SHIPS

MERCHANT SHIPS ARE OF VARIOUS TYPES AND CAN BE CLASSIFIED INTO THE FOLLOWING CATAGORIES.

1. TANKERS- SHIPS WHICH CARRY FLUIDS

TANKERS CAN FURTHER BE CLASSIFIED INTO
A) CRUDE OIL CARRIERS
B) PRODUCT CARRIERS
C) CHEMICAL CARRIERS
D) LPG CARRIERS
E) LNG CARRIERS
LARGE TANKERS ARE PRIMARILY CRUDE OIL TANKERS. THEY ARE KNOWN AS VLCC (VERY LARGE CRUDE CARRIERS) OR ULCC (ULTRA-LARGE CRUDE CARRIERS).
VLCC CAN CARRY UPTO 200,000 MT AND ULCC UPTO 400,000 MT.

2. BULK CARRIERS- SHIPS WHICH CARRY SOLID CARGOES IN BULK
BULK CARRIERS ALSO VARY IN THEIR SIZE. THEY CAN CARRY FROM 15,000 MT TO 350,000 MT. THEY ARE CLASSIFIED ACCORDING TO THEIR SIZE- HANDYMAX, PANAMAX, SUEZMAX, CAPE SIZE. (I DON’T WANT TO CONFUSE YOU FURTHER)

3. CONTAINERS SHIPS
CONTAINERS SHIPS CAN CARRY FROM 700 TEUS (STANDARD 20 FEET CONTAINERS) TO 7000 CONTAINERS.

4. CAR CARRIERS
CAR CARRIERS CAN CARRY UPTO 5000 CARS AT A TIME.

5. GENERAL CARGO SHIPS
THESE SHIPS CAN CARRY ALL SORTS OF CARGOES LIKE MACHINERY PARTS, STEEL PRODUCTS ETC. THEY ARE NORMALLY SMALL SHIPS AND CARRY UPTO 20,000 MT.

6. PASSENGER SHIPS

7. TIMBER CARRIERS
TIMBER CARRIERS ARE SPECIALISED SHIPS FOR CARRYING TIMBER.

8. REEFER SHIPS
THESE TYPES OF SHIPS ARE USED FOR TRANSPORTING VEGETABLES, FRUITS AND OTHER PERISHABLE ITEMS, WHICH REQUIRE REFRIGERATION.

9. LIVESTOCK CARRIERS
THESE SHIPS ARE USED FOR TRANSPORTING LIVESTOCK (SHEEP, GOAT, COW ETC.)

THESE ARE THE TYPES OF SHIPS USED FOR COMMERCIAL PURPOSES.

SHIPS DIFFER IN THEIR CARRYING CAPACITY. IT DEPENDS ON THEIR LENGTH, BREADTH AND DEPTH. IT ALSO DEPENDS ON THE STOWAGE FACTOR (THE SPACE OCCUPIED BY ONE TON OF THE CARGO) OF THE CARGO TO BE CARRIED.

THERE ARE MORE FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE THE CARRYING CAPACITY OF THE SHIP. THE ROUTE OF THE SHIP IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT FACTORS. THE OCEAN REGIONS ARE DIVIDED INTO SEVERAL ZONES. THESE ZONES ARE CALLED LOAD LINE ZONES. THE SHIP SIDE HAS GOT A MARKING. THIS MARK IS NOT TO BE SUBMERGED UNDER WATER FOR THE ENTIRE LENGTH OF THE VOYAGE. THE POSITIONING OF THIS MARKING IS BASED ON SEVERAL CALCULATIONS (LET ME NOT GET TOO TECHNICAL!). THE AMOUNT OF CARGO IS CALCULATED ON THE BASIS OF THE AVAILABLE DEPTH OF WATER IN THE LOADING PORT AND UNLOADING PORT ALSO. THE CONSUMPTION OF FUEL, FRESH WATER, AND LUBE OIL ALSO HAVE GOT A ROLE TO PLAY ON THE CARRYING CAPACITY.
APART FROM THESE FACTORS, THE AMOUNT OF UNPUMPABLE BALLAST IS ALSO VERY IMPORTANT. (BALLAST IS SEA WATER TAKEN INTO DIFFERENT TANKS, WHEN THE SHIP IS EMPTY, TO INCREASE THE STABILITY OF THE SHIP.)

