Cruise ship in Fowey

[James Curry]

May make an interesting read for some. Think last time I was in Fowey Cornwall we loaded China Clay. The coaster I was on was a bit smaller than this thing.

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/travel/new...c5783d254&ei=7

[happy daze john in oz]

There is a 125,000 ton one going to Falmouth, wonder how that will go down?

[John Gill]

There is a 125,000 ton one going to Falmouth, wonder how that will go down?

Hopefully not with all hands.

[j.sabourn]

Hopefully not the cook this time John. JS

[Ivan Cloherty]

You would think that the residents of Fowey instead of fuming about the visit should be clapping their hands for a little bit of excitement in their boring town and for the opportunity for all the local shopkeepers to get rid of all the tat that has been laying on their shelves for decades. (whoosh !! incoming!!!)

What I fail to understand is why the Harbour Master stated (it is reported) that they had to bring in a Pilot from Germany to see whether or not the ship and weather were suitable for the ship to visit Fowey, have we not got enough home grown Pilots capable of making such a decision

[j.sabourn]

If he was the harbour master in an Australian port it would be his job to bring the ship in himself . JS

[Ivan Cloherty]

If he was the harbour master in an Australian port it would be his job to bring the ship in himself . JS

Alas John, people get jobs now because of their administrative abilities (or in some cases apparent lack of them!) rather than their professional abilities, not saying this is the case in Fowey, but it does make one wonder, or perhaps not when looking at the NHS

[j.sabourn]

It’s a fact though Ivan I rarely saw a pilot for the small out ports in Australia there was only the harbour master who was also the pilot and as soon as he saw you were competent you sat a small test and he issued you with a small certificate for the port . I had exemptions for Port Lincoln , Dampier , never used a pilot in Darwin much to the chagrin of the harbour master who did have a couple of pilots at hand if required as I couldn’t afford the time. To spend a day in his office , so in the finish finished up working out of Dampier on another ship . Sydney was the exception to the Rule where always had to. Use a pilot. Not like the UK where got half the pilotage fee it was part of the job here. If you couldn’t put a twin screw ship alongside with a bow thruster in addition you wouldn’t last long in the job. All this piffle about big ships is piffle their only problem is windage and the larger than usual area. My views only others might think differently. JS

[Ivan Cloherty]

John from reports I've read and information gleaned from various sources the custom in the cruise industry is for the pilot to bring her off the berth or anchorage and the Master or his/her nominated deputy then brings the vessel alongside or up to the hook, which makes common sense to me. Watched an interesting video of the first American female captain of a large cruise liner, extremely competent and she gave every watchkeeper from 1st to 3rd mate (or whatever they call them these days) a chance to bring the vessel alongside, she kept in the background and said she would only intervene if she saw things going wrong and and the officer in charge taking no corrective action.

I was fortunate to sail with a Skipper, Captain Churchill, who had the same attitude and being a lowly third mate and be given the chance to bring a 16000t bulker alongside certainly instilled loyalty to such a man. Docking stations fore and aft were also rotated through 1/m, 2/m and 3/m, he served during the war and said you never knew what was round the corner and everyone should be aware of every station, also a stickler for lifeboat practice.

[Des Taff Jenkins]

Ivan.
I sailed with a Captain in the Union Co in NZ who had the same attitude, he was young and used to say, " take her out "when i was Mud pilot
,[so called as I was on the wheel whenever we left any port] he would tell me which buoy to keep in mind, and which side I should steer, then say He would handle the telegraph. He took the view that if he collapsed at least the ship would be ok until the mate took over.
Des