cruise ship hits bridge

[Capt Bill Davies]

Good evening Bill, please accept my apologies, i assumed, wrongly, it referred to all signals, not just from the lookouts bell signals, thanks for clarifying my mistaken line of thought, feel a right plonker now, ! regards, Tony W.

Tony,

Absolutely no need to apologise and you should not feel anything. There are things I pick up on this site which is new to me. I sometimes think 50 years unbroken left me with funnelled vision and maybe I could have benefitted from a break. Life is one big learning curve.

Brgds

Bill

[Captain Kong]

John/Brian,

You two must be far fitter than me. Last year I had a bad accident falling off a MF tractor which left me very much an observer these days.
All the power to your arm if you can still do it. I would not be able to do anything like that.
Brgds
Bill..
.
.

.Hi Bill,
On my recent trip around the planet, I had a few drinks with one of our members who lives in California and we met in the old Queen Mary `s` Observation Bar. After he went home, another two friends from Arizona turned up to see me and after a `few` more whiskys I turned in and fell off the bed and injured my knee, I am now on the waiting list for a knee operation.
So I will not be "leaping aloft" this year . SHE is still not very happy about it. I was lead astray that day.
Cheers
Brian.

[Capt Bill Davies]

Brian,

Listening to BBC R4 this afternoon and almost came off the road laughing (almost another accident).

One programme was about the abrupt dismissal of two editors of a couple of tabloids. The nautical expression 'Like a ship without a Pilot' was used. I thought 'sounds like a good ship' but more seriously why are nautical expressions finding so much use recently. Is it because they are so generic/easily adaptable.

The other programme which almost caused the accident and should be in the Liverpool Dockers thread was this.

Two journalists were discussing the old comics, The Beano, the The Eagle etc and one asked ' How would they greet Dan Dare in Liverpool....................Ello dare!

Brgds

Bill

[Jim Brady]

Bill, the Liverpool docker would've said "Dan Dare while I it yer".
Regards.
Jim.B

[robpage]

Jim the early ships I was on the Master had the whole of one bridge deck. Some masters insisted you use the outside ladders on going onto the navigation bridge. Cheers John Sabourn.

Most of the Clan Line Ships before the late 1950s had a MAster's Cabin under the bridge on its own deck , and officers of the watch had to use the outside ladders in all weathers , I was working on the steam drains to the whistle at sea with a third Engineer onec , who spoke to the Master's budgie , sat in it's cage outside his dayroom window . The Old MAn was furious , how dare you speak to my budgie , and why are you on my deck ? . The steam drain leak was fixed , but the budgie escaped one nght and was last spotted looking for a blackbird in Dar E Saalam . well that is what most of it's shipmates did

[Tony Wilding]

Amazing how some Captains acted so aloof, almost godlike, expect some were the same even to fellow officers,

[j.sabourn]

I always presumed that the ships I was on it was normal procedure throughout the Industry. Going into port it was the 3/mates job to fill out a small list of info. for the pilot such as draft, GRT, and various other info. which would be helpful to anyone not used to the vessel. Included on this list was the air draft. That is distance from waterline to highest point on ship. As I should imagine it would be the custom of most ports to have at least a couple of feet clearance if not more, it is highly probable that this is one more item not done nowadays. Or if it is the mathematical capabilities of some leave a lot to be desired. Regards John Sabourn

[Capt Bill Davies]

I always presumed that the ships I was on it was normal procedure throughout the Industry. Going into port it was the 3/mates job to fill out a small list of info. for the pilot such as draft, GRT, and various other info. which would be helpful to anyone not used to the vessel. Included on this list was the air draft. That is distance from waterline to highest point on ship. As I should imagine it would be the custom of most ports to have at least a couple of feet clearance if not more, it is highly probable that this is one more item not done nowadays. Or if it is the mathematical capabilities of some leave a lot to be desired. Regards John Sabourn

John,

Since the implementation of the ISM Code 1997 (nothing more than a Safety Management System...say what you do and do what you say....for those members unfamiliar with the term) the 'tick box' paper work is enormous and one can be assured that the paperwork will be in order. However, what we have at sea these days are not of the calibre of the majority of the membership here who may well have started in the 50s and 60s. It all boils down to training with a large sprinkling of 'common sense' which I am sure you will agree is no so common at all. I have taken the liberty of emboldening part of your text above as I believe that the mathematical ability of those entering the profession in the last 20 years is nothing short of disgraceful. The removal of the Mathematics paper from the entrance exam (whatever STCW calls it) opened the flood gates to all sort or intellectually challenged people.
I am assured by members in the NI that colleges in the UK are running 'crammer' courses to assist in 'Interpolation'. To remove the mystique of this very very basic process to our members it is as follows
The tide range over say 6 hours is 6 mtrs. Therefore in one hour it changes by 6/6 ....1 mtr. Simple? ...No Differentiation, Integration or Complex/Imaginery numbers here.
There are people out there who cannot do this and find their way on to the bridges of ships via STCW certification and they are of the home grown vintage. Not third world who are usually competent in this area.

Brgds

Bill

[Gulliver]

Amazing how some Captains acted so aloof, almost godlike, expect some were the same even to fellow officers,

They did indeed, Tony-but for a junior officer it was a matter of survival and one’s personal inner wellbeing to know how to deal with such Masters attitudes,foibles and habits.



Whilst I have always respected their attainment in qualifying for and reaching command,I did not necessarily respect their attitude and character towards others. One had to ‘square-up’ to some of them to avoid being trampled on if something was wrong or not being dealt with correctly or fairly.
Fortunately I didn’t sail with many Masters who fell into that category'perhaps only 3 in my twenty years .The remaining several dozen Masters I sailed with I had a high regard for.
I can never tolerate or excuse bullying,harassment or impoliteness by anybody hiding behind their rank, age or length of sea time.

That even extends to those long-retired personnel ashore,and even on these nautical websites ,who attempt to employ the same attitude to others by using or hiding behind their rank. It's unnecessary,ignorant and offensive.

Regards and respects to All.

Gulliver

[Jim Brady]

Gulliver,Davey I like that posting,most captains I sailed with acted with a less authoritive air about them than the 3rd mate or 5th engineer.I think that these captains realised that we were all here to to a job and he respected each individual and gave them respect.If you stepped over the line you were treated fairly and never questioned the punishment (thats a bit harsh) that was doled out to you.When my son was a cadet the captain would take him and the deckboy for a run ashore.when the ship docked in Liverpool I would most probably have a beer in the captains cabin with my son the cadet!!! Some on here still like to use the title Captain,some on here that were Captains for a lot longer and on bigger ships just use their names these are the Captains that I would've liked to have sailed with and respected.
Regards.
Jim.B.