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

cellphone techniques

Have you locked your keys in the car?

Does your car have remote keyless entry? This may come in handy someday. Good reason to own a cell phone: If you lock your keys in the car and the spare keys are at home, call someone at home on their cell phone from your cell phone. Hold your cell phone about a foot from your car door and have the person at your home press the unlock button, holding it near the mobile phone on their end. Your car will unlock. Saves someone from having to drive your keys to you. Distance is no object. You could be hundreds of miles away, and if you can reach someone who has the other "remote" for your car, you can unlock the doors (or the trunk).

Hidden Battery Power
Imagine your cell battery is very low. To activate, press the keys*3370# Your cell will restart with this reserve and the instrument will show a 50% increase in battery. This reserve will get charged when you charge your cell next time.

How to disable a STOLEN mobile phone?

To check your > Mobile phone's serial number, key in the following digits on your phone:* # 0 6 # A 15 digit code will appear on the screen. This number is unique to your handset. Write it down and keep it somewhere safe. When your phone get stolen, you can phone your service provider and give them this code. They will then be able to block your handset so even if the thief changes the SIM card, your phone will be totally useless. You probably won't get your phone back, but at least you know that whoever stole it can't use/sell it either. If everybody does this, there would be no point in people stealing mobile phones.

The Emergency Number worldwide for Mobile is 112. If you find yourself out of the coverage area of your mobile; network and there is an emergency, dial 112 and the mobile will search any existing network to establish the emergency number for you, and interestingly this number 112 can be dialed even if the keypad is locked.

New Mobile

I hve got a new mobile, Nokia-N70(www.nokia.com/n70). Its a very good one, with lots of features including camera, music, radio etc.

My New Car

At last, I have a car of my own! My long time dream has come true! I got my car- Maruti Swift(Color- Azure Grey) (www.marutiswift.com) on 20th of November!

Letter in deccan Chronicle

I wrote a letter to deccan chronicle, which was published on 16/02/2006. Here it is............ ------>>

Cleared exams at last!!!

I cleared my exams for 1st mate at last. It is a red letter day in my life. All my hard efforts, combined with the prayers didn't go waste. A big relief for me!!!

cameras

Camera is a very fascinating thing invented by man. It helps one relive his fond memories. I have a camera buff from the age of 17. My first camera was a Hotshot, which uses 110 film. Next came the Kodak Kroma. This was a nice camera, even though it was cheap and not the automatic type. The pictures came out really good. I bought a Canon Camera in Antwerp which had zoom lens and even a small remote. This camera was really good. I took lots of photos in Europe, Japan, Singapore, Taiwan and many other places. Several family functions were also photographed using this camera. I had to exchange this camera for Olympus camera as the zoom barrel got spoilt. The Olympus camera is also a very good one, almost similar to the Canon camera. I have taken lots of photos with this camera also. Next on the list is my dream camera, a digital camera. This is a Sony product-DSC T1. This camera is sleek, compact and very good. I have taken several photos using this camera as well.
So this is the story of my love for camera, which may never end!

hype over 9/11 and 7/7

There is so much media hype over 9/11 and 7/7. Why is it so? It is true that many lives have been lost and property damaged in these incidents. But these are not any great historical events to be remembered by their dates. Further, many such bombings have taken place all over the world resulting in loss of lives and properties. Is it because 9/11 and 7/7 have taken place in USA and UK, they are being given so much importance by the media? If this is the case, the media are not playing their part correctly. They should give equal importance to all such acts!!!

Life at sea

It is nice to be out at sea, away from the land, crowds, pollution etc. But sea life is not what it used to be about 8 years back. Things have changed a lot. Lot of new regulations, laws, codes, and what not. The work load has also increased very much, out at sea as well as in port. Gone are the days when going to ports was eagerly awaited by everybody on board. Now nobody wants the ship to stay in a port for a long time because of PSC inspections, surveys, and what not. The only time people want to get to a port is when they sign off. But even that has become a rarity in VLCCs and ULCCs, where they get off the ship in boat or chopper. Long sailing has its own advantages as well as disadvantages. Maintenance is given so much importance that people hardly find time to relax. Apart from this, there are drills, safety meetings, safety movies, training sessions and all that which makes life dull and monotonous on board.
And people ashore think that we are having a great time sailing and visiting new places!!!

