SEAM 325

PRELIM ASSIGNMENT 1
GROUP 2
GROUP 2 TOPIC
Explain the effects of wind, current,
squat, shallow water on ship handling
while maintaining safety of navigation.
EFFECTS OF WIND IN NAVIGATION

• The wind effect on the same ship will be different at different places, depending upon the
draught condition of the ship.
• A wind with force of 3-4 on the Beaufort scale will have similar effect in light condition
as with wind force of 7-8 when the ship is down to her marks.
• When ship is at slow speeds during maneuvering or near to the coast, wind direction is
easy to find; but this is not the case when out at high sea. The direction of the wind
perceived when standing on deck is its relative direction. This is the resultant of the true
direction of the wind and the course steered by the ship.
SHIP UNDERWAY WITH WIND FROM RIGHT
ASTERN
• When the wind is blowing from the right astern, steering the ship becomes easy; however,
in the case of head wind, the stern part of the ship has the tendency to pay off on either
side. This is a difficult situation to tackle and getting the ship back on course is no piece
of cake.
SHIP UNDERWAY WITH WIND FROM ABEAM

• When the ship is underway with the wind flowing from abeam, the steering of the ship is
not affected. However, depending on the strength of the wind, the ship drifts sideways
due to leeway and this has to be accounted for while handling the ship.
SHIP UNDERWAY WITH WIND ON THE BOW

• Here again in lighter conditions, the effect on the ship’s stem is larger and this tends the
ship’s head to swing away from the wind (leeward). This requires the weather helm (helm
on the side of the wind) to be steered continuously.
SHIP UNDERWAY WITH WIND ON QUARTER

• When the wind is pushing the ship’s stern away to leeward, the stern tends to swing
towards the leeward. The ship is therefore steered towards the wind and the ship is
required to be given a lee helm.
NAVIGATORS CAN USE THE WIND:

• 1. As a good brake
• 2. As a device for making a tight turn.
• 3. To maneuver comparatively easily as long as the wind remains about two to three
points on the bow
THE EFFECTS OF OCEAN CURRENT

• Effects of current are important especially when the ship is under the effect of on shore
winds, near off shore platforms, while maneuvering in narrow channels and open seas, or
in inland waters or harbors. When the ship is in harbors or inland waters and the current
is at constant strength and direction, the ship’s handling becomes considerably easier.
• Such conditions exist only in comparatively narrow channels of the rivers.
• However, navigational officers should take into account different current streams that can
exist over a small area, within which the vessel has to maneuver.
• The main different between currents and winds is that currents affect the ship in definite
and predictable ways, unlike the wind does.
Even in open waters, when the ship is approaching a rig or a mooring buoy, due
allowance should be made for the effect of the current for a safer maneuver.
Current from ship’s ahead will reduce the ship’s speed over ground, improve ships
response to the rudder, and also give more time to assess and correct developing
situations.
SHALLOW WATER EFFECTS ON SHIPS – SHIP
SQUAT
• When a ship proceeds through water, it pushes the water ahead. This volume of water
returns down the sides and under the bottom of the ship. The streamlines of return flow are
speeded up under the ship, causing a drop in the pressure and resulting in the ship dropping
vertically in the water.
• When the ship drops vertically in the water, it trims both forward and aft. This overall
decrease in the static under keel clearance, both forward and aft, is called Ship’s Squat.
• If the ship moves forward at a greater speed in shallow water, where the keel clearance is
1.0 to 1.5 metres, then there are high chances of grounding at the bow or stern due to
excessive squat.
WHY AND HOW DOES SQUAT EFFECT TAKE
PLACE ?
• The ships float in water because of one simple reason. There is no net force acting on the
ship. Now it is not that there are no forces acting on the ship. But all these forces are
equal and opposite in nature.
• Two of these forces that act in opposite directions are gravitation force and buoyancy.
Force of gravity like to sink the ship and force of buoyancy likes to make it float. Force
of gravity continue to sink the vessel until force of buoyancy becomes equal to force of
gravity.
• Even when we add a weight (cargo) on a floating ship, the gravitation force
increases. This will cause the ship to sink up to a point when force of buoyancy (that
increases as per the Archimedes principle) becomes equal to the gravitation force.
• The point to make here is that any increase or decrease in a force on or around ship will
affect the ship in a way that depends upon the direction of force.
• Squat is the decrease in ship’s under keep clearance when it moves in shallow water
because of low pressure created under the ship.
• when a ship moves forward it pushes the water forward. The water all around must flow
under and around the hull to replace the volume of water pushed by the bow.

• In open sea there is no problem for the water to flow under the hull. But in shallow
waters, this flow is restricted. This results in higher flow velocity of water passing under
the hull. And there is decrease in pressure because of high velocity of water (as per
Bernoulli’s theorem).
WHAT ARE THE FACTORS
THAT AFFECTS SQUAT ?
• squat is caused by the low pressure that is developed under a ship in shallow water. With
more and more speed of the vessel, the squat will increase. This is because with more
speed, the vessel will push more water forward and more water is required to fill that
void.
• This will cause more drop in pressure under the hull and vessel need to sink more to
compensate for that drop in pressure.