car carrier

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Originally Posted by John Arton

If its down to incorrect stability calculations then it does not say much for the seamanship of the Master and Chief Officer as even when manoeuvring off the berth, with tugs I assume, they should have noticed that she was very tender and taken steps to investigate the stability. Loss of engine power alone can be held responsible for her grounding (believe that was deliberate) but as Ivan said if you feed shite into the loading computer you will get shite out. Any seafarer worth his salt should be able to "feel" that there is something not quite right with his/hers ships stability the moment the ropes are cast off.
rgds
JA

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Having been Supt for Car carrier, sometimes the cars/trucks don't turn up in the correct sequence, so it means altering the deck levels, a long job on the old carriers, so heavier vehicles would be on a higher deck than intended, as on these ships you're always on a time restraint, 'get em on and get out' is what the port authorities want and laxity creeps in, but in the old days we could tell when we were leaving the berth what kind of voyage we were in for as soon as the ropes were let go, you felt your ship

Familiarity breds contempt, not something you can do as a seafarer

I have often seen them leaving port and considered the shape and size a problem. Very high air draft which would be subject to wind and sea. Then of course if they had an Italian skipper............................One went belly up off the US coast some years ago but was brought upright and saved, but it certinly looks as if there has been a degree of imcompetence in this case.

#10... Keith the first cry would be from the greens as to pollution, seamens lives always come second like an afterthought. After 167 men lost their lives at the PA in 1988 there was much ado in the papers about compensation claims as to those dead and their dependants and those survivors who if the press was correct received large amounts. The seamen involved who were as much survivors as those saved, in some cases more so as put themselves into atrocious situations received nothing apart from a few words of gratitude here and there. As regards money I had to apply to the owner for the value of certain items the crew passed to those whose clothes were ruined, this was months later. The two cartons of cigarettes I passed out from a companys bond came off my wages. I have learned to expect nothing less from a shipowner and those involved in the shipping world of high finance. The treatment of some survivors of Merchant ships lost to enemy action in war, is enough to show their attitude, where as soon as the ship went down their wages were stopped. Seamen over the years have learned to expect nothing so if they are fortuanate enough to receive something it comes as a pleasant surprise. Cheers JS PS Think I have mentioned in a previous post about Harrisons of Clyde who ventured in to a certain sphere in the offshore industry and I was lucky enough to get employment from on 3 of their vessels, however they could not and did not have the expertise of other offshore operators. Apart from better daily rates than most they also paid a bonus of 3 days wages if at sea on Xmas day and New Years day. All to outward appearance of putting the debit side of the ledger in towards the red. They had good ships better money and good intentions, but couldn't compete in the oil industry which is highly money motivated, by the oil companies themselves setting the lowest margins possible for the hire of such vessels. Pleased I'm out and away from the cheese paring, any other brightly advertised propaganda put out by such, take with a pinch of salt. Cheers JS