Watertight Markings

Watertight markings are placed on doors and hatches, to indicate to Jack and Jenny weather the door/hatch
can be left open, or even if they can go through it. All this depends on the watertight condition of the ship, as
set by the command.
There are three types of markings, in the form of letters and these are X, Y, and Z, always pronounced
phoneticaly, !"ay, #ankee and $ulu. What follows is a general guide only, and will vary from ship type to ship
type.
!"A#
!ray doors/hatches are found in the lower part of the ship, generaly along and below the waterline, rising
above the waterline at the stern andbow of the ship. %dentified with a big black && on the door/hatch.
#ou can go through them, as long as they are shut and fully clipped afterwards. To be left open for any reason,
a special tally is re'uired from()*/+,,. These tallies are strictly controlled.
KEPT CLOSED: At all times, no matter the watertight condition.
#A-.//
#ankee hatches/doors are usually a deck or two higher above !"ay hatches. 0sualy kept closed for
convienience, some will be left open if they lead down to a mess or other commonly used area. %dentified with a
big black &#& on them. #ou can go through them at will.
When the ship is in condition yankee, all !"ay and #ankee hatches/doors to be shut and fully clipped.
+ome yankee hatches will have a smaller &hatch within a hatch& called a kidney hatch.1 A kidney shaped, man!
si2ed hatch inset into a larger hatch. %t allows passage by a body only 1or small items3.3 This kidney hatch
may have a higher watertight marking than the actual hatch it&s in.
KEPT CLOSED: When the ship is in condition yankee or 2ulu.
$040
$ulu doors and hatches are the remainder of the watertight doors throughout the ship. %dentified by a big black
&$&, these doors will be on main thoroughfares and busy areas in the higher parts of the ship. ,ondition $ulu is
only usually set when at war at action stations. As a lot of these doors see a lot of traffic, some in the busier
areas, will have a marking // opposite two of the clips. When the two clip rule is in force, then only these two
clips may be used to keep the door shut to ease passage. They can be a pain in the arrse when in AW5.
These doors are usually open at all times.
KEPT CLOSED: When the ship is in condition 2ulu.
Material Conditions (NWP 3-20.31) establish the fighting integrity
of the ship and maintain its sr!i!ability. "he determination of the
material #ondition set at any time is the responsibility of the
Commanding $ffi#er% &ho may athori'e modifi#ations of any
material #ondition.
(-)ay pro!ides the least tightness and the greatest ease of
a##ess throghot the ship. *t is set &hen the threat to the ship is
minimal% dring &or+ing hors &hen in port% or &hen there is no
danger of atta#+ or bad &eather.
,o+e is set &hen at sea% or in port dring &artime.
-ebra pro!ides the greatest degree of sbdi!ision and tightness
to the ship. *t is set immediately and atomati#ally &hen general
.arters is sonded. *t is also set &hen entering or lea!ing port
dring &artime% to lo#ali'e damage and #ontrol fire and flooding%
or at any time the Commanding $ffi#er deems it ne#essary.
Modified Material Condition -/0)1 - allo&s mo!ement arond the
ship for spe#ial #onditions s#h as2 3nder&ay )eplenishment
(3N)/P)4 5erti#al )eplenishment (5/)")/P)4 1ir $perations4
1mphibios $perations4 transit of +no&n or sspe#ted ha'ardos
na!igation areas.
$ne of the most important featres of ship sr!i!ability is the
ability to #onfigre the ship to simltaneosly allo& the
sr!i!ability system to fn#tion and the ship to be operated.
6tandard #onfigrations representing !arying degrees of #losre
and +no&n as 7material #onditions7 set the ship a##ording to the
degree of threat to the ship and the #rrent operational
dire#ti!es. 1ll fittings in the ship are mar+ed to indi#ate ho& they
are to be set dring !arios material #onditions. "he
determination of the material #ondition set at any time is the
responsibility of the C$% &ho may athori'e modifi#ation of any
material #ondition. Closres are defined as #losable openings in
o!erheads% de#+s and bl+heads for a##ess by personnel. 8ittings
are #o!ers% !al!es% #aps and plgs for a##ess other than for
personnel and for #ontrol of flid flo&. "hey may be on or in
piping and !entilation systems% or in o!erheads% de#+s and
bl+heads. 8or bre!ity% &here #onte9t allo&s% the term fitting is
sed to in#lde the meaning of both fitting and #losre% and the
term #ompart mentation is sed to in#lde both str#tral and
flid system segregation.
Condition ()1, pro!ides the least &atertight integrity and the
greatest ease of a##ess throghot the ship. *t is set &hen the
threat to the ship is minimal. Condition ()1, is set dring
&or+ing hors &hen the ship is in port and there is no danger of
atta#+ or from &eather. "he minimm degree of tightness
permitted on an operational ship is #ondition ()1,. When
#ondition ()1, is set% all fittings mar+ed &ith a bla#+ ( are
#losed.
