Originally Posted by
jcountry
That’s like saying “only one guy is doing anything when it’s his leg...”
We all know how this stuff works. Cruise and cargo ships always have multiple people involved in sailing them. One guy might be at the controls, but that doesn’t mean he’s the only guy doing anything.
The bridge of any of those large ships is never left up to just one person.
Actually... sometimes the bridges of large cargo ships are left unattended. They have autopilot, and radar which sounds a proximity alarm. And if the AP fails, the ship won't roll inverted or anything really bad.
It's up to the master, and prudence dictates you only do that in un-congested open ocean. But prudence doesn't always prevail.