Conn (nautical)


The conn, also spelled cun, conne, cond, conde, and cund, is the act of controlling a ship's movements while at sea. The following quote summarizes the use of the term:
Within the U.S. Coast Guard, and U.S. Navy, the captain of a vessel typically selects a junior officer to perform the role of conning for him or her. Such an individual has the title of "officer of the deck" or "the conning officer" while on duty, and he or she will stand watches at four-hour intervals carrying out the captain's commands. However, the captain can immediately take the conn by simply issuing an order to the helm. On navy ships, neither the ship's navigator nor the ship's pilot is usually the conning officer, whereas on merchant ships the conning officer may be the captain, the deck officer, the pilot, or another warrant officer. The officer of the deck may give the conn to a junior officer for training purposes, in which case the officer of the deck and the conning officer may not be the same individual.
It is from this term that the concept of a conning tower, an elevated platform from which a conning officer can view all aspects of a ship's movement, is derived.
Although the origin of the term is not entirely clear, it appears that "conn" is a shortened form of "conduct"; the term is also frequently used as a transitive verb, i.e., to conn a ship.
The term may also be related to the knotted "Conning Line," which was a rope connecting the wheel and the rudder of a ship. Such a line was later replaced by chains and eventually by other mechanical and electronic systems.