EVERY TIME WE LOAD A SHIP, WE WILL HAVE TO PUMP OUT THE BALLAST IN A PROPER SEQUENCE, SO THAT THE SHIP WILL NOT HAVE EXCESS OF SHEARING FORCE AND BENDING MOMENT. IF THEY EXCEED THE PERMISSIBLE LIMITS, THE SHIP’S STRUCTURE MAY GET DAMAGED. SIMILARLY, WHILE UNLOADING WE PUMP IN BALLAST IN A SEQUENCE.
SO, YOU NOW KNOW THAT LOADING/ UNLOADING A SHIP IS NOT LIKE LOADING/ UNLOADING A LORRY. IT IS VERY MUCH COMPLICATED AND INVOLVES LOTS OF CALCULATIONS.
THESE WORKS ARE DONE BY THE CHIEF OFFICER AND THE OTHER OFFICERS FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS AND SEE TO IT THAT THE JOBS ARE DONE IN A PROPER WAY.

LET US LOOK AT ONE OF MY JOBS ON BOARD (NAVIGATION OF THE SHIP).
AGAIN, IT IS NOT LIKE DRIVING A CAR/BUS. IT IS A VERY COMPLEX PROCESS AND AGAIN INVOLVES LOT OF STUDY, PLANNING & PREPARATION.
FIRST THE PORT OF DESTINATION HAS TO BE CONFIRMED BY THE OWNER/CHARTERER.
THEN STARTS THE PROCESS OF PASSAGE PLANNING.
PASSAGE PLANNING INVOLVES MANY ASPECTS. FIRST THE ROUTE HAS TO BE PLANNED, TAKING INTO CONSIDERATION THE WEATHER EXPECTED, THE TRAFFIC, AND THE NAVIGATIONAL HAZARDS.
AFTER THE ROUTE HAS BEEN PLANNED, THE NAVIGATIONAL CHARTS REQUIRED FOR THE INTENDED PASSAGE HAS TO BE LOOKED FOR AMONGST THE HUNDREDS OF CHARTS AVAILABLE ON BOARD. (NAVIGATIONAL CHARTS ARE MAPS OF DIFFERENT AREAS OF EARTH. THEY VARY IN SCALE. THE SCALE DEPENDS UPON THE AREA OF NAVIGATION. IN THE PROXIMITY OF LAND, SHALLOW AREAS OF THE OCEAN, THE SCALE IS LARGER. THE SCALE IS LARGEST WHEN APPROACHING A PORT AND FOR THE PORT). AFTER TAKING OUT THE CHARTS, I WILL HAVE TO CORRECT THEM FOR SMALL CORRECTIONS, (SAY A NEW LIGHT HOUSE, A WRECK, NEW PIPELINE, NEW CABLE, AND MANY OTHER THINGS). THEN I DECIDE THE SHORTEST ROUTE, TAKING ALL ASPECTS, DESCRIBED EARLIER INTO CONSIDERATION. THE COURSE HAS TO BE LAID DOWN ON THE CHARTS. THIS IS ONLY THE PLANNING PART OF THE PASSAGE PLAN.
A PASSAGE PLAN IN THE FORMAT OF THE COMPANY HAS TO BE MADE AND SIGNED BY THE CAPTAIN. THE APPROXIMATE ESTIMATED TIME OF ARRIVAL (ETA) IS CALCULATED FOR DIFFERENT SPEEDS AND GIVEN TO THE CAPTAIN.
THE SPEED OF MERCHANT SHIPS MAY VARY FROM 12 TO 25 KNOTS (NAUTICAL MILE PER HOUR)[1 NAUTICAL MILE = 1.852 KM]. THE SPEED DEPENDS ON SEVERAL FACTORS.
TO NAME A FEW- WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION, SEA CONDITION, DIRECTION OF THE SWELL, CURRENT, DEPTH OF THE SEA, LOADED SHIP OR EMPTY SHIP. THE SPEED IS LESS WHEN COMPARED TO NAVAL SHIPS DUE TO THE WEIGHT OF THE SHIP. (EVEN AT SUCH LOW SPEED THE MOMENTUM IS VERY HIGH){MOMENTUM IS DIRECTLY PROPORTIONAL TO SPEED AND MASS}.