Condition ,$:/ pro!ides a greater degree of &atertight integrity
than #ondition ()1,% bt to a lesser degree than the ma9imm
#ondition. ,$:/ is normally set at sea and in port dring &artime.
When Condition ,o+e is set% all fittings mar+ed &ith bla#+ (s and
,s% Cir#le ( and Cir#le , are #losed. 1 modified #ondition ,$:/ is
sometimes sed at sea &hen #rising independently in good
&eather and #alm seas and in port in pea#etime. *n the modified
#ondition% ,$:/ fittings abo!e the &aterline are left open to
impro!e !entilation and habitability. 1ll other ()1, and ,$:/
fittings are #losed.
Condition -/0)1 pro!ides the greatest degree of sbdi!ision and
&ater-tight integrity to the ship. *t is the ma9imm state of
readiness for the ship;s sr!i!ability system. Condition -/0)1 is
set2 *mmediately and atomati#ally &hen general .arters is
sonded4 When entering or lea!ing port in &artime4 "o lo#ali'e
damage and #ontrol fire and flooding &hen the #re& is not at
general .arters4 and 1t any time the C$ deems the ma9imm
#ondition of sr!i!ability shold be set. When #ondition -/0)1 is
set% all fittings mar+ed &ith bla#+ (s and ,s% Cir#le (% Cir#le ,%
Cir#le -% red -s and <$= -s are #losed.
"here may arise #ertain sitations dring &hi#h the C$ may &ish
to set a modified material #ondition -/0)1. 6etting of modified
material #ondition -/0)1 &ill gi!e a higher sr!i!ability stan#e
than #ondition ,$:/. 1t the same time% modified -/0)1 is less
restri#ti!e and &ill more readily allo& the a##omplishment of
#ertain operational re.irements. Modified -/0)1 may reslt as
an pgrade from #ondition ,$:/ or as a do&ngrade from
#ondition -/0)1. 6ome of the sitations that may ma+e a
modified material #ondition -/0)1 desirable are2 3nder&ay
replenishment4 5erti#al replenishment4 1ir operations4
1mphibios operations4 or "ransit of +no&n or sspe#ted
ha'ardos na!igation areas.
$n larger ships% setting material #ondition -/0)1 in part or in
total &ithot all hands at general .arters &ill impede the ship;s
#ompany from .i#+ly manning battle stations. "his sitation
#old reslt in -/0)1 being set slo&er than had the ship been at
material #ondition ,$:/ before the emergen#y. >arge ships
shold therefore #onsider this &hen #hanging material #ondition.
6ome fittings that are re.ired to be open or #losed for spe#ifi#
prposes #arry spe#ial mar+ings. Cir#le ()1, and ,$:/ fittings
are a##ess fittings to battle stations and #ompartments #ontaining
e.ipment that re.ires periodi# #he#+s or fittings that mst be
opened for ammnition transfer% as &ell as some systems. Cir#le
()1, and ,$:/ fittings are normally #losed &hen #onditions ()1,
or ,$:/ are set. "hey may be opened &ithot spe#ial athority
&hen going to or se#ring from general .arters% transferring
ammnition% periodi# spa#e or e.ipment #he#+s or operating
damage #ontrol e.ipment. Cir#le ()1, and ,$:/ fittings are
mar+ed &ith a bla#+ ( or , in a bla#+ #ir#le.
Cir#le -/0)1 fittings are #losed &hen #ondition -/0)1 is set.
"hey may be opened &ith the permission of the C$ dring
e9tended periods of general .arters for the preparation and
distribtion of battle messing% to pro!ide a##ess to limited
sanitary fa#ilities% to !entilate battle stations% to transit from
s.adron ready rooms to the flight de#+ and to allo& limited
a##ess throghot the ship. $pen Cir#le -/0)1 fittings mst be
garded so they #an be #losed immediately. Cir#le -/0)1 fittings
are mar+ed &ith a red - in a red #ir#le.
<$= -/0)1 fittings are se#red &hen #ondition -/0)1 is set and
&hene!er the ship is dar+ened% regardless of the material
#ondition that is set. <ring <ar+en 6hip they are #losed to
pre!ent light inside the ship from sho&ing otside. <$= -/0)1
fittings are mar+ed &ith a red - in a bla#+ <.
W*>>*1M fittings are !ital sea s#tions% CP6 'one !entilation
fittings !al!es (ser!ing !ital e.ipment in manned spa#es) and
!al!es that mst be open to maintain mobility and fire prote#tion.
W*>>*1M fittings are open dring all material #onditions. "hey are
se#red only to #ontrol damage% #ontamination or to repair
e.ipment ser!ed. W*>>*1M fittings are mar+ed &ith a bla#+ W.
Cir#le W*>>*1M fittings% li+e W*>>*1M fittings% are normally open%
bt are se#red for prote#tion in atta#+. Cir#le W*>>*1M fittings
are mar+ed &ith a bla#+ W in a bla#+ #ir#le.