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...
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...
in the Bridge standing orders are set of rules that anyone on the bridge team must follow. It consists of guidelines aiding the Officer of the Watch in his decision making during navigation. Navigation looks pretty easy on the surface. However, going into the details...
The Chief Officer, also called Chief Mate, holds one of the biggest responsibilities on board. He is the second in command after the Master. That being said, he deputizes for the Master in the event of his absence or incapacitation. Being a Chief Mate sounds cool....
The Master, as a shipboard manager, is in overall command of the vessel and personnel on board. Being the highest ranking person, his duties and responsibilities cover the whole ship. Technically speaking, he is the "owner’s representative". He is responsible to the...
Seafarers tie knots everyday. From mooring, securing to working aloft, those jobs won’t be complete without the use of ropes. And because we use ropes in many forms and sizes on ships, knot tying is a skill every seaman must learn. Even my 65-year old Captain knows...
Becoming a ship captain involves lots of sacrifices in time, money and effort. The process is challenging because the job of commanding a vessel is serious. Due to that responsibility, the master of a ship is compensated greatly compared to other crew. A ship captain...
If you want to learn how to steer a ship, ask the people on board. They are more than ready to help you. However, theory is good but experience is something else. Being the person on the wheel teaches you many things. Being a helmsman can be very challenging. It's...
Understanding helm orders and rudder commands is one of the requirements in becoming a good helmsman. If you think it is as simple as driving a car, then your first time on the ship's helm would be a 20,000 gross tonnage worth of chaos. Ships use specific terms for...
A Helmsman is a very important member of the bridge team. Even with today’s modern technology, Captains still prefer helmsman for steering the ship during channeling and pilotage. With this inclination, the room for human error remains which is basically 75% to 96% of...
Rudders are an important part of a ship. They are installed on small motor boats to the biggest water crafts ever to sail the seas. It is a crucial component of the vessel’s steering system and the whole ship as well. A vessel could be burning or facing a heavy storm...
Dredging is the process of extracting or removing sediments and other materials under bodies of water and transporting them to another location. Extracted deposits from seabed includes silt, sand, soil, trash, mud, gravel, debris and marine organisms. Dredgers are not...
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