LESSON 1: DIFFERENT TYPES OF SHIPS

BREAK BULK CARRIER- Used for the carriage of various

kinds of cargoes bagged cargo, cement, sugar, paint,
chemicals.

CRUDE (VLCC) CARRIER- VLCC or Very Large Crude Carriers

and ULCC or Ultra Large Crude Carriers are the largest
operating cargo vessels in the world. With a size in excess
of 250,000 Dead Weight Tonnage (DWT), these giant ships
are capable of carrying huge amount of crude oil in a single
trip.
LNG CARRIER- an LNG carrier is a tank ship designed for
transporting liquefied natural gas. As the LNG market grows
rapidly, the fleet of LNG carriers continues to experience
tremendous growth.

OCEAN LINER- An ocean liner is a passenger ship primarily

used as a form of transportation across seas or oceans.
Liners may also carry cargo or mail, and may sometimes be
used for other purposes. Cargo vessels running to a
schedule are sometimes called liners.
ANCHOR HANDLING TUG SUPPLY VESSEL- anchor Handling
Tug Supply vessels are mainly built to handle anchors for oil
rigs, tow them to location, and use them to secure the rigs
in place. AHTS vessels sometimes also serve as Emergency
Response and Rescue Vessels and as supply transports

CABLE LAYING VESSEL- A cable layer or cable ship is a

deep-sea vessel designed and used to lay underwater cables
for telecommunications, electric power transmission, or
other purposes. Cable ships are distinguished by large cable
sheaves for guiding cable over bow or stern or both.
DRILLING VESSEL- Drill ships are special purpose ships
which are used for drilling on the ocean beds at deep seas.
Such offshore drilling ships, relative to their operational
peers have come to be regarded as a safe and sure option
for extracting oil and gas at the sea.

MERCHANT VESSEL- Merchant vessels are ships that are primarily

used either for carrying cargo or passengers. Basically, the ships that
are engaged in active commercial transportation fall in this category.
The navy ships or pleasure craft that don’t charge passengers are
excluded from the category of merchant vessels.
DRY CARGO SHIPS- is a term generally used for bulk carriers and
containers ship. Bulk carriers are used in the transportation of bulk
cargo such as grains coal, ores and cement, container ships are
normally used for carrying miscellaneous goods.

BULK CARRIERS- Used in carrying unpackaged bulk cargo items

including grains, ores, cement and other similar cargo. They can be
categorized according to their size handy size, handy max, panama,
capsize and very large

CONTAINER SHIPS- Are ocean vessels that carry goods in large

containers, they can be divided in several categories according to their
size. The main categories of container ships include such as feeder,
feeder max, panamax, new panamax, and new ultra large.
GENERAL CARGO VESSELS- carry packaged items like chemicals,
foods, furniture, machinery, motor and military vehicle, footwear,
garments.

TANKERS- is a ship designed to transport or store liquids or gases in

bulk. Major types of tank ship include the oil tanker, the chemical
tanker, and gas carrier.

MULTI PURPOSE VESSELS- A multi-purpose vessel is a seagoing ship

that is built for the carriage of a wide range of cargoes. Examples of
these cargoes are: wood, steel, building materials, rolls of paper and
bulk cargo.
REEFER VESSELS- is a merchant ship designed to transport refrigerated
cargo which require temperature controlled transportation such as fruit,
meat, fish, vegetables, dairy products, and other needs cold storage.
Reefer vessel normally seen in white hull colors representing them in
clean condition.

LIVESTOCK CARRIER- The animals that are used in such livestock

carriers include sheep, goats, cows and other form of cattle. A livestock
transportation is very difficult and risky
OIL TANKER VESSELS- An oil tanker, also known as a petroleum tanker,
is a ship designed for the bulk transport of oil or its products. There are
two basic types of oil tankers: crude tankers and product tankers.

LOG CARRIER VESSELS- A vessels designed to carry logs in cargo hold

and on deck. The vessel has own permanent and collapsible stanchion
for showing deck. In view of deck cargoes, which are susceptible to
weather effect. It was considered one of the most dangerous cargoes
when loaded on deck.

CAR CARRIER VESSELS- is a merchant ship specially design to carry

wheeled vehicles. Their cargo gears are ramps and lashing materials to
make cars not to move during ocean passage. Cars are transported in
whole, with petrol to make them running during transport.
WOODCHIP CARRIER- This ship is designed for carrying wood chips for
paper. This wood chip carrier is equipped with cranes, hoppers and belt
conveyors for enabling efficient unloading of wood chip.

PASSENGER SHIP- A passenger ship is a merchant ship whose primary

function is to carry passengers on the sea

CHEMICAL VESSELS- A chemical tanker is a type of tanker ship

designed to transport chemicals in bulk.
GAS CARRIER- A gas carrier is a ship designed to transport LPG, LNG or
liquefied chemical gases in bulk.
TOPIC 2&3
DIFFERENT PART OF THE SHIPS, USES OF
SHIP’S PARTS AND LOCATION

1) Anchor

An anchor is a heavy metal piece attached to the chain cables and is

stored or secured in the hose pipe during the voyage / ship operation. It
can be either permanent or temporary with an additional sub class of
sea anchors. All ships carrying anchors are of the temporary type; as
they are not always fixed to the same position and often lowered at
different position depending upon need. Together with its chain cables,
connecting devices, windlass and chain stopper it is called anchor gear.

An anchor is made of five major parts; shank, crown, stock, flute and
tripping ring. A shank is a fixed stem structure which is fitted together
with flute by the tripping pin passing through the shank hole. Together;
these connecting structures along with stack ( A crossbar that helps
turn the anchor to assist flute to dig into ground ) are known as anchor
crown. The fluke on respect is the key part of an anchor which actually
dig deep into the ground to hold the ship in place.

Function: While most ships move from port to port; many have to wait
outside for the berth. With increased shipping over times and growing
number of ships it become more and more common to wait for long for
berth. So to secure them in place against the natural forces such as
wind and tide current; anchor are used in ship. They acts as a holding
hand securing them to a definite place with their flute hooked deep into
sea bed and weight of chain along with its resultant force keeping the
ship fixed to its place.

2) Bow

A bow is the front most part of a ship which cuts the water along its
sides as the ship proceeds. The key two requirement for a bow is to
have; minimum drag possible or so called resistance between the water
and the ship’s hull and must be tall enough to avoid water splashing to
easily on top of it. In all the different bow types tested so far in the
history only a handful of them pass the test of time; bulbous bow,
Inverted bow and an Axe bow.

A bulbous bow is the one that you will see in most ships including that
used for commercial shipping. It can be identified easily by its distinct
bulging bulb like shape just under the waterline; and has an advantage
of increased fuel efficiency of a ship by 10 to 15 percent. On another
hand a ship with inverted bow design have its part of hull and bow;
upside down much like that of a submarine with extended waterline.
This on one hand improve its water drag while on another restricts its
reserve buoyancy and speed in bad weather.

Such a bow type is usually used for ships involved in anchor handling,
laying deep sea pipes and offshore. An Axe bow type have a vertically
stem line hull structure; along with a deep Axe like structure in the
foremost part of the ship. It is one of the parts of ship which due to its
design capabilities; helps improve the speed of ship for same power.

Function: Have you feel that extra effort you have to make to walk
through water? That is due to water drag and its resistance to your body
motion. So to reduce similar negative forces on ships body; bow are
placed on ship assisting easy propulsion.

