What happened to Bridge Wings?

[John Arton]

Here are two photos of ships that have been built without bridge wings. The big one I sailed on and she was a nightmare to bring alongside any berth as apart from getting the ropes out you were constantly having to relay distance off to the bridge as they could not see how far off the ship was from the berth. The second one is a picture of a ship that visited the Tyne recently and as it is a modern ship perhaps it has cameras to assist in berthing. With reduced crewing the use of CCTV cameras is quite common. One chemical tanker I sailed on had cameras fitted to enable the duty officer to monitor the manifold area from the cargo control room, which was situated in the wheelhouse!
At least the first ship had decent amount of accommodation, albeit it was a bit rough after being smashed into by an aircraft carrier and also having one of its hatch covers come through it whilst it was loading crude.
For the second one anyone sailing on it would need to be almost a midget as it looks like any cabin in that accommodation would have absolutely minimum sized cabins that are required by law.
Anyone else had weird looking ships that you sailed on?
rgds
JA
sidney spiro.jpg
nordic.jpg

[Captain Kong]

Ships are Not designed by Seamen but by men who do not have to sail on them. That has always been the problem.
Brian

[j.sabourn]

Bridge Wings,,, They flew off perhaps. JS

[Neil Morton]

The only bridge wing I ever saw was when the skipper, whist entering port at some ungodly hour roused me from my bunk to bring him tea !!!

Or on two other occasions when he removed monies from my lamentable wages and entered my name in his bloody great book.

[j.sabourn]

I often wondered why when deducted days wages as a fine, such was supposed to go to charity. Why you couldnt claim as a tax deduction. Would have then served two good purposes. Should have seen your MP Neil, thats what he is supposed to be there for.. advice. John S

---------- Post added at 11:01 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:23 AM ----------

#2... Brian nowadays ships look like blocks of flats. Blocks of flats are made to look like ships to try and take the hard lines out of. Some of the Bridge Layouts that I have seen would make you wonder. Most off shore vessels have two control consuls one forward and one at the back end of the Wheelhouse, as most manouvres alongside a rig or platform is putting the stern in line with cranes etc. Was on one ship had to leave the wheelhoues and sprint to a steel housing to get to the after controls. If the change over valve or circuit had malfunctioned you would of been up the creek without a paddle. However one company I was with any new building they had was stipulated in the contract with builders that the master should be present when fitting out the navigation bridge, can assure you there were no after controls miles away. Cheers John S

[John Arton]

John S
If you want to see what todays anchor handlers bridge looks like, go to ULSTEINS web site and see there bridge vision.
Looks like something out of a space craft.
rgds
JA

[j.sabourn]

#6... Can imagine , some ships had consuls looking like the pilots layout on a jumbo jet. Ulsteins have been on those mostly Norwegian ships. The important ones were of course the wheel or whatever you had in its place, the bowthruster, and stern thrusters if you had.The control sticks of course, usually on Uklsteins about a foot long, stops for emergency stops for cement and chemical tanks, Brine tanks, F.W, tanks, Mud tanks, Fuel oil tanks , portable water tanks, controls if modern enough for windlass so could use anchors if necessary. Numeerous gauges pressure and air gauges too many to site. One had to identify the important ones at the time. Cheers John S

---------- Post added at 01:48 AM ---------- Previous post was at 01:24 AM ----------

#7.. Unless one is familiar with offshore work on some of these specialized vessels, is hard to describe the many duties associated with ship handling As master that is what you essentially are, to hold the vessel alongside a platform or rig in a close quarter situation. Your concentration whilst doing that is 100 per cent, hour after hour. I found it advisable to have the Chief Eng. on the Bridge most of the time to look after all the knobs and buttons, the new 3rd. Engineer who joined the site the other day is going to find out the differences between going to sea on a cargo vessel and working offshore. Although the offshore maybe his first sample of sea life. Would be better if it was so he would not have anything to compare the lifestyles. It used to be when I started off shore rather late in life, I was 42 and was considered too old at the time, it was hard work and long hours and should imagine still is. I mentioned once before I was on the sticks standing throughout for a total of 27 hours at one time and it nearly killed me physically. Now according to the book as you could then, demand a break after 18 hours, but if so demanded were very likely to find yourself off charter. When I hear people talk about Safety especially offshore it is usually done with tongue in cheek. You could not have the Mate on the Bridge during cargo operations, he was continually on deck., either loading or discharging whilst various commodities were being pumped through hoses to and from the rig. I have seen 4 hoses all connected at one time ship to rig and pumping different commodities, trying to avoid breaking of such due to the working of the vessel in a seaway was a full time job on its own. Cheers John S

[happy daze john in oz]

From what I have seen of cruise ships the wings are almost there for show. Arriving and departing there is always a hive of activity with officers going from one side to the other, but most of the work appears to be done by the shore gang. With thrusters and the modern equipment I reckon some ships could almost do it on their own.

[j.sabourn]

#8... What i have been trying to say John. I only ever took a pilot when was compulsory, which found in Oz was Sydney only. It was very rare for a pilot if you had by law to have one, would put the ship alongside, you as master did that you knew where all the buttons and valves were and knew how to handle the ship. This of course refers to specialized shipping and not the big single screw steamer, which probably had to use tugs etc. Forget all the old time memories of a man at the wheel etc. do that yourself. Normally were on automatic right up till almost the end and off the berth. You might as well compare your time at sea with the sailing ship era, as to what is in comparison now. When you have crews consisting of 3 or 4 on deck you would not have the manpower anyway. Sometimes if no boatmen aavailable was common practice to put your own man ashore to take the lines. How does this compare to Safety Issues, you tell me. Safety is ok as long as it doesnt cost money. JS

[Frederick Lacey]

Got to agree with you Brian about landlubbers designing the ships, for some reason they always
put the scuppers at the highest point so that when you scrubbed out the pantry or galley decks
there was always loads of water to get rid of at the lowest point, either had to squeegee it away
or wait for the ship to roll.

Fred.