I'll ask it anyway. Why would you have non-specialists behind the steering wheel at times when the ability to drive properly and not hit stuff is presumably quite important? Who does the job for the rest of the time? Or is helmsman not really a skilled job and anyone can do it?
I wondered about that too, although I was on a frigate where our L/REG had been a seaman before he transferred to the regulating branch, and he claimed to have more time on the wheel than most of the dabbers.
As I remember anyone transferring into the Regulating or PT branches had to have a minimum number of hours as QM, (helmsman). If they were transferring in from a non-seaman branch, and therefore had zero time on the helm they would get drafted to a ship where they could be part of the duty watch at sea, and therefore build up the required time on the wheel. This was decades ago though - before the internet was invented, so I don´t know what the score is now. I´ve only just found out from reading this thread that the PT and Regulating branches are now direct entry.
The helmsman steers the ship in the direction that the Officer of the Watch orders him to. That isn´t to say it isn´t a skilled job, just that it´s the OOW that makes the decisions, and the QM who carries out the actions.