3) Bow Thrusters

A bow thruster is a propeller like device fitted on both side of ships bow.
It is used to increase the maneuverability of a ship in congested waters
under very slow speed like that in canals or near ports. For most designs
you will only found a tunnel passing through ships bow with an impeller
in place. It is for this distinct look; bow thrusters are also referred to as
tunnel thrusters. The impeller can rotate in both direction; clockwise
and anticlockwise generating bidirectional thrust capabilities.

Having bow thrusters greatly affects the overall running cost of a ship
by reducing part of port cost for tug ( A small boat used by port
authorities to help safely dock a ship ) assistance. For ships having bow
thrusters it is required to have proper markings on both sides above
waterline. These thrusters are mostly powered electrically using a
prime mover attached to the impeller shaft using a bevel gear assembly.
For some ships they are also powered hydraulically where electrical
option is not possible or is unfeasible.

Function: A ship is maneuvered using propulsion and rudder angle

variation. A rudder is a blade like structure situated at aft of propeller
which moves horizontally across the medium to steer a ship. Rudder
angle is changed by a value to get desired change in ship direction. But
what if the speed of ship is too slow to be effectively controlled by
rudder angle? This is where the bow thrusters came into picture
assisting captain to steer ship even at very low speed.

4) Accommodation

It is a place on ship where the crew resides or live. Together with

offices, crew cabins, gym, prayer room ( Few ships ), salon, recreation
room, laundry, hospital and galley it is the heart of a ship next to engine
room and bridge. A salon on board is the common area or living space
for its crew, passengers and any visiting authorities to interact; and
often include common room and dinning space. On another hand galley
is just a nautical term for kitchen; where food is prepared.

Being one of the key parts of ship; accommodation accounts for major
systems on board including; fresh water system, refrigeration system (
domestic ), garbage disposal system, sewage treatment plant and air
conditioning for accommodation block. Under international and local
maritime laws of flag state it is required to have accommodation of all
vessels including; passenger ship, cargo ship, salvage ship, tug and
dredger above the summer load line situated aft or amidships of the ship
structure.

Function: An accommodation accounts for the living space of the ship.

Under maritime labor convention ( MLC 2006-2007 ); it is required by law
to provide adequate accommodation facilities to ships crew and officers
along with proper recreational facilities. In this it is stated to have
proper provision for safety, accommodation, health and accidents of
crew on board ship. It is now required to have hospital accommodation,
proper ventilation, lighting, head space, heating with adequate size of
crew.
5) Deck

A deck is a floor or covering to the ship’s hull structure. A ship can have
different decks at different section or parts of ship; namely upper and
lower deck or deck 1, deck 2 and deck 3 in a sequential downward way.
What it means is that; the topmost deck exposed to weather is called
main deck or weather deck. The levels and floors below weather deck
is called deck 1, while one below deck 1 is called deck 2 and so on. On
other hand decks or floors that does not extends from aft to forward are
generally called as level.

Based on the position and level a ship’s deck can be divided into six
main types; main deck, poop deck, upper deck, lower deck, weather
deck and Foredeck. The main deck on the ship which run through its
entire length is called main deck. For most ships it also the top most
deck and so also called the upper deck; but in war ships its a separate
deck below the upper deck. The deck below upper deck is called lower
deck while any part of ship which is exposed to open weather is called
whether deck.

The deck situated in the aft side of a ship is called poop deck; while the
part of deck situated in between accommodation and forecastle is
called fore deck.

Function: One of many parts of ship; a deck is the plane that holds the
hull structure providing different celling floor to the ship. The other job
it do is to provide space and floor for the equipment and people to stand
and work while protecting them from outside weather.
6) Ship’s Hull

A hull is that part of ship that extends below the waterline to cover and
protect water from getting in. You can consider it as the shell which
protects the inside treasures from outside environment. Everything that
is stored and situated within the main ship structure is covered and
protected by the ships hull. It includes the key parts of the ship such as
bow, deck, the bottom keel and the both sides of the ship. They are
made up of series of plates jointed together called stakes along with
other structural member such as plating and stiffeners.

A stiffener consists of structural parts such as longitudinal and

transverse frames, bulkhead stiffness, girders and beam. While ships
plating consists mainly of deck platting along with bottom, bulkhead
and side platting. Ship’s hull are designed as such to offer minimum
resistance to water, is feasible and economical to construct without
losing on much needed cargo space. One can easily calculate and
improve the overall efficiency of a ship calculating and reducing hull’s
resistance to ships motion.

Function: Made of steel the key role of ships hull is to maintain its water
tight integrity and reduce water drag. And so hull plays a major role in
determining overall efficiency of a ship. Ships hull are thus coated with
special paints that not only reduce frictional drag but also avoid marine
growth which further increase the resistance to ships motion. Thus
ship’s hull are cleaned and repainted with special coating during dry
dock operation.

7) Keel

A keel is a part of ships hull that is responsible for providing strength to

the ships structure; spreading stress and load equally along its
longitudinal sides. Due to its this property to hold and support ship
structure it is often termed as the backbone of the ship. In simple terms
it provide stability to a ship and increase its effective speed. The
introduction of keel in shipping reduce much of the work regarding
stabilizing ship structure.

It was first known to be used by vikings to reduce lateral movement of

their boats at the time. A keel is nothing but a thick plate that runs
longitudinal across the ship from stern to stern; passing through the
centerline of ships bottom structure. There are three main types of
keels used in marine industry; flat keel, duct keel and bar keel. A flat
keel is used in all major ships in operation; bar keels are used when the
ship has to work in shallow water while duct keels are preferred for
offshore vessels and double hull tankers.
Function: Being one of the key parts of ship; it helps stabilize and
support ship structure. It also plays an important role increasing the
effective speed of a ship. With displacement of ship dependent upon the
depth of keel from water line; it is helpful to measure draft and reserve
buoyancy of ship.

8) Freeboard

A freeboard stands for the part of ships hull located above the waterline.
It is the distance between the upper deck of ship and the point of
waterline. The freeboard of a ship is not fixed but rather depends on the
amount of cargo it carries. It is required at all times to maintain a
minimum freeboard at all times to avoid ship from sinking. Thus to
ensure safety of ships at sea; load line marking is used to ensure
maximum possible draft for safe voyage.

The distance between the upper deck and the load line accounts for the
minimum freeboard of a ship. Under international convention on load
line ( ICLL 1966 ); it is required by law to maintain a minimum freeboard
at all times. This puts a cap on the amount of cargo a ship can load. By
law it is required by ships to load only up to the load line marking for the
designated water type. Thus it is a must for ships to have proper load
line marking amidships on either side of the ships hull.
Function: The role of freeboard among different parts of ship is to
maintain ships stability and avoid it from sinking. Under ICLL 1996 (
International convention on load line ) following load line marking are
put on ships hull; Tropical Freshwater, Freshwater, Tropical, Summer,
Winter and Winter North Atlantic. These load lines ensure that the ship
have minimum sufficient freeboard at all times for safe voyage.

10) Funnel

A funnel is what from which the exhaust gases are released into
atmosphere. You can consider it as the chimney of the ship. Since the
introduction of mechanized ship; it has been an integral part of the ships
structure. The cross section or width of these funnel largely depends on
the amount of exhaust engine room produce. In early days of shipping it
was used to release everything that the ship emits; but nowadays it is
used within the limits of controlled emission with shoot collection in
place to reduce pollution.

All the shoot that is collected in the shoot collection tank is then later
discharged to the port authorities. If not possible they are discharged
overboard via an educator recording the time and amount in garbage
record book. If you look up-close carefully; will find that these funnels
are in fact not that straight but inclined to an angle. This is done
deliberately to assist the flow of flue gas away from the navigation
bridge and ship’s deck.