THE PLACE FROM WHERE WE NAVIGATE THE SHIP IS CALLED “BRIDGE”.
THE BRIDGE IS DIVIDED INTO WHEEL HOUSE AND CHART ROOM. WHEEL HOUSE IS FROM WHERE THE SHIP IS STEERED. CHART ROOM IS THE PLACE WHERE THE CHARTS ARE KEPT AND THE SHIPS POSITION IS MONITORED.

THE SHIP IS STEERED MANUALLY, WHEN ARRIVING AND DEPARTING A PORT. OUT AT SEA IT IS ON AUTO PILOT. THE DIRECTION IS DETERMINED FROM A GYRO COMPASS (THIS IS BASED ON THE PRINCIPLE OF GYROSPHERE) AND IT ALWAYS SHOWS TRUE NORTH. THERE IS ANOTHER COMPASS KNOWN AS MAGNETIC COMPASS. THIS COMPASS DOES NOT SHOW TRUE NORTH BUT SHOWS NORTH SOME DEGREES AWAY FROM THE TRUE NORTH. THIS DIFFERENCE DEPENDS ON THE VARIATION (DUE TO THE MAGNETIC FIELD OF THE EARTH) AND DEVIATION (MAGNETIC FIELD CREATED DUE TO THE SHIP).
CALCULATION OF COURSE (THE DIRECTION IN WHICH THE SHIP HAS TO PROCEED) AND DISTANCE DEPENDS ON THE POINT WHERE THE COURSE HAS TO BE ALTERED. THIS CALCULATION IS NORMALLY DONE ON THE MERCATOR SAILING METHOD FOR DISTANCE LESS THAN 600 NAUTICAL MILES (N.M) AND ON GREAT SAILING METHOD FOR DISTANCES GREATER THAN 600 N.M. TRANS OCEAN VOYAGES ARE DONE ON GREAT SAILING METHOD (I DON’ WANT TO CONFUSE YOU MORE THAN THIS).
THERE ARE SEVERAL PUBLICATIONS TO BE REFERRED TO BEFORE PLANNING.
ONCE THE PLANNING IS DONE, THE NEXT STEP IS EXECUTION AND MONITORING.
WHEN SAILING, WE PLOT THE POSITION OF THE SHIP AT REGULAR INTERVALS TO ENSURE THAT THE SHIP IS FOLLOWING THE COURSE LAID OUT.
THIS POSITION PLOTTING IS DONE WITH THE HELP OF GPS. EARLIER THERE WERE SEVERAL SYSTEMS SUCH AS SAT-NAV, DECCA, LORAN & OMEGA. BUT NOW ONLY GPS IS BEING USED IN ALL THE SHIPS.
APART FROM GPS, OTHER NAVIGATIONAL EQUIPMENTS ON BOARD A SHIP ARE ECHO-SOUNDER (TO FIND OUT THE DEPTH OF WATER), COURSE RECORDER (IT RECORDS ON PAPER THE COURSE BEING DONE BY THE SHIP), NAVTEX (IT RECEIVES WEATHER REPORTS, NAVIGATIONAL WARNINGS ETC. ON A PRESET FREQUENCY OF 518 KHz. THIS IS SOMETHING LIKE A TELEX PRINTER), RADAR (S-BAND/10cm WAVELENGTH & X-BAND/3cm WAVELENGTH), WEATHER FAX RECEIVER (RECEIVES WEATHER FAX IN MAP FORMAT SHOWING THE LOW PRESSURE, HIGH PRESSURE AREAS, LOCATION OF TYPHOONS/STORMS, ICE BERGS ETC).
IN LATEST SHIPS THE BRIDGE HAS ECDIS (ELECTRONIC CHART DISPLAY AND INFORMATION SYSTEM). THE CHARTS ARE SCANNED AND ARE DISPLAYED ON A SCREEN. THIS HAS A IN BUILT RADAR. THE POSITION AND TRACK OF THE SHIP IS AUTOMATICALLY DISPAYED ON THE SCREEN.
WE ALSO USE A SEXTANT TO DETERMINE THE SHIPS POSITION. WITH THE SEXTANT, WE OBSERVE THE ALTITUDE OF SUN, MOON OR STARS. AFTER GETTING THEIR ALTITUDE AND BEARING (DEGREES RESPECT TO TRUE NORTH) AND THE UTC (GMT) TIME, WE CALCULATE THE SHIP’S POSITION.
APART FROM THE NAVIGATIONAL WORK, THE SECOND OFFICER HAS TO LOOK AFTER THE COMMUNICATION. HE HAS TO SEND MESSAGES TO THE OWNERS, CHARTERERS, AGENTS, PORT AUTHORITIES AND OTHER PARTIES CONCERNED WITH THE SHIP. ACCOUNTING HAS TO BE DONE FOR ALL MESSAGES & FAXES SENT AND PHONE CALLS MADE FROM THE SHIP. THE SECOND OFFICER HAS ALSO TO LOOK AFTER THE MEDICINES ON BOARD AND ISSUE MEDICINES TO SICK PERSONS AND SEND THEM TO DOCTOR, IF NECESSARY WHILE AT PORT.

