Introduction. There are many different types and class of vessels that make use of South African ports, ie naval vessels, fishing craft, trawlers, dredgers, cable layers/repair vessels, ocean research vessels, tugs, etc. In this section however, we will be looking at the commercial types only – namely: Passenger ships. General cargo ships (break bulk). Container…
Since the very beginning of man’s ventures upon the high seas there have been disasters at sea. Some were caused by nature but many more have been caused by man himself. The seabed around our coast is littered with wrecks dating back to the early Portuguese explorers. Besides the loss of lives and cargoes there…
A shipboard fire is another nightmare for seamen. Unfortunately there is no fire department to call upon and you cannot evacuate the crew. This means that the crew themselves have to combat the fire and put it out. This means that the entire ship’s company, irrespective of whether he is a cook or a seaman,…
Introduction. Emergencies usually occur when they are least expected and usually under less than ideal conditions. This is particularly true when they occur at sea. Because of this, ships usually make provision by having standard drills and by practising them regularly. The idea is that by doing the drills often enough they become almost automatic…
Normally these days most vessels have auto-pilots (a computer steers the ship) but when it breaks down and also when entering and leaving harbour and navigating in restricted waters, the ship has to be steered manually. At sea most English speaking maritime countries use a common form of wheel orders and procedures. These are as…
Since a ship operates 24 hours around the clock, the crew is divided into watches. This applies to both the deck department and engineering. What are the watch keepers responsible for? Responsibilities. The watch keepers are responsible for the following during their period on watch: Ensuring the effective and efficient functioning of all machinery, equipment…
Rigging a Bosun’s chair. A bosun’s chair consists of a piece of wood about 50 cms long, 13 cms wide and 2.5 cms thick. Two holes are drilled at each end through which two strops are rove and spliced underneath. A thimble is then seized into the bights of both strops and a gantline is…
Splicing is the preferred means of joining two ropes together. In contrast to knots, splicing only reduces the strength of a rope by 1/8th. There are over 234 different types of splices, but as long as the splice is strong and does not draw out under stress, it will serve its purpose. Preparation is half…
The line is brought in around the after of the bitts and then figure of eight turns are taken between the two bitts. The last turn should be a locking turn. If the vessel is being tied up for a length of time, then the lines should be lashed down to prevent them coming adrift.
The following two sketches show the terms and elements used with bends and hitches: Reef knot. A reef knot consists of two overhand knots made consecutively. It is used as a common tie for bending together two ropes of equal size. It is not liable to become undone when there is no strain on the…