Function: Being one of the parts of ship the function of a funnel is to

safely release exhaust gas produced in engine room to the outside
atmosphere. Together with the forward motion of the ship and funnel
inclination towards the aft; exhaust gas is easily moved away from ship
avoiding possible hindrance to ship navigation.
11) Navigation Bridge

If engine room is the heart of the ship; navigation bridge is its brain. It
is an wide platform on top of the accommodation from which the ship is
controlled. They are many a times aided with additional narrow passage
called bridge wing; to allow broader and better view of the outside to
safely maneuver the ship. The main part of the bridge from which the
ship is controlled and steered is called pilot house. According to the
maritime rules and regulation it should be constructed such that; it
provide a clear view from 1200 port to 1200 starboard from conning
position.

It is the position in the navigation bridge from which the duty officer
command, monitor and maneuver a ship. Under normal condition an able
seaman is present with duty officer in the navigation bridge. Under
dangerous maneuvers or near port; captain is present in the navigation
room with assisting duty officer, able seaman and a pilot ( If provided ).
A ships bridge is equipped with equipments including; gyroscope, radar,
magnetic compass, auto pilot, sonar, rudder angle indicator, G.P.S,
ships horn, navigation lights, signaling flags etc.

Function: Out of various parts of ship; the function of navigation bridge

is to provide ample space for officers to look out and maneuver safely.
It also holds necessary equipments and controls to change ships speed
and its direction while monitoring outside sea condition and
establishing proper means of communication.
13) Forecastle

A forecastle is the foremost parts of ship. It accounts for the front part
of the ships upper deck and is not more than 7% of total deck length. It
can be easily identified on a ship structure by a sudden rise in the fore
deck near the ships bow. In earlier days forecastle of a ship was used
for a specific purpose of taking defensive positions by the soldier in the
military vessel. These days it is used most for holding and securings
major ships parts.

It is the hose for anchoring tools and ground tackles with parts including
but not limited to; windlass, haws pipe, anchor chain, chain block, open
rail, deck flange, gear box, hydraulic motor, anchor, bollard and
foremast. It is the part most used for anchoring operation and checking
or maintaining navigation lights on foremast.
Function: Being one of the key structural parts of ship; a forecastle or
the foremost part of the fore deck it hold all the necessary equipments
required for anchoring operation. On navy ships apart from holding
anchoring tools and equipment a forecastle also holds strategic
defensive guns position.

14) Propeller

It is a fan like mechanical device with blades fitted on the shaft. It

rotates with the shaft to produce much needed thrust to propel a ship.
The propeller of a ship produce this thrust by converting the rotational
energy of its blades to pressure energy. This is done by using the
difference in pressure generated on its near and far side of the blade to
push the water aside. Together with its parts; hub, blades and its faces
it produce the required thrust for propulsion using newtons third law of
motion.

Newtons third law of motion states that; for every action there is an
equal and opposite reaction. The propeller of the ship push the water
backwards creating a net resultant force of equal magnitude that makes
the ship move forward. A propeller is a part of ship propulsion system
which includes; engine its shafts ( including intermediate & propeller
shaft ) and propeller. Being one of the vital parts of ship; a propeller is
made of non corrosive alloys such as aluminum and manganese bronze.
Function: A ship would be useless if it does not move; so propellers are
installed on ship to provide it a forward motion. So the function of
propeller in ship is to provide much needed thrust to propel the ship. A
propeller can be divided in four main types based on its number of
blades; while of two main types based on its pitch. Based upon its pitch
a propeller can be of either fixed pitch propeller or controllable pitch
propeller. Similarly based upon number of its blades; it can be of three
blade, four blade, five or six blade type.

15) Rudder

If propeller is the parts of ship that propels then rudder is the one that
makes it steer. Situated in the aft of propeller; it is a flat hollow
structure that moves from port to starboard turning on its axis to help
steer the ship. A rudder is consist of parts such as; rudder trunk, main
rudder blade, movable flap, hinge system, links and rudder carrier
bearing. The rudder steers the ship following newtons third law of
motion similar to that of propeller.

It moves to a direction producing resistance to water flow forcing them

to move to the other side. In this very process it produce much needed
resultant force for the ship to turn it to the opposite side of the altered
water flow. Based on its construction a rudder can be balanced, semi
balanced and of unbalanced type. A balanced rudder is the one which
have more than 20% of its part forward to its turning axis. Similarly a
semi balanced is the one with less than 20% of its part outside or
forward to its turning axis; while none for unbalanced rudder type.
Function: A rudder is the parts of ship that make it steer. Based on the
newton’s third law of motion it generates enough resultant force to
steer a ship to desired direction. The movement of a rudder is controlled
by steering gear system. A rudder must be capable of moving from 35
degree port to 35 degree starboard; with the ability of steering gear to
move from 35 degree on one side to 30 degree on another in not more
than 28 seconds.
16) Mast

A mast is a vertical ship structure mounted on top of bridge and forward

of the forecastle towards the ships bow. It accounts for the support
platform for the ships derrick and hold necessary equipments such as
radars, navigation light and ships horn in case of foremast. They are
made of high tensile steel with added rigidity based on the size of
derricks it holds. Other than that a ships main mast is also used to hoist
ships flag.
TOPIC 4: SHIP’S ORGANIZATION, DUTIES AND
RESPONSIBILITIES OF EACH MEMBER

Captain/Master- A sea captain (also called a captain or a master or a shipmaster)

is a licensed mariner in ultimate command of the vessel. The captain is responsible for
its safe and efficient operation, including cargo operations, navigation, crew
management and ensuring that the vessel complies with local and international laws, as
well as company and flag state policies. All persons on board, including officers and
crew, other shipboard staff members, passengers, guests and pilots, are under the
captain's authority and are his ultimate responsibility.
A ship's captain commands and manages all ship's personnel, and is typically in charge
of the ship's accounting, payrolls, and inventories. The captain is responsible for
compliance with immigration and customs regulations, maintaining the ship's certificates
and documentation, compliance with the vessel's security plan, as mandated by the
International Maritime Organization. The captain is responsible for responding to and
reporting in case of accidents and incidents, and in case of injuries and illness among the
ship's crew and passengers.
The captain ensures that the ship complies with local and international laws and complies
also with company policies The captain is ultimately responsible, under the law, for
aspects of operation such as the safe navigation of the ship, its cleanliness and
seaworthiness, safe handling of all cargo management of all personnel, inventory of
ship's cash and stores, and maintaining the ship's certificates and documentation. One
of a shipmaster's particularly important duties is to ensure compliance with the vessel's
security plan, as required by the International Maritime Organization's ISPS Code. The
plan, customized to meet the needs of each individual ship, spells out duties including
conducting searches and inspections, maintaining restricted spaces, and responding to
threats from terrorists, hijackers, pirates, and stowaways. The security plan also covers
topics such as refugees and asylum seekers, smuggling, and saboteurs. On ships without a
purser, the captain is in charge of the ship's accounting. This includes ensuring an
adequate amount of cash on board, coordinating the ship's payroll (including draws and
advances), and managing the ship's slop chest. On international voyages, the captain is
responsible.

