Contingency plan Collision

Immediate action:

• Stop engine
• Check any casualty suffered and rendered first aid
• Establish communication with other vessel and exchange information
• Check the oin pollution 
• Assess the situation of sinking or capsizing

Measures taken in case of collision

• The Master is always remaining alert to the possibility of collision.
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Steering gear/Main engine failure at sea

• Damage to the rudder may arise through collision,grounding or even by heavy seas.
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Contigency Plan in General

Command team

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Types of alarms and its uses on board a ship

• A system announces a condition requiring attention by audible means.IMO resolution A.686 (17) states that alarms and indicators are to be clear,fixed and without doubtfullness.
• Make sure that the power supply to alarms is continious from the main source of supply with an automatic change over to standby power supply in emergency.

Musters and drills

• Musters and drills are carrting out at regular intervals as per the merchant shipping regulations.
• Musters and drills designed to prepare a trained and organized response to handle emergencies to save life at sea.
• It is recommended that a fire drill be held together with the first stage of the abandon ship drills.Each crew member is advised to participate in at least one abandon ship drill and one fire drill every month.

Abandon ship signal

• Abandon ship signal is verbally through a public address system by the Master (or any senior authority who nominated by the master) of the vessel only
• When all our efforts to save the affected vessel prove to be ubsuccessful, then abandoning the ship is un-avoidable.
• As far as possible,never leave the vessel until it leaves you.
• Before giving abandonment order, all the activities of the ship called off and the final report of each lifeboat made available to the Bridge.
• Then the Master of the vessel gives the order to staff the boat to clear the ships side and remains at a safe distance from the abandoned ship sa far as practicable.
• During abandoning the ship, use lifeboats and life rafts but never jump on to it in panic, maintain complete disipline,silence and strict adherence to orders
• Immediate control of any evidence of panic for which force may be if necessary.
• Failure to over all these facts may result unnecessary loss of life.

General Emergency Alarm Signal

   Seven or more short blasts followed by one long by ships whistle/siren/bell and it shall be audible throughout all the accommodation and normal crew working places.On passenger shops, the system shall also be audible on all open decks.

Primary aim of PST(Personal Survival Techniques)

• The Primary aim of PST course is to train the seafarers when a ship encounters adverse wheather condition and sudden accidents on ships.
• By using personal survival techniques one can save people who stay on board a ship for which the need of training and maintanence of all LSA/FFA is essential.
• The effectiveness and efficiency achieves only when everyone follows the muster list instructions to carry out the same successfully.

Types of Emergencies in Ship

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• Fire
• Collision/Gas explosion
• Flooding
• Stranding/grounding
• Main engine break down
• Unforeseen mishap such as an accident
• Foundering
• Man over board
• Oil spillage
• Abandon ship
• Search and rescue
• Piracy (unlawful act threatening against safety and security)
• Heavy weather damage
• Emergency assistance to other ship

Great Circle Sailing

Great Circle

A great circle is defined as a circle on the earth's surface the plane of which passes through the centre of the earth.

For navigation purposes :

• The great circle track is the shortest distance between two places on the earth's surface.
• The great circle track appears as a straight line on Gnomonic (great circle) charts.
• The vertices of a great circle are the two points nearest to the poles which have a course on the great circle track due EAST / WEST.

Great Circle Sailing

To follow a great circle track, the navigator needs to adjust the ship's course continuously because the great circle track is a curve when plotted on a Mercator Chart. Therefore, it is not really practicable to sail on an exact great circle route.

In order to take advantage of the shorter steaming distance of the great circle track, mariners usually divide a great circle track between the initial position and the destination into smaller segments (way points) of about one to two day's steaming time and make course adjustments at noon. The total distance is therefore the sum of the distances of those segments calculated by means of Mercator Sailing.

Composite Great Circle Sailing

Although the great circle track is the shortest route between two locations, it also usually enroutes closer to the pole (or to higher latitude) than the two places.

To avoid the danger of sailing high latitude, which is normally associated with bad weather and icing, a careful master mariner will normally set a latitude limit on his ocean passage plan. The ocean passage will thus consist of a first great circle track with vertex at the latitude limit then sailing along that latitude until meeting the vertex of a second great circle track leading to the destination. This type of route is named as composite great circle route.

The easiest method to outline a composite greate circle route is by plotting it on a Gnomonic chart.

The figure on the right shows the relationship between the three types of route, the rhumb line, the great circle and the composite great circle routes for the same set of locations.

RULES OF THE ROAD

Part A - General

1. Application

(a) These rules shall apply to all vessels upon the high seas and in all waters connected therewith navigable by seagoing vessels.

