Towing on high seas

The act of drawing a vessel, which does not use her own power, thorough water is called towing. Towing is provided by a tug (a special craft with specific equipment on board).

Vessels may need towing both in ports and on high seas. In many ports any unassisted maneuvering within the harbor limits is prohibited. Mooring of vessels, especially large ones, is effected with tug assistance too. Tugs may also assist in taking a vessel into dry dock.

Vessel may need towing on high seas when she can not be kept under control or becomes disabled due to some failure. In such situation special salvage vessels or ocean-going tugs will immediately come out to carry out search and rescue operation, render necessary assistance and tow the damaged vessel to the nearest port for repairs.

While towing on high seas or in port waters the tug and tow maintain constant communication with each other to coordinate their movements and maneuvers. VHF radiotelephone or single-letter signals of the International Code of signals are usually used for that purpose.

Before entering the port it is necessary to know if rowing is compulsory or not. If towing is compulsory Master should order a tug by himself or it is also possible to do so through the Agent.

When towing is performed vessel must hoist the diamond shape and the fog signal (one long blast followed by three short blasts) should be made in the case of restricted visibility.

Procedure of bringing the ship to anchor

When a vessel can not proceed to her allocated berth she may anchor either in the open roadstead or in inner harbor. Before the anchoring the watch officer should study carefully the intended anchoring berth and must communicate with the port authorities or traffic service to report about ship’s arrival and specify the time of anchoring and berth location.

Then the watch officer sends the boatswain to prepare the anchor gear. Bosun checks windlass against damage, eases off the chain and screw stoppers, takes off the hawse bucklers and having disconnected the gypsy he checks the work of windlass.

In the approaches to the anchoring berth the watch officer notifies the Master and Chief Engineer, checks communication with the engine room and with the forecastle. He must use a large scale charts.

Procedure of bringing a ship to anchor is effected under supervision of the Master. Before bringing a vessel to anchor her speed must be decreased to slow or dead slow. When the vessel approaches her allocated anchoring berth her engines must be stopped.

An anchor must be let go when the Master orders. The Boatswain deactivates screw terminal and the band brake and he must report how many shackles are paid out. Then the anchor chain becomes fight and the boatswain must use screw terminal and the band brake to secure the anchor chain and fix the red or white flag into the chain to check chain’s slacking. Then the boatswain must display the black ball in daytime or white all-round light at night.

After anchoring the watch officer takes anchorage bearings and soundings and makes corresponding entries into the Log Book.

He plots the ship position on the chart and then the vessel’s position at anchorage must be charted and checked periodically be the watch officer.

Pilotage service. Pilotage process.

The process of entering or leaving almost any port in the world requires great skill and attention of the navigator, because a good many of ports are situated in inner waters difficult of access.

As to the Masters who have to take the vessel into a port for theit=r first time they usually don’t know bylaws and peculiarities of the pilotage area. Therefore a special service has been established in every maritime country in order to render assistance to vessels in port and coastal waters navigation. Pilotage area is an area which is very dangerous and difficult for navigation such as straits, channels, canals, harbors, locks, rivers, port areas and so on.

Pilot is qualified person who is authorized to pilot vessels in a particular pilotage area. There are port pilots, deep-sea pilots and river pilots. Every pilot must have a pilot licence (certificate), which he produces if requested to the person by whom he is employed.

Pilotage may be compulsory, optional or advisable. In some ports special certificate can exempt Master from necessity to order a pilot. It is called Pilotage exemption certificate. It is given to the masters who visit these ports very often and have local knowledge.

Usually pilots stand by to render assistance round-the-clock but in some small ports pilotage service works only in the day time. The procedure of ordering a pilot is different in each port. It’s described in special ship’s publications such as Guide to port Entry, Pilot Book and ALRS Vol.6. This procedure depends on the local navigation condition. Request for pilotage may be addressed either to Agent or directly to the port Pilot Station by means of telecommunication or radiogram. Such request must be sent in advance, as a rule from 24 to 96 hours before arrival and should contain routine particulars about the ship.

During the first communication Pilot Station specifies the time or the place where the vessel must call it again to acknowledge her arrival. When the vessel reaches the intended place in the day-time she should hoist flag GOLF of the ICS, meaning “I require a pilot”. Light signals may be used at night.

When the vessel’s ETA to pilot station is established the OOW should contact the pilot station to arrange the pilot boarding. During such communication the pilot station specifies the time and the place of pilot embarkation. OOW should supervise the embarkation and disembarkation of the pilot. With hand-held VHF radio he should meet the pilot and guide him to the bridge. As soon as the pilot is embarked flag “G” has to be substituted with flag “Hotel” of the ICS meaning “I have a pilot on board”.

Pilotage area must be carefully studied by OOW and the Master. Before boarding of the pilot the Master should ensure that: - the appropriate charts and publications; - the navigation aids are in order and operational; - an efficient watch is maintained, including OOW, helmsman and lookout. Despite the presence of the pilot the Master is responsible for the ship.

Procedure of mooring. Duties of the Officer while mooring.

In many ports of the world vessels intending to load or to discharge are made fast to pier, quay or specially designated berth which are equipped with modern cargo-handling facilities. Ocean-going cargo vessels mooring procedures involve mane complexities and careful consideration will need to be made for safe berthing and unberthing.

The mooring procedure is effected under the supervision of the Master, however, it requires great skill on the part of the people involved. To perform this operation on board a vessel special mooring parties are formed. They comprise a number of ratings and, as a rule, one deck officer in charge. A leader of each mooring party should check for fitness and according dress of members of his party, before commencement of operation. Then brief discussion should be carried out to make everybody aware of his duties.

Fenders, heaving lines, messenger ropes, mooring lines, rat guards, winches and other equipment likely to be used should be prepared well in advance. After all preparations are completed the mooring team should stay at their mooring station and wait for any instructions from mooring team commander who maintains a constant communication with the bridge by means of hand-held VHF radio and complies with Master’s orders.

In many ports mooring master embarks a vessel before mooring in order to assist the shipmaster to berth a vessel properly. Mooring Master is a specially designated person who knows the port authorities requirements and local conditions form mooring a ship. He advices the shipmaster how the vessel should be made fast to the berth and deals with tug’s Masters.

The vessel can be made fast to the quay either alongside or head or stern to it. The method of mooring a vessel head or stern to the quay is widely used be RO-RO type vessels and car-carrying ferries. Ship’s approach to the berth should be effected at slow speed with both anchors should be ready to let go in case of an emergency. At an appropriate distance from the berth the engine is stopped. When determining such distance the ship’s speed, her tonnage, engine power and its reversing efficiency must be taken into consideration.

When the vessel approaches to the certain distance from the berth, the first line is given ashore, time of this event should be recorded in the bell book. Mooring lines should be sent one by one. Communication between the mooring parties and shore personnel can be maintained verbally or by using the appropriate signs.

The leader of the mooring party should not be involved in pulling ropes or smth like this he should only supervise the whole process of mooring. All orders received by VHS radio should be repeated and executed immediately in a safe manner. There should be no rush. When the ship is alongside the ropes must be tightened by means of winches and secured. On board the vessel the ropes can be made fast either to bitts or secured at automatic winches. All moorings given ashore should be constantly observed as an alteration of water level or draught of the vessel and change of wind force or direction may result in an excessive slackening or tightening and even parting of the ropes.