Deck Department Chief Officer/Mate - A Chief Mate (C/M) or Chief Officer,

usually also synonymous with the First Mate or First Officer (except on passenger liners,
which often carry both), is a licensed member and head of the deck department of a
merchant ship. The chief mate is in charge of the ship's cargo and deck crew. The actual
title used will vary by ship's employment, by type of ship, by nationality, and by trade.
Informally, the Chief Mate will often simply be called "The Mate." The term "Chief Mate"
is not usually used in the Commonwealth, although Chief Officer and First Mate are. The
chief mate is responsible to the Captain for the safety and security of the ship.
Responsibilities include the crew's welfare and training in areas such as safety, fire
fighting, search and rescue.
Second Officer A second mate (2nd Mate)- is a licensed member of the
deck department of a merchant ship holding a Second Mates Certificate of Competency,
which is issued by the administration. The second mate is the third in command (or on
some ocean liners fourth) and a watch keeping officer, customarily the ship's navigator.
Other duties vary, but the second mate is often the medical officer and in charge of
maintaining distress signalling equipment. On oil tankers, the second mate usually
assists the chief mate with the Cargo operations. The Navigator's role focuses on
creating the ship's passage plans. A passage plan is a comprehensive, step by step
description of how the voyage is to proceed from berth to berth or you say One port to
another. The plan includes undocking, departure, the en route portion of a voyage,
approach, and mooring at the destination. The GMDSS (Global Maritime Distress and
Safety System) officer role consists of performing tests and maintenance, and ensuring
the proper log-keeping on the ship's Global Maritime Distress Safety System equipment.
Safety equipment includes Emergency Position-Indicating Radio Beacons, a NAVTEX
unit, INMARSAT consoles, various radios, Search and Rescue Transponders, and Digital
Selective Calling systems.
Third officer A Third Mate (3/M) - is a licensed member of the deck
department of a merchant ship. The third mate is a watch stander and customarily the
ship's safety officer and fourth-in-command (fifth in some ocean liners). Other duties vary
depending on the type of ship, its crewing, and other factors. Duties related to the role of
safety officer focus on responsibility for items such as fire fighting equipment, lifeboats,
and various other emergency systems.

Deck Cadet- While still in a maritime college, a deck cadet often wonders as to what his shipboard
duties exactly are. The common answer to this intriguing question at college is that a cadet must assist
the deck officers in the day-to-day operations of the vessel. Maritime books don’t really outline the duties
expected from a trainee officer and rather harps on the theoretical aspects of on-board training
Boatswain- A boatswain is the senior crewman of the deck department and is
responsible for the components of a ship's hull. The boatswain supervises the other
members of the ship's deck department, and typically is not a watch stander, except on
vessels with small crews. Other duties vary depending on the type of ship, her crewing,
and other factors.

A.B(Able seaman/Able bodied seaman)-An able seaman (AB) is

an unlicensed member of the deck department of a merchant ship. An AB may work as a
watch stander, a day worker, or a combination of these roles.
O.S (Ordinary Seaman) -An ordinary seaman (OS) is an unlicensed
member of the deck department of a merchant ship. The position is an apprenticeship to
become an able seaman, and has been for centuries. In modern times, an OS is required
to work on a ship for a specific amount of time, gaining what is referred to as "sea time."
Once a sufficient amount of Page | 31 sea time is acquired, the OS can apply to take a
series of courses, and then a series of examinations to become certified as an able
seaman. An OS is generally not required to stand watch, but must pass examinations on
watch standing skills such as performing lookout duty and being a helmsman. Thus an
OS will often be found on a ship's bridge after working hours taking a turn at the ship's
wheel or being familiarized with bridge equipment.

ENGINE DEPARTMENT
CHIEF ENGINEER
A Marine Chief Engineer is a key member of the onboard crew, overseeing the entire
Marine engineering department on the vessel and responsible for the maintenance and
operation of all engineering equipment onboard the vessel. Working in Marine
Engineering as a licensed mariner, a Marine Chief Engineer job is of high rank onboard
the ship, and in some cases shares equal rank with the Captain. Often the duties are split
between these two posts, with the Marine Chief Engineer taking responsibility for all
machinery and on board maintenance. The Marine Chief Engineer must ensure that the
engine room is suitable for inspection by coastguard authorities and ensures that there
is a surplus of fuel and spare parts. In an emergency the Marine Chief Engineer will
assume complete control of the engine room.
2ND ENGINEER
The 2nd engineer provides utmost assistance to the Chief engineer for running the ship
efficiently. Moreover, second engineer is also in-charge of all the operational engineers
and the crew of the engine room he ensures for their personnel safety and routine duties.
He also plans the overall maintenance of all the machinery present in the engine room of
the ship.
3RD ENGINEER
A candidate for the 3rd Engineer position should be a qualified specialist in accident free
technical and equipment maintenance; have a higher engineering education: qualified
mechanic with not less than 3 years of experience of accident free services.
• The 3rd Engineer reports to the Senior Engineer on duty, who then reports to the Chief
Engineer
• Coordination with AB‟s, Motorman
• Subordinate positions:

• During absence: duly appointed person substitutes the 3rd Engineer and accrues the
correspondent rights and responsibility for the duties he is appointed for
The main task of the 3rd Engineer is: To assist the Chief Engineer and 2nd Engineer in
accident free technical maintenance of the vessel and equipment; to perform vessel
technical services in accordance with the International Conventions, local regulations
and all the normative documents concerning navigation safety

Duties of 4th Engineer upon joining a Vessel

4th engineer, upon joining a vessel, should carry out the following duties.

 Upon joining a vessel, the relieving 4th engineer shall report his presence
on board to the Chief Engineer or in his absence to the 2nd Engineer.
 The 4th engineer should take a thorough round of the engine department
with the signing off engineer and do a proper taking over of the duties.
 He should check the inventory and location of all purifier and compressor
spares.
  He should check Inventory and location of pumps spares and tools.
 He should check running hours and maintenance schedule of his
designated machinery.
 He should check general condition of machinery and special procedure for
operation.
 Condition and layout of bunkering system including valve operation, tanks
and sounding pipe location should be checked.
 Condition and layout of sludge and bilge discharge system including valves
and pump operation should also be checked.
 Thorough sounding of all fuel tanks, bilge and sludge tank should be taken.
 Daily consumption of lube oil, fuel oil, marine diesel or gas oil and cylinder
oil for daily record keeping in sounding log is to be checked.
 Daily production of bilge and sludge on board for record keeping of waste
water sounding log.

After completion of the engine room round together, the 4th engineer shall report
the details to the 2ndengineer and notify discrepancies observed, if any.

The 4th Engineer as in charge of Purifier, Compressor, and machinery other than
main engine, auxiliary engine and boiler, is responsible for:

 Record keeping of machinery running hours under his charge.

