The F/O in this case is actually a LAME, but never worked on the B737, so he's not exactly unused to this sort of task.
At the risk of misquoting him, having counted the number of seats to find the viewing window, accessing the spot through under-seat baggage and legs to find the precise bit of carpet was a nightmare.
As to Capt's being at the controls alone; in non-normal situations, they can probably be trusted for a few minutes!
G'day
