The media

[Keith Tindell]

I remember as bridge boy on the Stirling Castle being sent up to clean the brass whistle, a sign was hung in the bridge to say it was being cleaned, but I am not sure if it was on or off, used to hate the bloody job, kt

[John Arton]

Think some of you mean Seven(or more) short blasts followed by One long blast.
Never mind though if you thought it was the other way round because it still makes a hell of a racket telling you that summat's up....an embarrassing flashback for me to 47 years ago as a first trip cadet .After escorting pilot to bridge at Schelde estuary and then exchanging G flag for the H in a bit of a blow I unknowingly caught the halyard on the whistle cable and after about five sharp tugs on it and consequent blasts of the whistle was quickly dragged away from it by the 3rd Mate.
Apparently various vessels in the vicinity were scattering away from us in all directions....
The very supercilious Captain who was one of the ex troopship Masters gave me such a withering pitying look that by all rights I wonder even today that I'm still alive!

Gulliver,
my senior moment, you are correct 7 (or more) short and rapid blast followed by one long one on the ships whistle is the one for abandon ship(lifeboat) drill.

Should be made on the ships whistle in order to ensure that the alarm signal for emergency (fire) drill is recognised as that is made on the ships alarm bells only.

Despite these signals being posted on all muster sheets posted around the accommodation, you would still get some of the crew turning up at emergency stations drills complete with life jackets, to fight a simulated accommodation fire.
rgds
JA

[j.sabourn]

I used to wonder why they always seemed to have 2 separate types of breathing apparatus the Helmet with bellows type and the self contained. Both had lines attached. Todays manning on ships, that is 4 men employed on the smoke helmets alone, then there is the starting of the emergency fire pump if needed. Stretcher bearers if needed, if evacuation of any personel by helicopter will have someone as helicopter landing officer, other personel to batten down other areas and keep a constant play of water on bulkheads, as some have been professional fire fighters on site they will have a better picture of what a fire entails. Some fires may last for days and have to have people there continuously. With the present manning of ships this will be a very arduous job for ships crews of today. With ref to the suggested manning of ships to be even less, suggest they put little robots on board who are tireless and dispensible. Fire is the worse hazard at sea is what I have always believed, these brain boxes ashore who are always looking to downgrade crews, will soon be discarded after the next fire disaster at sea. All the condensed fire fighting courses we have to do mandatory only touches the surface of a real fire, this keeping low to the ground as that is where the most oxygen is all nice to know if needed, other tips also, a real fire needs real professional firefighters, if I was in port with a fire onboard they would be the first people I would contact, try and isolate the fire and then pass them on the gangway as I and others went the other way. Cheers JWS As regards Helicopter landing officer nearly all if not all of the Deck Crowd on a ship with landing facilities such as a seismic vessel had to do the course for such and was another certificate to add to the many others one has to have today. As the Mate or Master on watch was usually tied up keeping the vessel on the seismic track as to course and speed of usually 4 knots, one of the ABs would be designated for the job, which entailed that the wind sock was flying free and that the heli deck was clear of all obstructions and no loose material lying around, he would then talk to the pilot and give him the ships course and speed, wind direction and force, and Give him a Green Deck-Permission to land. After landing he would lead the baggage handlers to the heli see the passengers out, especially if the helicopter wasn't shutting down, the same on the heli leaving would confirm the weight of baggage which someone else in the chain would have weighed, if the deck wasn't clear to his satisfaction he would give a Red deck which was denial for leaving, until he was satisfied that all was correct. During this whole process the Fireman would be suited up in his one piece or two piece silver suit and manning his foam monitor, also the FRC would be manned and ready to go, if they had a chase boat he would also be on close stand by with his FRC swung out ready, this could occur at various times more so on rigs and platforms. Passengers going onto a heli had to be checked for any loose objects they may be carrying also any headgear they had on had to have chinstraps. There is more but is a brief outline of todays jobs that ABs get, this one of many certificates that is required today. There are other courses which have to do, to have the privilege to sailing at whatever rank, and they still talk about reducing manning further. JWS

[happy daze john in oz]

Modern life boat drill is a bit of a gamble on cruise ships.
All cabins have a dedicated muster station, I have had one in the bar area on numerous occasions, where your cruise card is used to record your attendance and you are shown how to put a life jacket on.

I spoke to one crew member who was telling passengers how to jump into the water wearing a life jacket. When I pointed out the dangers of doing so from many of the upper decks he was quite shocked when I told him that by doing so you could kill your self. Hit the water hard enough with that on and you run the risk of breaking your neck.

But in defence of the cruise companies they carry out regular crew drills about every 10 days.

[Ivan Cloherty]

[QUOTE=happy daze john in oz;257761

I spoke to one crew member who was telling passengers how to jump into the water wearing a life jacket. When I pointed out the dangers of doing so from many of the upper decks he was quite shocked when I told him that by doing so you could kill your self. Hit the water hard enough with that on and you run the risk of breaking your neck.

[/QUOTE]

That was the sage advice my father gave me, especially when you sailed on ships with the four blocks of cork covered in canvas, they would take your head right off, he said when they abandoned ship most jumped with their lifejackets in their hand and put them on in the water

[j.sabourn]

With the bigger lifejacket of today you jump with it on holding the lifejacket down with both palms of both hands to prevent it coming up and breaking your neck. If the person explaining the use of lifejackets didn't explain this then he had never done the course where you have to make an entry into the water from a height. He would be virtually killing them if they took his advice. That is the way holding the jacket down in the neck area. Remind me not to travel with such lines that issue such advice. Cheers JWs PS I believe a couple of survivors jumped from over a hundred feet at the Piper Alpha and survived. They however would have been told the correct way to jump as all had done the course, just one of the necessary cert. required by all offshore workers Seamen and oil workers. As to putting the modern lifejacket on in the water, would have to be vey agile to do this, ok with the old type but would have to be nearly a contortionist with the new. Cheers JWS

[cappy]

##i recall being told at the vindi to hold down the cork life jackets down at the neck when jumping ....but somehow cannot remember this when taking my BOT lifeboat ticket cappy

[j.sabourn]

Contrary to popular believe a body usually floats on the surface for some time before sinking, one survivor stated he had taken the Lifejacket of a dead person and managed to put on. he may have had the assistance of the dead person being able to support him while he did this. The feelings of guilt he had doing this was he said at the Inquiry-terrible. But he did the right thing. JWS