The Merchant Marine Express

Navigation and the art of “conning” or commanding a vessel is perfected over time and only this hands on training can hone one’s skills and fine tune a mariner’s instinct upon the water, hopefully without incident, of course!

Skills used in navigating a 38,000 ton ship, involve decision making and time management skills not unlike what a pilot experiences onboard an airline jet.Comparatively, ships use RADAR which scans the horizon for ‘targets’ or ‘contacts’ as we refer to other vessels. We also use communication equipment such as VHF radios to hail another ship or a port which we are intending to ‘call to”; and Satellite feed to send and receive vital information pertaining to weather or other navigational concerns such as changes to buoys or day markers which may affect the navigation within rivers or harbors. But unlike an airline pilot, we make individual calls to
other ships or boats and have to make arrangements, independent of any agency dictating an intended course such as a Traffic Control System, which pilots use at almost every point in their flight.

Modern ships, including the Chemical Explorer, has an Electronic Charting Display Information System or ECDIS and under real time conditions, our intended course is plotted on a large screen located on the bridge and which is essentially a digital chart copying our paper chart that we still use to plot our position including features such as depths of the water, as well as overlays of ships from the RADAR and computerized Estimated time of Arrival (ETA) to any of the waypoints marked out on the GPS . This complex computer system is an excellent supplement to the navigational aids in assisting with precise course plotting as tidal currents, weather and vessel traffic can alter the intended courses set, and allow the navigator to bring the ship back on track. This system has only been in use within the past decade, and along with the Automatic Identification System or AIS, any ship within a
perimeter of the ship is identifies by name and their destinations, and vessel particulars can be viewed on a small screen. This ties into the Autopilot which allows a course to be set into the steering mechanism and the ship steers on that course. Any course change can be made in autopilot, as well.

Only one officer, such as myself, along with the other Third Mate and Second Mate alternate watches in addition with an Able Seaman accomplishing the task of standing bridge watch at any given time. Except for passages within harbors, which call for a Captain and a harbor Pilot, in addition to the Watch Officer, all the navigation at sea is solely up to the Watch Officer and his or her AB to take the Helm, and steer the ship, or see to it, that all is safe within the passage of the ship. A Watch Officer commands the AB to make a course change in ‘hand steering’ and relays how much of a rudder movement, and for how long in order to stay on course.

Making calls, to other ships for passing arrangements, possibly altering engine RPM’s, calling Vessel Traffic Services (VTS) for Pilot boarding times, and other bridge resource management concerns is what we deck officers perform, besides conducting cargo operations. Also, weather is to be sent out on a regular basis, via satellite communications, as this observation is vital to the accuracy which the National Weather Service and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) needs to convey to
the common people. What satellite imagery cannot illustrate, we as mariners are the ‘eyes on the surface’ and supply much needed information to these agencies.

And unlike, a Navy warship, where a gathering of eleven bridge personnel together make up a bridge team, we can do the same with just the two as previously described in the merchant marine.

And by the way, Veteran’s Day was eventful as we set sail for Tampa, and additionally, I viewed some national events on television honoring veterans of past wars. I salute them!

Have a great day, folks!

Tags: Chemical Explorer