Why ships crash

[Des Taff Jenkins]

Now if I was a journalist I would ask, why don't you drop your anchor.
Des

[j.sabourn]

Or he could ask the pilot if the bottom was clear of obstruction, what the pilot is there for if nothing else ? JS

[happy daze john in oz]

Or he could ask the pilot if the bottom was clear of obstruction, what the pilot is there for if nothing else ? JS

Then of course you need to explain the difference between a ships pilot and one on an aircraft.

[j.sabourn]

An aircraft pilot is a proper licensed person certified to fly an aircraft of the description that he is flying.
A ships master is a proper licensed person certified to take a vessel to sea. Also his certificate or licence number is on the ships Register to show he is the owners representative and responsible for all debts and deaths appertaining on the vessel.
A pilot for a vessel depends on what country he represents and could be a crew boy offa Palm Line Ship if necessary and is only there for his local knowledge .
If the bye laws of any port says you have to have one , then have one you will have. If pilotage is not compulsory then I know ,when it was so and I knew the port , then I did not have one. Most of your regular Australian shipping under 1000 tons gross was ok not to use a pilot if you had the exemption. To get an exemption usually took 3 trips in and 3 trips out with a pilot , but this could be waived depending on the Harbour Master. The only place I never got an exemption for was Sydney Harbour , so rather think pilotage there was compulsory. But in all these cases the buck goes and stops with the master. Except at onetime the Panama Canal. There could have been others which I didn’t know about , the likes of Portsmouth and other naval ports the QHM pilots were always compulsory. But only acted like other pilots and there for their advice. JS

[j.sabourn]

Further to my memory’s of up the Great Lakes of Canada , what it is today have no idea. But pilots were required and were either Class A or B . The class A was if memory correct for going into the different ports and locks systems. The class B was for the lakes themselves which were similar to sea transits . A ships bridge officer could apply for the B licence and think there was a small exam for. The company I was with wanted me to apply for the B licence as would save them money and probably a bit of time here and there . However the work load was quite extensive at times up the lakes for the mate , and as there was no compensation for I knocked it back as would have had very little time to put ones feet up. Would be interesting to know if this system is still In use or did I dream it. Cheers JS .

[Tony Taylor]

Further to my memory’s of up the Great Lakes of Canada , what it is today have no idea. But pilots were required and were either Class A or B . The class A was if memory correct for going into the different ports and locks systems. The class B was for the lakes themselves which were similar to sea transits . A ships bridge officer could apply for the B licence and think there was a small exam for. The company I was with wanted me to apply for the B licence as would save them money and probably a bit of time here and there . However the work load was quite extensive at times up the lakes for the mate , and as there was no compensation for I knocked it back as would have had very little time to put ones feet up. Would be interesting to know if this system is still In use or did I dream it. Cheers JS .

I spent three months on the lakes in early seventies running Canadian crude from Oakville to Montreal, with a few trips up to Sarnia and Windsor, also Quebec and Port Alfred with fuel oil. I was sailing as third eng. and as I only had Part A seconds I had to have an aural examination by Canadian Engineer Examiner as a full ticket was required for the senior engineers on standby (we were on 6 on six off all the time on the seaway) and was issued a dispensation as second.

[j.sabourn]

Something similar happened on an Indian owned ship in Canada . Don’t think it was up the lakes though. The Indian 3 engineer wanted part of his seconds cert.and sat it in Canada and believe by the talk at the time he was issued with a full Canadian seconds certificate. But believe this would have been correct as were all Commonwealth certificates in any case . JS

[Graham Shaw]

JS Yr.#50 re VEESEA TOPAZ -IMO 7517727Compl.as OCEAN TARPON 6/1978 as Tug /Supply vessel 402 tons gross as Yard No.1148 by American Marine,New Orleans for Ocean Marine Svces Inc.Partnerships No.2,Houston--USA flagged.
1991 Converted to Platform Supply Vessel,1,204 grt Dimens.62.1 x 13.4m, 2sc.16kts.Renamed VEESEA TOPAZ for Gem Sg.Inc.George Town,Cayman Islands. 2000.Renamed TOPAZ-same owners.
2002 Renamed HD COMMANDER by new owners Net- Ned Marine,registered Kingstown,St.Vincent & Grenadines.
Rep'd Laid up 2012.
2015. Rep,d Sold to Nigerian interests,renamed GRACIA,registered Lagos.

HD COMMANDER ex VEESEA TOPAZ 7517727.jpg
HD COMMANDER ex VEESEA TOPAZ

Photo by Jacob Versteeg,ShipSpotting.com

[j.sabourn]

That’s her Graham thanks I took over from the American skipper who brought her to Sunderland from the Gulf of New Orleans . I asked him how he found his way from there to here with no navigational instruments and he pulled a phone sized GPS out of his pocket.He wouldn’t leave it behind though.She was fitted out with everything one could want for the job cameras , gas alarms, fresh water showers on deck, the housing above the working deck is the hospital and survivors room. The FRC you see there is another on the other side . I fitted her out and sailed on her a couple of swings before leaving Blighty and heading for the Colony’s. She was owned by one of the ex directors of BUE an ex master with an extra masters cert to prove it and he gave me more or less a free hand on what was needed. They brought other vessels onto the scene and were known then as a vector Offshore. Was the first signs of improvement as regards safety vessels. Cheers JS

[happy daze john in oz]

Just outside of Melbourne on Port Philip bay there stands the local pilot station.
Have met a couple, all nice guys.
But a good mate of mine who does the ships compass adjustments tells me they are a law unto themselves.