A few days ago, we talked about the ship's emergency alarms and how bombastic, disturbing, and noisy they are. It should be that way since it's an alert system. In case something terrible happens, everyone on board knows what to do. So here's something to blow your...
Having power and electricity is vital for ships to function at sea. It does not matter if it is a small yacht or a huge supertanker. They need energy to run and reach their destination safely. Hence, seafarers perform maintenance schedules for all the machinery and...
After hearing my seafarer friend talk about his interview on the different types of bulk carriers, I became confused and even questioned my understanding of those ships. It's not because I'm a tanker guy that I failed to comprehend what they meant. It's just that the...
What’s the big deal when a person falls into the water? If you are a seaman, you can just swim to the nearest shore, right? Or you can wait for the ship to turn around and pick you up. But that is not the case. As a matter of priority, a man overboard alarm signal is...
At one point in our seafaring career, we all experience emergencies in one form or another. My first was a fire in the swimming pool while discharging gasoline in the Port of Amsterdam. Fortunately, I managed to survive and live on to tell the tale. Nobody knows what...
Would you rather have a healthy, restful sleep and wake up in a pool of water, or be disturbed by a menacing alarm during your sweetest dreams? If you are on board, you don't really have a choice. Like it or not, emergency alarms are the number one priority to respond...
A new inspection regime, called SIRE 2.0, will be served to all tanker vessels in the 4th quarter of 2022. According to OCIMF, this modern approach to vetting inspection will have significant improvements compared to the current version of SIRE. But we still don't...
A ship's combination ladder is a setup where a pilot ladder is used in conjunction with an accommodation ladder to facilitate the embarkation and disembarkation of marine pilots. Since ladders are the only means of access on board, their proper rigging is always an...
I must admit. Embarkation ladders were one of the most confusing nautical terms I encountered in school. These two words, simple as they are when separated, got me puzzled when combined. Partly because, the term "embarkation" in the most nautical sense, usually...
Accommodation ladders connect the ship to shore personnel. Though fixed in position, they are versatile enough to be used in harbors, anchorage areas, or even at sea while the vessel is underway. Proper safety awareness and correct procedures in rigging an...
One of the safest means of accessing a ship is through the use of an accommodation ladder. It is also the most convenient and the most preferred method of many sea folks. Whether at the anchorage or sea, these ladders had proven their usefulness on board. They fit...
You might be rigging pilot ladders for many years already without knowing that your methods may not be correct. As a matter of fact, the International Maritime Pilots’ Association (IMPA) studied 3,322 pilot boarding arrangements and discovered that 13.43% of them are...
E - Code flag; I am altering my course to starboard. Sound signal; I am altering my course to starboard. 'E' - Time value that represents the westerly hour angle of a heavenly body from the point of definition of mean time. Local mean time added to 'E' is hour angle...
A - When applied to a temperature, denotes that it has been measured from Absolute zero and is expressed in Centigrade or Celsius units. A - Code flag; Diver below, keep well clear at slow speed. A - Morse Code Alpha. ● ▬A.1. - Classification symbol denoting character...
There are many different types of lifeboats that merchant vessels use today. It is a vital safety appliance on board that it is mandatory to have them. That said, ships with no lifeboats, or have defective ones, are unseaworthy. Your ship may have the perfect...
Emergency towing-off pennant or commonly known as “fire wire” is a long wire deployed on the side of a tanker ship. One end is firmly secured on the bitts while its eye on the other end is hanging one to two meters above the water line. Ships use fire wires...
When it comes to the prevention of marine pollution, SOPEP and SMPEP are at the top of the list. They are the vessel’s response plans and procedures in case you have a spill on board. You might have seen those big (sometimes small) yellow boxes on deck marked with...
Ships operate under specific rules of business. One of the terms you most often hear on board is N.O.R. or Notice of Readiness. This term is normally tossed over when the ship arrives in port either at the anchorage or in berth. I was a cadet back then when I...
Imagine yourself waking up in a little boat in the middle of the sea. You have no sight of land but the endless horizon around you. No buoys, no mountain tops, and even no other ships around. Worse, you don’t even know where you are. This is the life of a seafarer...
Like traffic lights, road signs, markings, retro-reflectors, and early warning devices, seafarers also use similar arrangements in waterways aimed for the safety of navigation. We call them the IALA Buoyage Systems or the International Association of Marine Aids to...
An Aneroid Barometer is a type of barometer that measures the weight of air or the atmospheric pressure. It comes from the Latin words “baros” which means weight, and “metron” which means measure.Air exerts weight on everything around us but we don’t feel them so...
Merchant ships are the workhorse of the global economy. We build them in different types and sizes to accomplish specific tasks. They have been around for so many years from the age of wood up to the present. But, despite their diversity, merchant ships have common...
Imagine you are out to sea in a small boat. The weather is fine and the tide is low. While enjoying the breeze, cruise, and booze, you notice that you are taking in water! After a few inspections, you observe a hole in the side of the hull. You try pumping it out but...
If you watched many ship-sinking movies before, you might have already indirectly seen a hydrostatic release unit in action. Movies or news about a sinking vessel sometimes mentions liferafts, fully inflated but without anyone inside. You may already hear of rescuers...
Anchors play an important role in a vessel. They are very crucial for the reason that ships with only a single anchor are unseaworthy to sail. That’s why all the parts of an anchor must be in good condition. Not just the anchor itself but its chain, windlass, bitter...
A Second Officer is a deck officer in charge of a navigational watch (OIC-NW). He is also called the Navigational Officer since his job description centers on voyage planning and chart works. At other times, he is called a Second Mate. If the ship’s captain gives the...
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