(b) Nothing in these Rules shall interfere with the operation of special rules made by an appropriate authority for roadsteads, harbours, rivers, lakes, or inland waterways connected with thehigh seas and navigable by seagoing vessels. Such special rules shall conform as closely as possible to these Rules.

(c) Nothing in these Rules shall interfere with the operation of any special rule made by the government of any State with respect to additional station or signal lights, shapes or whistle signals for ships of war and vessels proceeding under convoy, or with respect to additional station or signal lights or shapes for fishing vessels engaged in fishing as a fleet. These additional station or signal lights, shapes or whistle signals shall, so far as possible, be such that they cannot be mistaken for any light, shape, or signal authorised elsewhere under these Rules

(d) Traffic separation schemes may be adopted by the Organization for the purpose of these Rules.

(e) Whenever the Government concerned shall have determined that a vessel of any special construction or purpose cannot comply with the provisions of any of these Rules with respect to the number, position, range, or arc of visibility of lights or shapes, as well as to the disposition and characteristics of sound-signalling appliances, such vessel shall comply with such other provisions in regard to the number, position, range or arc of visibility of lights or shapes, as well as to the disposition and characteristics of sound-signalling appliances, as her Government shall have determined to be the closest possible compliance with these Rules in respect of that vessel.

2. Responsibility

(a) Nothing in these Rules shall exonerate any vessel, or the owner, master or crew thereof, from the consequences of any neglect to comply with these Rules or of the neglect of any precaution which may be required by the ordinary practice of seamen, or by the special circumstances of the case

(b) In construing and complying with these rules due regard shall be had to all dangers of navigation and collision and to any special circumstances, including the limitations of the vessels involved, which may make a departure from these rules necessary to avoid immediate danger

[Rule 2 is sometimes referred to as the "General Prudential" rule and provides for non-conformance with stated rules in order to prevent a collision, because what is paramount is to avoid or minimize the damaging effects of a collision, as opposed to blindly following the rules to the letter. The overall intent is to minimize actual collision taking place rather than rule compliance in and of itself, per se.]

3. General Definitions

For the purpose of these Rules, except where the context otherwise requires:

(a) The word “vessel” includes every description of water craft, including non-displacement craft, wing-in-ground-effect (WIG) vehicle, and seaplanes, used or capable of being used as a means of transportation on water.

(b) The term “power-driven vessel” means any vessel propelled by machinery.

(c) The term “sailing vessel” means any vessel under sail provided that propelling machinery, if fitted, is not being used.

(d) The term “vessel engaged in fishing” means any vessel fishing with nets, lines, trawls or other fishing apparatus which restrict manoeuvrability, but does not include a vessel fishing withtrolling lines or other fishing apparatus which do not restrict manoeuvrability.

(e) The word “seaplane” includes any aircraft designed to manoeuvre on the water.

(f) The term “vessel not under command” means a vessel which through some exceptional circumstance is unable to manoeuvre as required by these Rules and is therefore unable to keep out of the way of another vessel.

(g) The term “vessel restricted in her ability to manoeuvre” means a vessel which from the nature of her work is restricted in her ability to manoeuvre as required by these Rules and is therefore unable to keep out of the way of another vessel. The term “vessels restricted in their ability to manoeuvre” shall include but not be limited to:

• (i) a vessel engaged in laying, servicing, or picking up a navigation mark, submarine cable or pipeline;
• (ii) a vessel engaged in dredging, surveying or underwater operations;
• (iii) a vessel engaged in replenishment or transferring persons, provisions or cargo while underway;
• (iv) a vessel engaged in the launching or recovery of aircraft;
• (v) a vessel engaged in mine clearance operations;
• (vi) a vessel engaged in a towing operation such as severely restricts the towing vessel and her tow in their ability to deviate from their course.

(h) The term “vessel constrained by her draught” means a power-driven vessel which, because of her draught in relation to the available depth and width of navigable water, is severely restricted in her ability to deviate from the course she is following.

(i) The word “underway” means that a vessel is not at anchor, or made fast to the shore, or aground.

(j) The words “length” and “breadth” of a vessel mean her length overall and greatest breadth.

(k) Vessels shall be deemed to be in sight of one another only when one can be observed visually from the other.

(l) The term “restricted visibility” means any condition in which visibility is restricted by fog, mist, falling snow, heavy rainstorms, sandstorms, or other similar causes.

(m) The term “Wing-In-Ground (WIG) craft” means a multimodal craft which, in its main operational mode, flies in close proximity to the surface by utilizing surface-effect action.

Part B - Steering and sailing

Section I (for any visibility)

4. Application

The rules apply in any condition of visibility (e.g., in sight or in restricted visibility).

