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 covers the whole ship. Technically, the Master is the "owner’s representative". He is responsible to...
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. Since a vessel’s organization may constitute different nationalities, the IMO standardized oral commands for delivering wheel orders. If you plan on steering a ship,...
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...
Warships are vessels constructed for naval warfare by the government of a sovereign nation. Their main function is to protect a country's territory and nautical assets. They detect, deter and destroy any threat that intends to harm its sovereignty or its allies....
Merchant ships are the lifeblood of global economy. They move an immense number of goods that feed billions of people around the world. There are an estimated 74,000 vessels floating in many parts of the seas right now. We categorize them into different types of ships...
P/V Valves are part of a tanker ship’s primary venting device installed to avoid damage due to over or under pressurization of cargo tanks. This arrangement allows the tank to “breath” during pressure variations. P/V valves are built on many oil and product tankers of...
Tanker ships or commonly known as "tankers" in the maritime world, are special kinds of vessels designed to carry liquid cargoes in bulk. Anything of liquid form can be transported through these ships. Since there thousands of various liquid goods out there, there are...
P/V Valves are part of a tanker ship’s primary venting device installed to avoid damage due to over or under pressurization of cargo tanks. This arrangement allows the tank to “breath” during pressure variations. P/V valves are built on many oil and product tankers of...
Tanker ships or commonly known as "tankers" in the maritime world, are special kinds of vessels designed to carry liquid cargoes in bulk. Anything of liquid form can be transported through these ships. Since there thousands of various liquid goods out there, there are...
The largest ship owning countries are seafaring nations since ancient times. With their boats and simple sailing tools, they were responsible for allowing communities to flourish by trading goods from one port to another. As globalization sweeps around us, shipping...
Oil tanker sizes and designs have gone through many changes over the centuries. The very first tankers were sail-driven. They were built in river River Tyne, England. There were no official regulations by that time. As long as it doesn’t sink or got caught on fire,...
[responsivevoice_button voice="US English Female" buttontext="Listen to this"] Heavy storms are one of the most stunning yet terrifying wonders at sea. Such weather disturbance claims the lives of many ships. Cruise ships, merchant vessels, aircraft carriers,...
A shipboard organization is similar to the government structure we have in our countries. Vessels have worlds of their own. They are like mini kingdoms having a very small population with each person holding specific duties. The duties vary depending on the crew’s...
Today, we’re gonna talk about websites that track ships for free. But first, let us understand what vessel tracking is and the technology behind it. Vessel tracking is the process of monitoring the movement of ships- her last port, destination, speed, ETA, course,...
SOLAS 1974 Convention or the Safety Of Life At Sea is an international agreement between flag states which sets standards on different aspects of maritime safety. By far, it is the most important of all international conventions related to shipping. Its complete...
Black Sea, mystifying as it may sound, is not really black nor with any sense of it. Spoiler alert: its waters are actually the same colors with any other seas or oceans. The word black may spell evil, disaster or something supernatural. Black Magic, Black Death or...
Major players in the maritime industry are developing autonomous ships. Because of the exponential growth of today's technology, these vessels will sail in the not too distant future. We already have autonomous cars and remote-controlled planes. Shipping industry will...
On a first glance, this question is full of biases. Each of us have our own ideal picture for the “best type of ship”. You may already have your answer to this. In fact, you may feel strongly about it. If this post makes it to social media, I wouldn’t be surprised to...
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