 For carrying out planned maintenance routine under the supervision of
chief or second engineer.
 Taking daily tank sounding of fuel oil, diesel oil, lube and cylinder oil on
board ship and record keeping of the same.
 Record keeping of sludge and bilge on board.
 Acting as assistant in charge to chief engineer for operation during bunker
of fuel, diesel and lube oil.
 Completing the month end official papers for his designated machinery.
 Compliance of environment policy and MARPOL requirements under the
guidance of Chief Engineer.
 Maintenance and up keeping of the engine room log book and all those files
on board advised by the Chief Engineer.
ENGINE CADET
In the Merchant Navy, a cadet is an officer under training in much the same way as the
military context. All Cadets receive training in fire fighting, first aid and survival
techniques. Cadets choose either one of two branches for professional development.
Deck cadets train in the fields of navigation, ship handling and cargo handling as well as
maritime law. Engineering cadets train to become marine engineers, and as such their
fields encompass a range of theoretical and practical engineering subjects, including
Mechanical engineering, thermodynamics, control engineering, applied mathematics,
welding and fabrication. Engineering practice is mostly learned during the cadet's
assignment to a ship. The cadet training scheme differs from country to country, but the
learning objectives are always the same. In the UK for example, cadets undergo training
in a block release format, spending a shorter time in college before going to sea for a
short assignment after which the cadet returns to college. Other countries allow the
cadet to finish his/her degree before going to sea, but most countries seem to prefer a
system

WIPER AND OILER

A wiper is the most junior crewmember in the engine room of a ship. The role of a wiper
consists of cleaning the engine spaces and machinery, and assisting the engineers as
directed
The basic duties and responsibilities of the oiler/wiper are: A. To obey all lawful
commands.
B. To have the training and experience necessary to fill the billet or berth for which
employed.
C. To report on board at agreed times.
D. To perform all duties in a seamanlike manner.
E. To submit to normal discipline.
F. To stand engine room watches.
G. To assist the deck crew as required
H. To carry out vessel and equipment cleaning, maintenance and painting duties.
I. To assist in loading, unloading, discharging, or receipt of any and all equipment,
supplies and cargo.
J. To be thoroughly familiar with assigned duties for drills and emergencies.
K. To report promptly the existence of all potentially hazardous conditions and to cause
or effect the commencement of proper remedial or emergency actions to handle or
correct the situation.
L. To maintain personal hygiene, including clothing, and keep living areas in a clean and
sanitary condition. M. To report promptly to the Master or Mate the existence of any
personal medical problem or injury.
N. To assist in the maintenance of proper order and discipline on the vessel.
CHIEF COOK
The third mate is also generally an active participant in fire and boat drills. A chief cook
(often shortened to cook) is a senior unlicensed crewmember working in the steward's
department of a merchant ship. The chief cook directs and participates in the preparation
and serving of meals; determines timing and sequence of operations required to meet
serving times; inspects galley and equipment for cleanliness and proper storage and
preparation of food. The cook may plan or assist in planning meals and taking inventory
of stores and equipment. A chief cook's duties may overlap with those of the steward's
assistant, the chief steward, and other steward's department crewmembers.
Mess man's duties and responsibilities:
A) Cleans all alleyways, Mess and Receiving Room, Senior Officers
Cabin, Kitchen implements and Utensils;
B) Assists the Chief Cook in his cooking duties;
C) Serves food on all personnel and guests as well;
D) Observes proper cleanliness either personnel or in the over-all
upkeep of the Galley and Mess Room;
E) Perform such function as may assigned to him by the Chief Cook;
TOPIC 5: MARLINESPIKES SEAMANSHIP
SKILLS
Marlinspike Seamanship Marlinespike Seamanship Marlinespike is
the art of seamanship that includes the tying of various knots, splicing,
working with cable or wire rope with cable or wire rope, even making
decorative ornaments from rope or line.
The name marlinespike is derived from the tool that is used for
splicing. It can be a tapered metal pin or carved of wood. Once a rope
is on board a boat and is given a specific purpose and is given a
specific purpose, such as dock line, halyard, etc.

Marlinespike Seamanship Marlinespike Seamanship

Common types of line
 Natural Fibbers – manila- not great in salt water and shrinks when wet
 Nylon – strongest line for its size stretches up to 40% can strongest line for
its size, stretches up to 40%, can be stored wet
 Polyester – not as strong and stretchy as nylon may chaff not as strong and
stretchy
 Polypropylene – floats, least costly, can cut skin , deteriorates in sunlight
 Wire Rope – very strong, has little stretch, needs to be kept lubricated
Dock Lines This is the one area where all boaters should learn the
proper way to tie up their craft. It doesn’t matter if your boat is on a
trailer or kept in the water; if you can’t tie the proper knots to make it
secure, you are going to have problems. As a trailer boater, I keep a
line ready with an eye splice in one end that I secure to the bow cleat
before launching. My partner will use this line to control the boat once
it is off the trailer, then secure the boat to the dock while I park the
truck. To tie off to the cleat on the dock, take one turn around the
cleat, then use half hitches to secure the line. The half hitches may be
loosened to let in or take up line as needed. They will not jam tight and
are easily released when it is time to get under way.
The other line of great importance to the power boater is the anchor
rode. Select the proper size for your boat, and then tie a thimble into
an eye splice and connect the anchor chain to the line with a shackle.
Another shackle is used to connect the chain to the anchor. I keep a
long line on board ready at a moment’s notice in case I need to be
towed. This line has an eye splice on one end and that can be tied to
my bow cleat. The line is kept in a coil that (in theory) can be tossed to
the other boat. I have been in situations where wind and seas made
tossing anything difficult, let alone a coil of towing line. In a perfect
world I would have a heaving line ready, but I don’t live in a perfect
world. A towing service can do all of this quickly and efficiently, but
there are times when waiting for a tow is not an option, so it pays to
be as ready as possible to help a good Samaritan when he comes to
your aid.
Types of Line Most recreational boaters will be well served by
nylon rope. It has some stretch so it is an excellent choice for dock
and anchor lines. While it will resist deteriorating, I found out, much to
may regret, that when left for a long period of time sitting under an
anchor and exposed to the elements, nylon line will fail. In an effort to
prevent a repeat performance and the expense of a new anchor, chain
and line, I now check my anchor rode regularly and do not let the
anchor sit on top of the line. If you plan to anchor in deep water, you
will need a considerable amount of rode. Those who fish the canyons
for tuna may end up having to anchor in 600 feet or more, and they will
store the extra line in milk carton-like plastic boxes. These have
openings on the sides and bottom so air can circulate to aid in drying
the line and keeping it mildew free. These boxes can be stored ashore
until a chunking trip is planned. While polypropylene rope is cheaper
than nylon, it is nowhere near as strong and does not hold up well
when exposed to the elements. The fact that it floats does make it ideal
for use on crab pots, ski tow ropes, and similar applications. Braided
lines are another common type and are often sold ready for use as
dock lines. They are very smooth and resist abrasion better than
nylon.
Knots In addition to the half hitch, there are a few knots that all
boaters should be able to tie. The bowline will form a loop in a line that
will not slip. It can be used to lift a person from the water by placing
the loop over the head and under the arms. The square knot is easy to
tie and can be used to join two lines together. There are many other
knots that can be useful, but space does not permit diagrams
illustrating how to tie these knots. Fortunately, in this computer age
there are numerous internet sites that do the job very well. Old school
boaters can purchase Chapman Piloting, Seamanship and Small Boat
Handling or other books dedicated to marlinspike seamanship.

Storing Your Lines should be stored out of the weather

whenever possible. In addition, they should be coiled properly before
storage so when they are needed, time is not lost untangling the lines.
If, like me, you have an open boat with very little storage, keep your
lines in a safe location, out from under foot, but ready for use. It is
pretty hard to do any type of boating without some sort of line. Even
kayaks have a bow line and some have an anchor line. The more you
know about marlinspike seamanship, the better you will treat your
various lines and the better they will serve you.
TOPIC 6: PURPOSES OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF
HITCHES, KNOTS AND BENDS
Half Hitches: Used to temporarily secure a line to objects such as a ring

Two Half Hitches: Handy for tying down a bulky load or tying a boat to a
mooring post, the round turn and two half hitches is versatile.
Clove Hitch/Slip Clove Hitch: Commonly used to secure a heaving line to a
towline or secure fenders to railings

CLOVE HITCH

SLIP CLOVE HITCH

Bowline: A versatile knot used whenever you need to form a temporary eye in
the end of a line

BOWLINE
Single Becket or Sheet Bend: Used for joining two lines of unequal
diameter. Can also be modified into a Double Becket Bend

SINGLE BECKET OR SHEET BEND

 FIGURE EIGHT KNOT
It is very important in both sailing and rock climbing as a method of
stopping ropes from running out of retaining devices. It is used about
ship wherever a temporary stopper knot is required.

