There are clearly more areas on any ship to write about and discuss. There is the bow of the ship: Most recently (compared to Maritime History) made its way into the mainstream consciousness by Leonardo DiCaprio in his role in the blockbuster film “Titanic”. There’s the Crow’s Nest: Where just about every cruise ship has their late night lounge located. Up close to the stars in the night sky and a great place to view the sunrise. Of course there is the engine room: The area many people … [Read more...]
Ever Been Involved When It Has Been All Hands On Deck?
Did you ever ask for or been a part of an ‘All Hands On Deck”? So sorry just realized that maybe some aren’t aware of what this even means? Online definition from writingexplained.org: This expression has a naval origin. Hands is another word for sailors and deck is a part of the boat. In a storm or other emergency, the captain might yell all hands on deck. This is a command for all the sailors to come to the deck of the boat to help navigate the storm. And from … [Read more...]
How Far Do You Plan For Your Plan B? To Plan C? To Plan D?
Once humans figured out how to put together a few trees, make them watertight and were able to control its direction, they began to explore nearby lands and people via water. As commercial shipping evolved into business enterprises where the ships set sail for and what the intended trade would entail began to be determined by the home office. Although without the ability to communicate regularly things didn’t always go according to plan. Today, in theory, communication is instantaneous from … [Read more...]
Do You Have A Lookout?
If you have ever worked aboard a merchant ship you know about the responsibilities of the lookout. A lookout is a person most often stationed on the ship’s bridge who maintains a constant watch of the water to report any kind of hazard that can be an obstacle in the navigation and cause harm to the ship. According to COLREG, a lookout is required to give his uninterrupted attention at all times to the ship’s navigation in order to inform the officer on watch (OOW) about other ships, shipwrecks, … [Read more...]
What Goes On In Your Wheelhouse?
When ocean going ships enter closer to ports they normally take onboard a pilot. The pilot has expert knowledge of the area where they will be directing the quartermaster, Officer of the watch and even the ship’s Captain on courses and speeds in various areas of a channel or seaway. The pilot may have never steered this type of ship – ever. The pilot may have never climbed aboard this type of ship – ever. With a few quick orders to the helmsman and adjustments to the speed at early … [Read more...]
Can You Be Replaced By Automation?
Lighthouses have been the theme for this month. One of the topics within this theme has been the central figure all the way through history providing open fires, controlled wax burning frames, oil or coal based fires and ultimately electrical light. The central figure was the involvement of humans to control the light. Today, virtually all lighthouses are run by machines and remote monitoring. There are automatic sensors deciding if there is extra moisture in the air requiring the fog … [Read more...]