THE CHIEF OFFICER IS THE SECOND IN COMMAND OF THE SHIP AND HE LOOKS AFTER THE CARGO HANDLING ASPECT OF THE SHIP. HE PLANS THE LOADING AND DISCHARGING OF THE SHIP, SO THAT THE SHIP IS NOT LOADED UNEVENLY, WHICH MAY CAUSE THE SHIP TO DEVELOP EXCESSIVE SHEARING FORCES AND BENDING MOMENTS.
HE IS ALSO INCHARGE OF THE MAINTENANCE OF THE SHIP’S HULL AND ACCOMODATION. HE IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE LIFE SAVING APPLIANCES AND FIRE FIGHTING APPLIANCES OF THE SHIP. HE IS ALSO THE SAFETY OFFICER ON BOARD. HIS VARIOUS OTHER DUTIES INCLUDE TRAINING THE SHIPS’ CREW IN VARIOUS ASPECTS OF SAFETY, FIRE FIGHTING, SEARCH AND RESCUE. HE IS HEAD OF THE DECK DEPARTMENT AND ALL DECK OFFICERS AND CREW COME UNDER HIM.
THE CHIEF OFFICER IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE PROPER DISPOSAL OF GARBAGE GENERATED ON BOARD. HE IS THE BALLAST MANAGEMENT OFFICER ON BOARD. THE BALLAST MANAGEMENT INVOLVES PROPER PLANNING OF CHANGING OF BALLAST IN DEEP SEAS TO AVOID HARMFUL ORGANISMS BEING PROPAGATED FROM ONE PART OF THE WORLD TO ANOTHER PART OF THE WORLD.
HE IS ALSO RESPONSIBLE FOR ORDERING STORES REQUIRED FOR THE DECK AND CATERING DEPARTMENT AND MAINTAINING A PRPOER INVENTORY OF THE SAME.
IN SHORT WORDS, THE CHIEF OFFICER IS LIKE THE PRIME MINISTER OF A COUNTRY AND THE CAPTAIN IS LIKE THE PRESIDENT OF THE COUNTRY.