NOOSE KNOT
This knot can be used in an emergency to hoist a person to safety,
since the loop can slipped over a victim's torso, under the armpits,
and it will not tighten around the victim's chest and prevent breathing.
This is useful when a rescue harness is not available.
 BOWLINE KNOT
The bowline is a multi-purpose knot that is essential for boat operators
to know. Forming the knot creates a fixed loop on the end of the rope
or line—a loop that can be used for hitching, mooring, or lifting.

ANCHOR BEND KNOT

A type of hitching knot, the anchor bend is used to secure a rope to an
anchor or a ring. If additional security is needed, a half hitch can be
tied at the end.
 CLEATING HITCH
Used to attach a line to a cleat on a dock, the cleating hitch is formed
by wrapping the line around the base of the cleat, then forming one or
more figure eights around the cleat. The knot is secured with a half
hitch.

Round Turn and Two Half Hitches

Handy for tying down a bulky load or tying a boat to a mooring post,
the round turn and two half hitches is versatile. It is a secure knot that
does not jam and is easy to undo.
 REEF KNOT
It is used to the reef point which is used for shortening the sail.it is also used to tie
a bundle with the single rope. The reef knot is also used to join two ropes of equal
size.

SHEEP SHANK
Used for temporary shortening a rope or strengthening the damaged
part of the rope. It is also used for providing a hand grip on the keel
grab lines.
 CARRICK BEND
It is used to join two hawsers together when the joint has to pass over
the warping drum.

ROLLING HITCH
It is used for securing a small size rope under strain or to a spar.
 TIMBER HITCH
It is used for securing the end of a rope to a log or spar when towing
and lifting.

MARKLINESPIKE HITCH
It is used for hitching a rope to a marline spike or similar object.
 TIMBER HITCH AND HALF HITCH
It is used for lowering a spar vertically up or down through a narrow
opening such as man hold or towing a log stern.
 TOPIC 7: DIFFERENT DECK EQUIPMENT
RELATED TO THE MARLINESPIKE SEAMANSHIP
SKILLS
 TOPIC 8: ACTUAL PERFORMANCE OF THE
MARLINESPIKE SEAMANSHIP SKILLS
Marlinespike Seamanship is the art of handling and working all kinds of fiber and wire
rope. It includes every variety of knotting, splicing, serving, and fancy work. Although
canvas and leather work are not part of marlinespike seamanship, we will briefly discuss
them in this chapter. You will find marlinespike seamanship easy to learn if you master
the basic knots before you try the fancy work. This chapter is important because you will
handle and work with all kinds of line and wire rope aboard ship.

ROPE
Rope is manufactured from wire, fiber, and combinations of the two. Fiber rope–or line,
as it is commonly called–is fashioned from natural or synthetic fibers. Lines made from a
variety of natural fibers (cotton, agave, jute, hemp, sisal, and abaca) have seen service
in the Navy in the past, and some are still used. For example, tarred hemp is known as
marline and ratline. On the other hand, sisal may still be found as a wire-rope core. Manila
(made from the fibers of the abaca plant) formerly was authorized for use only where
great strength was required. Now, manila is authorized for lashings, frapping lines, and
steadying lines. However, synthetic lines have replaced manila in most applications.

CONSTRUCTION OF LINE
Line currently used in the Navy may be three-strand line, braided, or plaited. In three-
strand line, fibers are twisted into yarns or threads, the yarns are twisted in the opposite
direction into strands, and the strands are twisted in the first direction, making line.
Taking the process further, lines are twisted into cable. Line can have various numbers
of strands, and the direction the strands are twisted determines the lay of the line. That
is, if the strands are twisted to the right, the line is said to be right-laid. Four-strand line
is right-laid strands around a center core. Each strand is aramid fibers laid into parallel
yarns left laid helically around the strand core with a braided helical of alternating aramid
and polyester yarns. Braided lines have certain advantages over twisted ropes. They will
not kink nor will they flex open to admit dirt or abrasives. The construction of some braids,
however, makes it impossible to inspect the inner yarns for damage. The more common
braided lines are hollow braided, stuffer braided, solid braided, and double braided lines.
Hollow braided lines usually have an even number of parallel, tapelike groups of small
yarns braided into a hollow, tubelike cord. This type of construction in cotton formerly
was used for signal halyards–a purpose now served largely by three-strand and double
braided nylon. Other uses are parachute shroud lines and shot lines for line-throwing
guns. Stuffer braided lines are manufactured in a similar manner except that the braid is
formed around a highly twisted yarn core, which rounds out and hardens the 3-1 line. This
type of construction in cotton is used for sash cord (heaving lines). Solid-braided lines
are fashioned in various ways. One familiar construction is that used for leadlines, taffrail
log lines, and the like. This braid is of large yarns, either single or plied, tightly braided to
form a hard, relatively stiff line that will not kink, snag, or swell in water. Single braided
line consists of 12 strands in a twill pattern, where one strand of one direction of rotation
about the axis of rope passes over two strands of the opposite direction and then passes
under the next two strands of the opposite direction. Single braided line is used for
mooring lines and towing hawsers. Double braided line is, essentially, two hollow braided
lines, one inside the other. The core is made of large, single yarns in a slack braid. The
cover is also made of large, single yarns but in a tight braid that compresses and holds
the core. Double braided line is manufactured only from synthetics, and about 50 percent
of the strength is in the core. It is used for mooring lines, towing hawsers, signal halyards,
dressing lines, and many other purposes. Plaited line is made of eight strands–four right-
twisted and four left-twisted. The strands are paired and worked like a four-strand braid.
Consequently, there are two pairs of right-hand strands and two pairs of left-hand
strands formed into a line that is more or less square. Plaited line is used for towing
hawsers, ship mooring lines, messengers, and other applications.

USE AND CARE OF LINE

Manila line is not used as it once was. The replacement lines for the personnel highline,
the inhaul and outhaul lines, the light freight transfer line, and the replenishment-at-sea
messenger are made of spun polyester. Other synthetics have taken over other uses with
some exceptions where manila will be retained. Manila lines of 4 inches or more should
be reserved for fueling-at-sea riding lines.
Following are some pointers on the use and care of fiber line for you to remember: Coil
right-laid line right-hand
 Coil right-laid line right-handed or clockwise. Flake down braided and plaited line.
 Keep line from touching stays, guys, or other standing rigging
WARNING If a natural fiber line is more than 5 years old (either used or unused), you must
not use it for critical operations or those involving the lives of personnel. You can use
these lines only for lashing, fenders, and matting.
Line loaded in excess of 40 percent of its breaking strength can be permanently
damaged. Inspection of the inside yarns reveals whether they are broken. Synthetic line
that has been overstressed will have inside yarns fused together.
 TOPIC 9: THE MOORING LINE SYSTEM
A mooring system is made up of a mooring line, anchor and connectors, and is used for
station keeping of a ship or floating platform in all water depths. A mooring line
connects an anchor on the seafloor to a floating structure. We will focus on mooring
Mobile Offshore Drilling Units and Floating Production Systems.

The mooring line can be made up of synthetic fiber rope, wire and chain or a
combination of the three. Environmental factors - wind, waves and currents -
determine which materials make up the mooring system.

