tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12533344912242407632024-03-13T23:42:46.586-07:00The Good SeamanThe Good Seamanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04677012928670157914noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1253334491224240763.post-88374399741312992912010-10-03T03:46:00.000-07:002010-10-03T03:47:15.196-07:00Fire Wires - Emergency Towing Off Pennants (ETOPS)<i><b>OCIMF</b></i> has published a position paper which recommended the elimination of the Emergency Towing Off Pennants (ETOPS), commonly known as "Fire Wires" from <i><b>ISGOTT</b></i> and the <i><b>ISGOTT Checklist</b></i> since it is not an essential piece of equipment for vessel's safety.<br />
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What ships does it apply :<br />
All Tankers<br />
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When does it come into force :<br />
Immediately<br />
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<i><b>OCIMF</b></i> commenced a study in 2002 on the ETOPS effectiveness. The study revealed that whereas since 1967, no instances had been documented where the ETOPS had been used, some seventeen hundreds injuries to personnel, both minor and serious, had occurred when handling large steel "fire wires". Efforts were made to determine a lighter rope of fiber construction with strength equivalent to steel wire rope, however, a consensus was not reached and in 2007, a risk assessment by <i><b>Lloyds Register</b></i> was commissioned. The <i><b>Lloyds Register</b></i>'s assessment concluded that the use of ETOPS should no longer be recommended and this was accepted by <i><b>OCIMF</b></i>.<br />
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<a name='more'></a>Note : This is not adopted by all terminals and berths and therefore, one should check with terminals or berths whether they require fire wires to be deployed or not.The Good Seamanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04677012928670157914noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1253334491224240763.post-21689687056743452472010-10-02T10:50:00.000-07:002010-10-02T23:32:14.695-07:00ECDIS - Electronic Chart Display & Information SystemECDIS - is a shipborne navigational system whose performance standards are specified in IMO Resolution A.817(19). It must support the whole range of navigational functions that make use of the characteristics of the chart data and their specific presentation. Moreover, to be an ECDIS, the equipment must be shown to meet all the requirement of the IMO Performance Standards and offer, besides the graphic presentation of chart data, additional information about the characteristics of the displayed features.<br />
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<a name='more'></a>Within the ECDIS, the ENC database stores the chart information in the form of geographic objects represented by point, line and area shapes, carrying individual attributes which make any of these objects unique. Appropriate mechanisms are built into the system to query the data and then to use the obtained information to perform certain navigational functions (e.g. anti-grounding surveillance). The presentation of the current position, range/bearing functions and route planning capabilities are other examples of the minimum ECDIS requirements laid down in IMO Performance Standards.<br />
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<i>Extracted from :</i> <span style="color: red;">Bridge Procedures Guide, 4th Ed. </span>The Good Seamanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04677012928670157914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1253334491224240763.post-50919688302445346382010-10-02T10:31:00.000-07:002010-10-02T23:32:56.395-07:00Electronic Chart Display SystemsStandard features of electronic chart display systems include the display of electronic vector and/or raster charts overlaid with the position of the ship and its track, and facilities to route plan and automatically update charts using digital notices to mariners. Navigation sensors such as GPS, log and gyro will be connected to provide positional information. An autopilot may also be connected when the electronic chart display system is installed as part of an integrated bridge system.<br />
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<a name='more'></a>Some electronic charts display system offer the capability to display radar data overlaid on the chart. This can be either selected targets or a full radar picture that can be independently controlled. Caution should always be exercised where target vectors based on the ship's speed through the water are overlaid on an electronic chart that is displaying speed over the ground.<br />
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Factors that will determine to what extent an electronic chart display system can be used will include the type of system that has been fitted, the ability of that system to display official nautical charts and whether or not the flag state administration allows its use for navigational purposes.<br />
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Electronic chart display systems can be categorised as ECDIS, RCDS or ECS.<br />
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<i>Extracted from :</i> <span style="color: red;">Bridge Procedures Guide, 4th Ed.</span>The Good Seamanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04677012928670157914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1253334491224240763.post-47464962989609471602010-10-02T07:59:00.000-07:002010-10-02T23:33:21.354-07:00Electronic Charts - ENC and RNCThere are two kinds of official electronic charts commonly available:<br />
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1. Vector or Electronic Navigational Charts (ENC)<br />
2. Raster Navigational Charts (RNC)<br />
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<b>Vector Charts</b> - are compiled by attributing to each and every chart feature a set of values, and each chart feature is stored in a layered digital database. Storage in a database allows the chart data to be displayed as a seamless chart, while layering enables field of data that are not required at the time to be removed from display to reduce chart clutter.<br />
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Chart features can be interrogated to display additional information about charted objects.<br />