THE VARIOUS POSTS ON BOARD A SHIP AND THEIR WORKS ARE BRIEFLY DESCRIBED AS FOLLOWS.
> MASTER (CAPTAIN) - OVERALL INCHARGE OF THE SHIP
> CHIEF OFFICER – SECOND IN COMMAND OF THE SHIP. HE IS INCHARGE OF DECK DEPARTMENT, CARGO OPERATIONS, MAINTENANCE OF THE SHIP (DECK SIDE AND ACCOMODATION).
> SECOND OFFICER – THIRD IN COMMAND OF THE SHIP. HE IS INCHARGE OF NAVIGATION OF THE SHIP, THE MEDICINES ON BOARD& THE COMMUNICATIONS.
> THIRD OFFICER – HE IS INCHARGE OF THE LIFE SAVING APPLIANCES AND FIRE FIGHTING APPLIANCE OF THE SHIP, UNDER THE GUIDANCE OF CHIEF OFFICER.
THERE MAY BE ONE OR TWO CADETS (TRAINEES).
THIS FORMS THE DECK DEPARTMENT.

THE ENGINE DEPARTMENT COMPRISES OF A CHIEF ENGINEER, SECOND ENGINEER, THIRD ENGINEER, FOURTH ENGINEER, FIFTH ENGINEER OR TRAINEE & ELECTRICAL OFFICER.
THE CREW IS COMPRISED OF SIX PERSONS ON THE DECK SIDE, 3 OR 4 PERSONS ON THE ENGINE SIDE AND 2 PERSONS ON THE CATERING SIDE.

THE WORKING HOURS OUT AT SEA IS 8 HRS OF NORMAL DUTY AND 4 HRS OF OTHER JOBS SPECIFICALLY ASSIGNED TO EACH PERSON. THE CHIEF OFFICER DOES NAVIGATIONAL WATCHES FROM 0400 TO 0800 AND 1600 TO 2000. THE SECOND OFFICER, FROM 1200 TO 1600 AND 0000 TO 0400. THE THIRD OFFICER FROM 0800 TO 1200 AND 2000 TO 2400. THE TOTAL WORKING HOURS IN A DAY IS VARIABLE. IT MAY GO UPTO 15 OR 16 HRS PER DAY ALSO. IN PORT, THE SECOND OFFICER AND THIRD OFFICER SHARE THE WATCHES. SECOND OFFICER FROM 0000 TO 0600 AND 1200 TO 1800. THIRD OFFICER DOES THE WATCHES FROM 0600 TO 1200 AND 1800 TO 2400. THE WORKING HOURS MAY VARY DEPENDING UPON THE WORK LOAD. THE CREW DO ABOUT 8 TO 10 HRS OF WORK EVERY DAY. IT MAY ALSO VARY AND DEPENDS UPON THE CIRCUMSTANCES. THERE ARE TIMES WHEN I HAVE WORKED NON-STOP FOR DAYS TOGETHER WITHOUT ANY SLEEP AND VERY LITTLE FOOD!!!

NORMALLY ALL SHIPS (CARGO SHIPS) HAVE TWO LIFE BOATS, ONE ON EACH SIDE. (EACH HAS A CAPACITY TO CARRY THE FULL SHIP’S CREW). [THE PASSENGER SHIP I WORKED ON, HAD TEN LIFE BOATS!] APART FORM THE LIFE BOATS, THERE WILL BE LIFERAFTS (TWO ON EACH SIDE TO CARRY THE FULL CREW) AND ONE FORWARD TO CARRY SIX PERSONS. EACH PERSON IS GIVEN A LIFE JACKET. APART FROM THESE LIFE JACKETS, LIFE JACKETS ARE KEPT IN THE BRIDGE, ENGINE ROOM, AND FORWARD AS WELL. THESE FORM THE LIFE SAVING APPLIANCES. THE LIFE BOATS AND LIFE RAFTS HAVE VARIOUS EQUIPMENTS NECESSARY FOR THE CREW. FOOD IN THE FORM OF BISCUITS AND WATER IS ALSO AVAILABLE AS PART OF THE STANDARD EQUIPMENT. IN CASE OF EMERGENCY AND IF TIME IS AVAILABLE, OTHER FOOD ITEMS AND EXTRA WATER CAN BE BROUGHT FROM THE SHIP AND STORED IN THE LIFEBOAT FOR USE. THERMAL PROTECTIVE AIDS ARE PRESENT IN THE LIFE BOAT FOR USE IN EXTREME COLD. IMMERSION SUITS ARE ALSO PRESENT.