soaps on tv

There was a time when tv was a luxury and it was broadcasted for just a couple of hours everyday. With the advent of time, the duration increased. Due to this, soaps were introduced in the tv. They became an onernight craze everywhere. People were glued to their chairs watching these soaps, fully involved in them, laughing and crying with the characters. Social life became very rare thing. After the launching of satellite tv channels, the soaps grew in large numbers. Every channel started their own soaps called mega serials and these serials ran into hundreds of episodes, lasting for 3 to 4 years. People have become so much addicted to these serials, that they don't want to miss even a single episode. They try to avoid social meetings, outings and all other events just to see these serials.
All these soaps are very much the same. they show about revenge, mother-in-law abusing and cursing a poor daughter-in-law or the vice versa, love stories and love triangles, a business man trying to crush his rivals. The characters cry and make the viewers cry. Nothing more than that. Still, people find these serials interesting. This is a big wonder as to how they sit and watch the same faces again and again for 3 or 4 years.
Some sort of regulation has to come regarding the number of episodes of these serials. Also they must be made more viewer friendly, so that people can see them and laugh/relax, instead of crying.
Will the serials be made with comedy instead of the crying/abusing and of shorter length??????

Water Problem

After more than one month of water problem, we are heaving a sign of relief. the sump has been constructed and water has been filled in the sump. The water problem has been solved, at least ,to some extent.
Chennai is facing severe water problems for quite some time now. The well dried for the first time way back in 1983. We deepened it 60 feet, after which we didn't have problems till 2002. The well was dry again and I had drilled a bore well 200 feet deep. I was happy that I didn't have to face another crisis, but my happiness was short lived. The bore also went dry in 2004. I had the bore well flushed and due to the rain, the problem was over for the year. Again this year, the well went dry and the bore well followed the suit. I was left with no other option, but to build a sump for storing water bought from water tanker.
The only way to end this water problem in Chennai is to desalinate the sea water. Hope that the government does that and put and end to the acute water problem this city is facing.

Mobile Phone Users Beware

Talking on the mobile phone when driving is very dangerous. Inspite of warnings posted all over, people do that. And the result..... very painful and cruel end to life. This photo is of a man who met with the accident in Bangalore, when talking on the phone wile driving. People must be more careful and avoid using mobile phone when driving. After all its your life.......

Please be careful when using mobile phones.

Traffic in Chennai

Traffic in Chennai
Travelling in Chennai, one of the four metros of India, is every man's nightmare. Especially if one is self-driving a car or a two-wheeler. The traffic is not at all regulated andthe drivers are most indisciplined. People care a damn about traffic signals, rules to be followed during driving and about other drivers on the road. The big vehicleslike buses and lorries including the notorious water tankers follow their own rules when on road. They stop right in the middle of the road and turn all of a sudden. The brake lights and indicators are there for just name sake. They never function. They emit thick dark smoke which may choke a man to death. How these vehicles pass the fitness test every year is a point to ponder! Next comes the MUV's like Tata Sumo, Toyota Qualis, Mahindra Scorpio and other such vehicles keep on honking and race about the roads as if they are the only people on the road. The autos and share autos have grown in extremely large numbers within a short span of one year. The share autos are getting bigger and bigger day by day. They have practically taken over the bus stops meant for public buses. They are also polluting the atmosphere by their poisonous fumes. The schools, colleges and other companies/factories have also started running their own buses to increase their revenue. This adds to the woes of the general public travelling by two wheelers. Cyclists too play their part in creating confusion to the extremely confused traffic. They come from nowhere and suddenly take a turn across the road, putting their lives as well as the lives of other road users in jeopardy. They cycle merrily in the middle of the road with gay abandon. The pedestrians also make it a point to walk on the road fearing their shoes may get dirty! The cops are silent spectators to all this. They don't ensure that people follow the rules and vehicles are in proper condition. The government has declared that further 5000 autos will be given liscense to ply on the already congested roads of Chennai. The roads will have to be widened taking into account the number of vehicles plying on the roads. The methods for issuing liscence for drivers will have to be made more stringent and people will have to be educated in using the roads. The vehicles will have to be checked for emission, sound pollution and other safety devices.Unless these are done, travelling in Chennai will continue to be a nightmare for everybody.When we have stringent rules and regulations for ships plying in oceans, why not for the roads, where millions of people commute everyday? This is because I am a seafarer and I know all about the rules and regulations laid about for us!