5. Look-out

Every vessel must at all times maintain a proper look-out by sight and hearing, as well as by all available means in order to make a full assessment of the situation and risk of collision.

6. Safe speed

Any vessel must proceed at a safe speed at which she can to take action to avoid collision and be able to stop within a distance suitable to the prevailing conditions. These conditions include the visibility; traffic density; her manoeuvrability (e.g., stopping distance and turning ability); background lights on shore, dazzle and backscatter from her own lights; the state of the wind, sea, current and nearly hazards; and draft in relation to the available water.

When radar is in use also consider: limitations of the equipment; range scale in use; sea-state, weather and other interference; possible weak targets; the number of targets and their movement; that the use of radar may help to judge the visibility.

7. Risk of Collision

Vessels must use all available means to determine the risk of a collision, including the use of radar (if available) to get early warning of the risk of collision by radar plotting or equivalent systematic observation of detected objects. (e.g. ARPA, AIS).

If the distance of any vessel is reducing and her compass bearing is not changing much or it is a large vessel or towing vessel at close distance, or if there is any doubt, then a risk of collision shall be deemed to exist.

8. Action to avoid collision

Actions taken to avoid collision should be:

• positive
• obvious
• made in good time

9. Narrow channels

• A vessel proceeding along a narrow channel must keep to starboard.
• Small vessels or sailing vessels must not impede (larger) vessels which can navigate only within a narrow channel.
• Ships must not cross a channel if to do so would impede another vessel which can navigate only within that channel.

10. Traffic Separation Schemes

Ships must cross traffic lanes steering a course "as nearly as practicable" at right angles to the direction of traffic. This reduces confusion and enables that vessel to cross the lane as quickly as possible.

Vessel entering a traffic separation scheme should do it at an angle as small as practicable.

A traffic separation scheme does not relieve any vessel from complying with other rules.

THE MARINE SEXTANT

A sextant is an instrument used to measure the angle between any two visible objects. Its primary use is to determine the angle between a celestial object and the horizon which is known as the object's altitude. Making this measurement is known as sighting the object, shooting the object, ortaking a sight and it is an essential part of celestial navigation. The angle, and the time when it was measured, can be used to calculate a position line on a nautical or aeronautical chart. Common uses of the sextant include sighting the sun at solar noon and sighting Polaris at night, to find one'slatitude (in northern latitudes). Sighting the height of a landmark can give a measure of distance off and, held horizontally, a sextant can measure angles between objects for a position on a chart.A sextant can also be used to measure the lunar distance between the moon and another celestial object (e.g., star, planet) in order to determine Greenwich time which is important because it can then be used to determine the longitude.

The scale of a sextant has a length of ⅙ of a turn (60°); hence the sextant's name (sextāns, -antis is the Latin word for "one sixth"). An octant is a similar device with a shorter scale (⅛ turn, or 45°), whereas a quintant (⅕ turn, or 72°) and aquadrant (¼ turn, or 90°) have longer scales.

       There are four errors that can be adjusted by the navigator and they should be removed in the    

        following order.

Perpendicularity error

This is when the index mirror is not perpendicular to the frame of the sextant. To test for this, place the index arm at about 60° on the arc and hold the sextant horizontally with the arc away from you at arms length and look into the index mirror. The arc of the sextant should appear to continue unbroken into the mirror. If there is an error then the two views will appear to be broken. Adjust the mirror until the reflection and direct view of the arc appear to be continuous.

Side error

This occurs when the horizon glass/mirror is not perpendicular to the plane of the instrument. To test for this, first zero the index arm then observe a star through the sextant. Then rotate the tangent screw back and forth so that the reflected image passes alternately above and below the direct view. If in changing from one position to another the reflected image passes directly over the unreflected image, no side error exists. If it passes to one side, side error exists. The user can hold the sextant on its side and observe the horizon to check the sextant during the day. If there are two horizons there is side error; adjust the horizon glass/mirror until the stars merge into one image or the horizons are merged into one. Side error is generally inconsequential for observations and can be ignored or reduced to a level that is merely convenient.

Collimation error

This is when the telescope or monocular is not parallel to the plane of the sextant. To check for this you need to observe two stars 90° or more apart. Bring the two stars into coincidence either to the left or the right of the field of view. Move the sextant slightly so that the stars move to the other side of the field of view. If they separate there is collimation error.

Index error

This occurs when the index and horizon mirrors are not parallel to each other when the index arm is set to zero. To test for index error, zero the index arm and observe the horizon. If the reflected and direct image of the horizon are in line there is no index error. If one is above the other adjust the index mirror until the two horizons merge. This can be done at night with a star or with the moon.