FOR FIRE FIGHTING, WE HAVE EXTINGUISHERS OF DIFFERENT TYPES, WHICH ARE TO BE USED FOR DIFFERENT TYPES OF FIRES. WE HAVE FIRE HOSES ALSO. FOR THE ENGINE ROOM, APART FROM THESE FIRE FIGHTING APPLIANCES, WE HAVE FIXED FIRE FIGHTING SYSTEM. THIS IS FLOODING THE ENTIRE ENGINE ROOM WITH CO2 (CARBON-DI-OXIDE), AFTER SEALING THE ENTIRE ENGINE ROOM AND EVACUATING THE ENTIRE CREW FROM THERE. THIS IS BECAUSE ENGINE ROOM FIRES ARE DIFFFICULT TO FIGHT DUE TO THE
CONSTRUCTION OF THE ENGINE ROOM AND DUE TO THE PRESENCE OF MANY ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENTS AND FUEL.

SHIPS HAVE TO UNDERGO VARIOUS SURVEYS AT PERIODIC INTERVALS. THER ARE MANY SURVEYS- LOAD LINE SURVEY, SAFETY EQUIPMENT SURVEY, SAFETY RADIO SURVEY, SAFETY CONSTRUCTION SURVEY, DOCKING SURVEY AND MANY OTHER SURVEYS. APART FROM THESE SURVEYS, SHIPS ARE SUBJECT TO INSPECTION BY AUTHORITIES AT VARIOUS PORTS. THEY CHECK EVERYTHING IN THE SHIP AND IN CASE IF THE SHIP IS FOUND AT FAULT, THEY HAVE THE RIGHT TO DETAIN THE SHIP, FINE THE SHIP, THE OWNERS AND EVEN IMPRISON THE MASTER/CHIEF ENGINEER.

OUT AT SEA, WE HAVE TO DO MOCK DRILLS FOR FIRE FIGHTING AT VARIOUS LOCATIONS ON BOARD, ABANDONING SHIP, RESCUING PERSONS, CONTAINING AN OIL SPILL. THERE ARE MANY TYPES OF CONTINGENCIES, FOR WHICH, WE CARRY OUT MOCK DRILLS AT PERIODIC INTERVALS AND A REPORT OF THE DRILL HAS TO BE SENT TO THE OFFICE.

THERE ARE SEVERAL RULES AND REGULATIONS, WHICH WE HAVE TO COMPLY. WE CANNOT PUMP OUT OIL OVERBOARD. ANY PUMPING OUT HAS TO BE DONE THROUGH A DEVICE CALLED OIL DISCHARGE MONITOR. THE QUANTITY OF OIL CANNOT EXCEED 15 PPM. EVEN THIS OIL CANNOT BE DISCHARGED IN SPECIAL AREAS OF THE OCEAN, WHICH ARE DESIGNATED BY INTERNATIONAL MARITIME ORGANIZATION (IMO). THERE ARE MANY RULES REGARDING THE DISCHARGE OF OIL. GARBAGE IS DIVIDED INTO SEVERAL CATAGORIES. THERE ARE, AGAIN, MANY RULES WHICH TELL US, WHICH GARBAGE CAN BE THROWN OVERBOARD, WHICH CANNOT BE. THERE ARE RULES REGARDING THE SMOKE EMISSION OUT OF THE FUNNEL OF THE SHIP. RULES ARE FORMULATED EVEN FOR DISCHARGE OF SEWAGE FROM THE SHIP!
SHIPS ARE NOW A DAYS UNDER CLOSE SCRUTINY BY ALL NATIONAL PORT OFFICIALS FOR ANY SORT OF DEFECTS/NON COMPLIANCE OF RULES & REGULATIONS.
ALL SHIPS HAVE TO FOLLOW INTERNATIONAL SAFETY MANAGEMENT CODE (ISM CODE). PAPER WORK HAS INCREASED VERY MUCH DUE TO THIS. ISM CODE WAS FORMULATED BY IMO TO REDUCE THE ACCIDENTS ON BOARD AND TO INCREASE THE AWARENESS OF SAFETY AMONGST THE CREW MEMBERS.