Chain is the most common

choice for permanent
moorings in shallow water
up to 100 m, whereas steel
wire rope is lighter weight
and has a higher elasticity
than chain, which is a
better choice in water
depths greater than 300 m.
However, synthetic fiber
rope is the lightest weight
of all three. Configurations
include all chain, chain and
wire rope (conventional
mooring line to 2,000 m),
chain and synthetic fiber
rope, and chain, wire rope
and synthetic fiber rope
combinations are used in
ultra-deepwater (greater
than 2,000 m).
Anchors
The mooring system relies on the strength of the anchors. The holding capacity
of anchors depends on the digging depth and the soil properties. The mooring
lines run from the vessel to the anchors on the seafloor. Anchor types include:
drag embedment, suction and vertical load.
A drag embedment anchor (DEA) is the most utilized anchor for mooring floating
MODUs in the Gulf of Mexico. The drag anchor is dragged along the seabed until
it reaches the required depth. As it penetrates the seabed, it uses soil resistance
to hold the anchor in place. The drag embedment anchor is mainly used for
catenary moorings, where the mooring line arrives on the seabed horizontally. It
does not perform well under vertical forces.
Suction piles are the predominant mooring and foundation system used for deep
water development projects worldwide. Tubular piles are driven into the seabed
and a pump sucks out the water from the top of the tubular, which pulls the pile
further into the seabed. Suction piles can be used in sand, clay and mud soils, but
not gravel, as water can flow through the ground during installation, making
suction difficult. Once the pile is in position, the friction between the pile and the
soil holds it in place. It can resist both vertical and horizontal forces.

Vertical load anchors are similar to drag anchors as they are installed in the same
way. However, the vertical load anchor can withstand both horizontal and vertical
mooring forces. It is used primarily in taut leg mooring systems, where the
mooring line arrives at an angle the seabed.
Mooring Systems
There are six types of mooring systems discussed below. They include catenary,
taut leg, semi-taut, spread, single point and dynamic positioning.
The catenary mooring system is the most commonly used system in shallow
water. It gets its name from the shape of the free hanging line as its configuration
changes due to vessel motions. At the seabed, the mooring line lies horizontally;
thus the mooring line has to be longer than the water depth. Increasing the length
of the mooring line also increases its weight. As the water depth increases, the
weight of the line lessens the working payload of the vessel. In that case, synthetic
ropes are used. As water depth increases, conventional, catenary systems
become less and less economical.
The tout leg system typically uses polyester rope that is pre-tensioned until taut.
The rope comes in at a 30 to 45 degree angle on the seabed where it meets the
anchor (suction piles or vertically loaded anchors), which is loaded vertically.
When the platform drifts horizontally with wind or current, the lines stretch and
this sets up an opposing force.
The semi-taut system combines taut lines and catenary lines in one system. It is
ideally used in deep water. A spread mooring system is a group of mooring lines
distributed over the bow and stern of the vessel to anchors on the seafloor. The
vessel is positioned in a fixed heading, which is determined by the sea and
weather conditions. The symmetrical arrangement of anchors helps to keep the
ship on its fixed heading location. The spread mooring system does not allow the
vessel to weathervane, which means to rotate in the horizontal plane due to wind,
waves or current. Spread mooring is versatile as it can be used in any water
depth, on any vessel, in an equally spread pattern or a group.

A single point mooring system connects all the lines to a single point. It links subsea
manifolds connections and weathervaning tankers, which are free to rotate 360 degrees. The
single point system includes a buoy, mooring and anchoring elements, product transfer system
and other components. Dynamic positioning does not use mooring lines. Instead a computer
controls the vessel's thrusters and propellers to maintain position. DP can be used in combination
with other mooring systems to provide additional redundancy.
 TOPIC 10: CAPACITIES, SAFE WORKING
LOADS, BREAKING STRENGHTS
During you checking our products detail, especially for those lifting
components, you will find that there is some many load concerning, Hereby we
make a clearly for all of them.
RATED CAPACITY: Also known as "assembly capacity" or "break strength" is the
minimum load a complete assembly can withstand before failure in a laboratory
pull test when the product is NEW.
WORKING LOAD LIMIT:
This is the term used throughout the catalog. There are, however, other terms
used in the industry which are interchangeable with the term Working Load Limit.
These are: WLL, SWL, Safe Working Load, Rated Load Value, Resulting Safe
Working Load, and Rated Capacity.
The Working Load Limit is the maximum load which should ever be applied to a
product, even when the product is new and when the load is uniformly applied -
straight line pull only. Avoid side loading. All catalog ratings are based upon usual
environmental conditions and consideration must be given to unusual conditions
such as extreme high or low temperatures, chemical solutions or vapours,
prolonged immersion in salt water, etc. Such conditions or high-risk applications
may necessitate reducing the Working Load Limit.
The maximum load weight a tie-down should be subjected to during normal use.
To assist in making the proper tie-down choice the Federal D.O.T. requires the
W.L.L. to be 1/3 of the Rated Capacity.

Never exceed the Working Load Limit!

BREAKING LOAD: Same meaning as rated capacity.
Do not use breaking strength as a criterion for service or design purposes. Refer
to the Working Load Limit instead. Breaking Strength is the average force at
which the product, in the condition it would leave the factory, has been found by
representative testing to break, when a constantly increasing force is applied in
direct line to the product at a uniform rate of speed on a standard pull testing
machine. Proof testing to twice the Working Load Limit does not apply to hand-
spliced slings.
Remember: Breaking Strengths, when published, were obtained under controlled
laboratory conditions. Listing of the Breaking Strength does not mean the
Working Load Limit should ever be exceeded. During use the fitting assembly to
the chain and steel wire rope, please take it in mind.
Components must match. Make certain that components such as hooks, links or
shackles, etc. used with wire rope (or chain or cordage) are of suitable material
size and strength to provide adequate safety protection. Attachments must be
properly installed and must have a Working Load Limit at least equal to the
product with which they are used.
 TOPIC 11: SAFETY PRECAUTIONS AND
PRACTICES FOR MOORING AND ANCHORING
WORKS
10 Important Points to Remember During
Mooring Operation on Ships
Mooring operation is one of the important tasks that seafarers have to perform
on ship’s deck. Technically, the operation may seem simple but there are
several dangerous associated with it. As a seafarer, you must have heard about
“Death Traps” on ships and how crew members have lost lives during mooring
operation.

Working on the ship’s deck is not an easy task. Deck crew has to consider
various safety precautions and understand working of deck machinery and
systems, along with cargo operation equipment. When it comes to mooring
operations, additional precautions need to be taken to ensure personal and
crew members’ safety.
1. Don’t Allow Any Extra Crew Member on the Deck: Ensure that no extra
personnel are present at the mooring station except those who are involved in
the operation. Anyone who is not assisting in the mooring operation must be
asked to leave the mooring station for his/her and other’s safety.

2. Consider Weather Condition: Before planning the mooring operation,

consider the weather condition by taking factors such as wind and current. The
ship’s master and responsible officer must have the details of current and future
weather data before commencing the mooring operation.

3. Have knowledge of Snap Back Zone and Rope Bight: All personnel involved
with the mooring operation should be aware of the snap back zones and rope
bight. Click here to know more about this.

4. Check All the Mooring Equipment: Check all the equipment (mooring winch,
drums, windlass etc.) involved in the mooring operation for any kind of problem.
Proper routine maintenance is the key to ensure smooth running of mooring
equipment and systems. Don’t forget to check the load sensors of mooring
winches.