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The inherent "intelligence" of vectorised charts allows three dimensional "route safety zone monitoring". Chart depth contours and air draught clearances around the ship can be monitored automatically, both while the route is being planned and while the ship is on passage. Alarms will be triggered automatically if a safety zone around a ship s breached.<br />
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<a name='more'></a>An international standard for vector charts has been finalised by IHO (S-57 Edition 3) and vector charts complying with this standard produced by or on the authority of a national hydrographic office are known as electronic navigational charts (ENC).<br />
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<b>Raster Charts</b> - are exact copies of paper charts and are produced by digital scanning techniques. Information on raster charts cannot be layered and the move from one chart to another will not be seamless. Raster charts have to be individually selected and displayed.<br />
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Raster charts have no inherent "intelligence". The chart data itself cannot trigger automatic alarms wthout the addition of user-inserted information that has been entered manually during route planning.<br />
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Without selecting different scale charts, the look ahead capability using raster charts may be limited, causing some inconvenience when determining the identity of distant objects. Datums and projections may differ between raster charts and care must be taken to take account of such differences.<br />
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A facsimile of a paper chart originated by or distributed on the authority of a national hydrographic office is known as a raster navigational charts (RNC).<br />
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<i>Extracted from :</i> <span style="color: red;">Bridge Procedures Guide, 4th Ed.</span>The Good Seamanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04677012928670157914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1253334491224240763.post-49716065541845068212010-10-02T05:51:00.000-07:002010-10-02T23:36:23.443-07:00Lifejackets - New RequirementsChanges to the LSA Code and SOLAS – requirements for lifejackets<br />
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Amendments to Chapter II of the International Life-Saving Appliance (LSA) Code come into effect on <span style="color: yellow;">July 1, 2010</span>, and introduce the following new requirements for the approval of lifejackets:<br />
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• Each lifejacket shall be fitted with a whistle firmly secured by a lanyard.<br />
• Lifejacket lights and whistles shall be selected and secured to the lifejacket in such a way that their performance in combination is not degraded.<br />
• Each lifejacket shall be provided with a releasable buoyant line or other means to secure it to a lifejacket worn by another person in the water.<br />
• Each lifejacket shall be provided with a suitable means to allow a rescuer to lift the wearer from the water into a survival craft or rescue boat.<br />
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The requirements apply:<br />
• to lifejackets provided on board ships constructed (having their keel laid) on or after July 1, 2010<br />
and<br />
• when providing new lifejackets to vessels with a keel laying date before July 1, 2010.<br />
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New requirements for the carriage of additional equipment, also effective July 1, 2010, have been introduced under the SOLAS Convention, as follows:<br />
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<a name='more'></a>• On all ships where adult lifejackets are not designed to fit persons weighing up to 140 kg with a chest girth of up to 1,750 mm, suitable accessories are to be provided that allow the lifejacket to be secured to such persons.<br />
• All passenger ships are to be provided with lifejackets for “infants”.<br />
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Relevant IMO resolutions and circulars<br />
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The amendments to Chapter II of the LSA Code and Chapter III of SOLAS were adopted by the IMO through resolutions MSC.207(81) and MSC.201(81) respectively.<br />
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Resolution MSC.81(70) – Revised Recommendation on Testing of Life-Saving Appliances (adopted on December 11, 1998) has been amended by resolution MSC.200(80) to reflect the new requirements.<br />
However, it should be noted that MSC/Circ.980 – Standardized Life-Saving Appliance Evaluation and Test Report Forms has not been similarly amended; when required, these amendments will be applied and information is to be included in the relevant test report forms.The Good Seamanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04677012928670157914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1253334491224240763.post-14156331683467369502010-10-02T02:56:00.000-07:002010-10-02T08:00:40.002-07:00The Good SeamanAt all times, safe navigation requires effective command, control, communication and management. It demands that that the situation, the level of bridge manning, and the operational status of navigation systems, the ship's engines and auxiliaries are all taken into account.<br />
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It is people that control ships, and it is therefore people, together with management and teamwork, who are the key to reliable performance. People entrusted with the control of ships must be competent to carry out their duties.<br />
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People also make mistakes and so it is necessary to ensure that monitoring and checking prevent chains of error from developing. Mistakes cannot be predicted and, once a mistake has been detected, it is human nature to seek to fit circumstances to the original premise, thus compounding a simple error of judgment.<br />
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<i>Extracted from :</i> <span style="color: red;">Bridge Procedures Guide, 4th Ed.</span>The Good Seamanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04677012928670157914noreply@blogger.com0