ALL CREW MEMBERS HAVE TO UNDERGO BASIC COURSES SUCH AS FIRE FIGHTING, PERSONAL SURVIVAL, FIRST AID. OFFICERS HAVE TO UNDERGO ADVANCED FIRE FIGHTING COURSE, PROFECIENCY IN SURVIVAL CRAFT AND RESCUE BOATS, PERSONAL SAFETY AND SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY& MEDICAL FIRST AID. FURTHER COURSES ARE REQUIRED FOR HIGHER RANKS. THE SPECIALIZED COURSES DIFFER FOR DIFFERENT TYPES OF SHIPS.

LET ME TELL SOME THING ABOUT THE DIFFERENT SIDES OF THE SHIP. THE FRONT PORTION OF THE SHIP IS CALLED THE “BOW” AND THE BACK SIDE OF THE SHIP IS CALLED “STERN”. THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE SHIP IS CALLED “STARBOARD SIDE” AND THE LEFT SIDE IS CALLED “PORT SIDE”.
DURING NIGHT TIMES, THE SHIP IS SUPPOSED TO DISPLAY NAVIGATIONAL LIGHTS. THERE IS A LIGHT RIGHT FORWARD ON THE FORWARD MAST AND THER IS ANOTHER LIGHT ON THE MAIN MAST, ABOVE THE BRIDGE. THERE IS A LIGHT AT THE STERN. THERE ARE SIDE LIGHTS, GREEN LIGHT ON THE STARBOARD SIDE AND RED LIGHT ON THE PORT SIDE.
THERE ARE RULES AND REGULATIONS FOR THESE LIGHTS ALSO. THE LIGHTS TO BE DISPLAYED FOR DIFFERENT TYPES OF SHIPS, IN DIFFERENT CONDITIONS ETC ARE DEFINED AND THESE ARE TO BE FOLLOWED BY ALL SHIPS. THERE ARE ABOUT 40 RULES, WHICH ARE TO BE FOLLOWED FOR COLLISION AVOIDANCE. THERE ARE RULES FOR THE SHIPS TO FOLLOW DURING FOG. DURING THICK FOG, THE VISIBILITY IS SO BAD THAT ONE CAN’T SEE THE FORWARD PORTION OF THE SHIP!!!

THERE ARE MANY PORTS I HAVE SEEN AND EACH PORT IS DIFFERENT IN ITS OWN WAY. HAMBURG, ANTWERP, SINGAPORE, ROTTERDAM AND HONGKONG ARE ALL VERY BIG PORTS. IN ANTWERP THERE ARE ABOUT 800 BERTHS. HAMBURG AND ROTTERDAM ARE ALSO QUITE BIG PORTS.
CONTAINERS ARE LOADED/UNLOADED AT THE RATE OF 1 TO 1 ½ MINUTES PER CONTAINER IN THESE PORTS.
IN PORTS LIKE HAY POINT, RICHARDS BAY, PORT DAMPIER AND NEWCASTLE, COAL IS LOADED BY LOADERS AT THE RATE OF 8000 TO 10000 MT PER HOUR.