5. Check the Tail of Mooring Line: If the mooring wire line is provided with tail
(short lengths of synthetic fiber rope which are placed in series with the vessel’s
winch-mounted wires to decrease mooring line stiffness and thus to reduce
peak line loads and fatigue due to vessel motions) ensure same size and
material of tails are used for all lines in the same service (breast, spring and
headlines). Different tail size and material would lead to uneven load in the
mooring line.
6. Tend One Line at a Time: Only one line should be tended at a time during mooring
operation. If this is not done, it may increase the load in the other tended lines. If two
lines are tended together it may lead to overloading and breakage. Follow the orders of
the master or responsible ship officer properly to avoid any kind of mishap.

7. Keep a Check on the Mooring Line Load: Ensure that the allowable breaking load
in any of the mooring lines does not increase 55% of its Maximum Breaking Load
(MBL). This is to prevent the line from breaking.

8. Avoid Mixed Mooring: Mixed mooring is extremely dangerous. Generally, mooring

lines of the same size and material should be used for all leads, if this is not possible
due to the available equipment, all lines in the same service, i.e. breast lines, spring
lines, headlines and stern lines should be of the same size and material. The use of
mixed moorings comprising full length synthetic ropes used in conjunction with wire
should be avoided. If a synthetic rope and a wire are used in the same service the wire
will carry almost the entire load while the synthetic rope carries practically none.

9. Keep a Continuous Check: Load on the mooring lines must be checked

continuously even after the mooring operation is over. If there is any change in the
ship’s ballast condition, the lines must be slacked or tightened accordingly. The
condition of the rope material should also be checked to foresee unfortunate accidents.

10. Arrange Mooring Lines Symmetrical: All mooring line must be arranged as
symmetrical as possible with the breast line. The breast line should be perpendicular to
the longitudinal centre line of the ship and the spring line should be parallel to the
longitudinal centre line.

The above mention list is not an exhaustive one but does cover all the important points
that must be taken care of without fail during mooring operation. Do you know any other
important points that must be considered during mooring operation to ensure smooth
operations and safety of crew personnel? Let us know in the comments below.
TOPIC 12: OPERATE MOORING OPERATION
 TOPIC 13: DIFFERENT MAINTENANCE AND
REPAIR ACTIVITIES ONBOARD THE VESSEL
Maintenance is one thing that keeps any mechanical equipment or machinery
going. Weather it is a small machine or a large structure, efficient maintenance
can help with prolonged life and favourable outcome. On a ship, maintenance is
one thing that keeps machinery up to date and is smooth running condition. In this
article we will learn as to how maintenance is being carried out on a ship. In a
ship’s engine room, where the maximum machines are located, engineers and
crew carry out the maintenance for safe and efficient operation. Each machine on
board a ship requires maintenance which has to be carried out at regular
intervals of time.

In the earlier days, the number of crew members and engineers on a ship were
large and so the maintenance was carried out fast and easily. However, in the
present scenario, the number of crew members and engineers on the ship has
reduced drastically.

Many ships carry only 3-4 engineers on board a ship and even the time required
to carry out maintenance on the ship has reduced. Maintenance requires
manpower and time which may not be available all the time as the number of crew
members is less and the amount of machinery is more.
It is for this reason important to plan the maintenance of the machinery in advance so
that the machinery can be overhauled and maintained properly. Generally second
engineer is required to plan the schedule of maintenance on a ship.

Efficient planning and adequate usage of equipment’s is the key to productive

maintenance. In this article we will have a look at the main types of maintenance
procedures followed on a ship.

Types of Maintenance Procedures

1) Preventive or Scheduled Maintenance System

It is famously known as the PMS or Planned Maintenance System. In this type of

system the maintenance is carried out as per the running hours like 4000 hrs. 8000 hrs.
etc., or by the calendar intervals like 6 monthly, yearly etc. of the machinery. The
maintenance is carried out irrespective of the condition of the machinery. The parts
have to be replaced if it is written in the schedule, even if they can be still used.

2) Corrective or Breakdown Maintenance

In this system the maintenance is carried out when the machinery breaks down. This is the
reason it is known as the breakdown maintenance. This is not a suitable and good method as
situations may occur wherein the machinery is required in emergency. The only advantage of
this system is that the working of machinery parts is used to its full life or until it breaks. This
system might get costly as during breakdown several other parts may also get damaged.

3.) Condition Maintenance system

In this system the machinery parts are checked regularly. With the help of sensors etc.
the condition of the machinery is accessed regularly and the maintenance is done
accordingly. This system requires experience and knowledge as wrong interpretation
may damage the machinery and lead to costly repairs which may not be acceptable by
the company.
TOPIC 14: SOURCE OF INFORMATION THAT
GUIDE THE SAFETY OF THE SHIPS,
EQUIPMENT, AND CREW PERFORMING
SHIPBOARD MAINTENACE AND REPAIR
TOPIC 15: SAFETY EQUIPMENT FOR SURFACE
PREPARATION AND PAINTING WORKS
Painting, lubrication and cleaning material,
Paint is an oxidizing agent, thus painting is both hazardous to health
and source of fire. When painting one has to wear appropriate PPE
and must take precaution against ignition.

Before engaging in any paint work you have to be familiar with

The particulars of the paint by going through the MSDS. An
MSDS is not only for paint but applies to all substances that are
harmful to health and environment. An MSDS will tell you the specific
precautions and safety measures. Paint uses thinner which are both
toxic and fire source.

One precaution against the risks on account of paint is to close the lid
if not in use. Never put an open can of paint under the sun. Paint
brushes must be not left unwashed overnight.
Empty paint cans and wastes related to pain and paint work have to
be disposed ashore not at sea because they contain substances that
are harmful to marine life and to the environment in general.
When painting aloft or on shipside, one has to take necessary
precaution, such as work permit.

Not all paints are the same, they designed for specific and even
special needs. As such, read instruction manual and MSDS prior to
using it. Paint with hardener have to be used strictly as instructed,
otherwise it results in wasted time, effort and money. The A and B part
of a paint is designed to match each other. This type of paint has to be
applied as soon as it is mixed because it will solidify if left unused
overnight.
The special paints are paint for fresh water tanks, ballast tanks and
double bottoms. There was a time when different color primer paint
are mixed to create another color for identification purposes. This is
wrong because the design of the paint is being destroyed. Painting
requires good surface preparation. Do not paint surface that are, wet,
oily dusty, corroded, etc.
Spray painting requires training
and experience to achieve the
desired result. One has to aware
of the paint particles being
carried by wind because of the
damage it cause to people’s
health and the environment.
After using the machine it has to
be thoroughly washed.

A rust remover is not a brand but generic term. It is acid that is harmful
to health. Do not allow it to come into contact with our skin, eyes and
not to inhale its fumes. It is applied as the final process surface
preparation before painting. What is seen below are marketing hacks,
although to some extent are true.
Assessment of lab activities shall be done to simulate the lab
activities. The following questions is for those not taken up during lab
activities.
1. This document provides you with information about a paint or other
related chemical substances. What is this document? Aside from the
technical data, what other information do you get from it?
2. You were assigned to paint using paint spray, what precautions do
you take for your personal protection and also those of others?
3. You were assigned to paint, what preparations and precautions do
you make to efficiently achieve your objective?
4. Paint is an oxidizing agent. Explain thoroughly what does oxidizing
agent means? What precautions do you take to prevent the effects of
oxidation?
5. You are applying rust remover. What is your purpose? What
precautions do you take to keep away from its harm? What are those
harm? 0