Ship stories and other stuff
“Full City” the Panamanian flagged bulker that recently ran aground off the coast of Norway and caused an oil spill when her bunker tank got holed. In dry dock after being cleaned up and awaiting repair. The view from the bow doesn’t look so bad, but underneath it looks like a mess.
The Captain was arrested after the grounding charged with failing to report the grounding in the correct manner to the local authorities, and is still under house arrest in Norway.
A picture of the pilot boat rounding the stern.
The ISM code for all the land lubbers “International Safety Management (ISM) Code” means the International Management Code for the Safe Operation of Ships and for Pollution Prevention.
Which is a bit of a mouthful and it includes the term “the master has the overriding authority and the responsibility to make decisions with respect to safety and pollution prevention” which means that the old man can’t blame anybody else if he didn’t make the right decision.
It is also a big responsibility to give a master. I haven’t done any “overriding” myself, but there is always a first time.
On tankers we have a daily dose of ISM and it pretty much rules the way we work, that’s fine by me. Other ships take the ISM with a “pinch of salt” I heard about a general cargo ship of flag not mentioned that had an inspection from the port state, and the skipper was asked where all the IMO and ISM publications were “oh, them, we have them all in a cardboard box behind the bridge, every time we get a new one we just put it in the box…..,and they are all in English and well nobody reads English here….”
I don’t know if the story is true, but the official IMO languages are English,French and Spanish. With three additional languages Chinese, Arabic and Russian. The Germans had just lost the war when the languages were being dealt out.
But sure as long as the legislation sounds good to the politicians and lawyers, then they are happy and so were the boys on the cargo ship…..with the books in a box!
Just in on the Navigation warnings satellite printer, a Blockade planned by French Fishermen, it reads,
Quote
“NAVAREA TWO
091/09 - DOVER STRAIT TRAFFIC SEPARATION SCHEME
A GROUP OF FRENCH FISHING VESSELS INTENDS TO BLOCKADE AND/OR HAMPER
SHIPPING PROCEEDING IN THE DOVER STRAIT TRAFFIC SEPARATION SCHEME
NORTH EAST LANE.
- HAZARDOUS BEHAVIORS INCLUDING COURSES STEERED OPPOSITE TO THE LANE
DIRECTION AND/OR ZIGZAGS IN OPPOSITE DIRECTION ACROSS THE LANE WIDTH
ARE EXPECTED.
-THIS INDUSTRIAL ACTION COULD START IN THE NIGHT FROM THE 13 TO 14
APRIL.
-FISHING VESSELS INVOLVED ARE LIABLE TO SWITCH OFF THEIR NAVIGATION
LIGHTS.”
Unquote
Bound to be some nasty scenes there. And I thought we were safe up here in Northern Europe from piracy on the high seas, or “industrial action” as it is being called by the French (the message was broadcast by France Telecom).
Well if I see anything I’ll have the cameras rolling, later folks…….
There are ways of doing things well, and ways of doing things disastrously. The difference usually means thinking. Planning helps. Experience is an advantage, not always necessary. Knowledge can have a bearing on things and usually does when you put someone in a responsible position.
“Common dog f..k” was how one of my British colleagues put it, he was referring to how certain things are embedded in the brain so well that they should not have to be explained “like opening your zip before taking a piss” my down to earth shipmate continued, and he went on down the crude scale as I cracked up at each witty comment.
I wasn’t laughing so much when this ship showed up on the scope, seemingly going the same way we were and going to overtake us on our port side, not usually how I would do it but then again as long as you keep out of the way, no harm done. I borrowed the title of the post from “Hunt for the Red October” where Soviet submarines would suddenly turn around out of the blue to see if they were being tailed, as this ship passed me and started to converge I realised his intention was not to keep out of the way and was in fact an attempted suicide maneuver. I put the camera down and pulled the stick back to slow us down and put some water between us and the 6 o’clock news. Sure enough he went to starboard and crossed ahead without so much as a by-your-leave and merrily sailed on.
When imminent danger was over I picked up the VHF to try and speak to him, waste of time really, my heart was so far up my throat I could hardly talk and a hoarse voice thanked me for my co-operation in a sort of eastern dialect that could have been from anywhere between Serbia and Sevastopol.
Conclusion.
Don’t be surprised when the other ship doesn’t follow the rules.
Be prepared to take severe evasive action, or you will be on the news.
Make sure you know what you are supposed to be doing, there are enough “ships of fools out there”
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Be my guest and leave a comment if you like!
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