ON BOARD A SHIP, EVEN THOUGH A PERSON IS OFF DUTY, HE IS REQUIRED TO BE PRESENT IN CASE OF ANY EMERGENCY. THERE IS PRACTICALLY NO SCOPE FOR RELAXATION EVEN DURING OFF DUTY HOURS. WORK ON BOARD IS VERY MUCH DIFFERENT FROM WORK ON LAND. PEOPLE ON LAND, EVEN IF THEY WORK FOR 12 HRS EVERYDAY, THEY GET A CHANCE TO SPEND SOME TIME WITH THEIR FAMILY AND GET A DAY OR TWO OFF DURING THE WEEK END. ON BOARD, THERE IS NO SUNDAY, DIWALI, CHRISTMAS OR BAKRID. WORK, WORK AND ONLY WORK FROM THE TIME JOINING TO THE TIME LEAVING THE SHIP. IT’S DIFFICULT TO WORK LIKE THIS FOR MORE THAN SIX MONTHS WITHOUT ANY REST & WITHOUT SEEING FAMILY.

THERE IS MUCH MORE TO WRITE ABOUT SHIP AND ABOUT PORTS.

BUT I SHALL STOP AT THIS JUNCTURE. THIS IS THE LIFE I HAVE BEEN LIVING FOR ALL THESE YEARS AND HOPE TO DO SO FOR SOME MORE TIME.

HOPE THAT THESE INFORMATIONS MIGHT THROW SOME LIGHT ON SHIPS AND THE WORK ON BOARD.

YOUR COMMENTS ARE MOST WELCOME.

Water Therapy

WATER. THERAPY.... VERY USEFUL TIP FOR OUR HEALTH



Introduction

Drink six (6) glasses of water (1.5 liters) everyday and avoid medicine, tablets, injections, diagnosis, doctor fees, etc. You can never believe before practicing.

List of Diseases That Can Be Cured By Water Therapy

Blood Pressure / Hypertension
Anemia (Blood Shortage)
Rheumatism (Pain in joints / muscles)
General Paralysis
Obesity
Arthritis
Sinusitis
Tachycardia
Giddiness
Cough
Leukemia
Asthma
Bronchitis
Pulmonary Tuberculosis
Meningitis
Kidney Stones
Hyper Acidity
Dysentry
Gastroenteritis
Uterus Cancer
Rectal Piodapse
Constipation
Hostorthobics
Diabetes
Eye Diseases
Ophthalmic Hemorrhage & Opthalmia (Reddisheye)
Irregular Menstruation
Breast Cancer
Laryngitis
Headache
Leukemia
Urogenital Diseases


Therapy Procedure

Ø Early morning, after you get up from bed, (without even brushing your teeth) drink 1.5 liters of water i.e., 5 to 6 glasses.
Ø Let us all know that ancient Indians termed this therapy as "Usha Paana Chikitsa" .
Ø You may wash your face thereafter.
Ø Here it is very essential to note that nothing else, neither drinks nor solid food of any sort should be taken within 1 hour before and after drinking these 1.5 liters of water.
Ø It is also to be strictly observed that no alcoholic drinks should be taken the previous night.
Ø If required, boiled and filtered water may be used for this purpose.
Ø It is difficult to drink 1.5 liters of water at one time, but you will get used to it gradually.
Ø Initially, while practicing you may drink four glasses first and to balance two glasses after a gap of two minutes.
Ø You may find the necessity to urinate 2 to 3 times within an hour, but it will become normal after quite some time.

By Research and Experience

The following diseases are observed to be cured with this therapy within the indicated days as below:

Constipation - 1 day
Acidity - 2 days
Diabetes - 7 days
Cancer - 4 weeks
Pulmonary TB - 3 months
BP & Hypertension - 4 weeks

Note:
It is advised that persons suffering from Arthritis or Rheumatism should practice this therapy thrice a day, i.e. morning, midday and night, 1 hour before meals for one week; and twice a day subsequently until the disease disappears.


How Does Pure Water Act?

Consuming ordinary drinking water by the right method purifies human body. It renders the colon more effective by forming new fresh blood, known in medical terms as " Haematopaises". That the mucous folds of the colon and intestines are activated by this method is an undisputed
fact, just as the theory that the mucous fold produces new fresh blood.
If the colon is cleansed then the nutrients of the food taken several times a day will be absorbed and by the action of the mucous folds they are turned into fresh blood. The blood is all-important in curing ailments and restoring health and for this water should be consumed in a regular pattern.

Life is short just go for it