Ocean Safety

thinking about ship captains that drink or perform risky ship maneuvering near underwater rocks

We all drive around in very controlled ways, road speed limits, stop signs, traffic signals, staying in the correct lanes etc

yet captains of billion dollar ships with two thousand people on board seem to have this not so strictly controlled environment to move ships around in

I also find it mind boggling that with all this gps technology, satellites, cameras etc that the companies that own these big ships cannot control them from their own head offices, but instead just rely on one person

why dont they have different tours etc but map them out first, in a smaller vessel, and only in areas that have previously been underwater surveyed etc

so the ship company can follow the precise movements of they passenger ships

does that make sense?

also find it mind boggling that with all this gps technology, satellites, cameras etc that the companies that own these big ships cannot control them from their own head offices, but instead just rely on one person
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Because the gestimate of GPS is inferior to the gestimate of a local mariner…

I think all cruise ships are monitored on GPS from head office.
There is a degree of local autonomy for the captain but the routs are very strictly controlled.
When the Italian cruise ship went off course and hit rocks it threw up a hole lot of alarms because it was went off it’s predetermined GPS route.

Peak Warming Man said:

I think all cruise ships are monitored on GPS from head office.
There is a degree of local autonomy for the captain but the routs are very strictly controlled.
When the Italian cruise ship went off course and hit rocks it threw up a hole lot of alarms because it was went off it’s predetermined GPS route.

Which is usually why they run aground these days.

Peak Warming Man said:

I think all cruise ships are monitored on GPS from head office.
There is a degree of local autonomy for the captain but the routs are very strictly controlled.
When the Italian cruise ship went off course and hit rocks it threw up a hole lot of alarms because it was went off it’s predetermined GPS route.

There’s a few mistakes in there but nothing major for a Christmas eve.

Ocean currents, wind and waves all have a big effect on performance. The captain has to make decisions about whether to optimize the route for maximum profit or maximum safety. Neither is good enough on its own.

Ships have a set of rules to follow. Known as the COLREGS for short, you can find a summary of them here:

http://www.imo.org/about/conventions/listofconventions/pages/colreg.aspx

Rule 2 (“the prudential rule”) would be a wonderful thing for motorists to adopt. It abjures dogmatic adherence to the letter of the rules, and declares that you have a responsibility to try to avoid collision, even if it means departing from the rules somewhat. So, if there’s a collision, even if you were ‘in the right’, you could still be ‘in the wrong’.

All of the COLREGS must be thoroughly learnt in all their implications before anyone can hope to be master of any vessel, or even a watch-keeping officer. As well, there’s a host of ‘local rules’ which apply to various ports and coastal waters around the world e.g. on Sydney Harbour, vessels displaying a red diamond shape are running on fixed routes (i.e. ferries), and should not be expected to deviate/give way as the COLREGS might otherwise suggest.

As for running aground, no-one worthy of the title of master or captain would knowingly take any risk which would put their vessel in danger of grounding. Cruise liner routes are very carefully surveyed beforehand by the lines, and careful consultation made with port authorities – no-one wants to find out the hard way that the harbour is too shallow for your ship, or that there’s a bridge it won’t fit under.

In most commercial ports, a pilot will take command of the ship within the confines of the harbour. A pilot is a qualified ship’s master, who also possesses a very detailed and up-to-date familiarity with the port and the local conditions. It’s the pilot whose orders are obeyed when entering and leaving the port, not the ship’s own master/captain. And, captains don’t often argue with pilots.

Warships don’t often use pilots, but here are some ports where prudence dictates that they will make use of pilots.

At sea, merchant cargo ships usually stick very closely to prescribed routes. Those routes will have been calculated to be the fastest, and the most economical in terms of time and fuel. The saying ‘time is money’ is nowhere held in higher regard than in the shipping industry. Thus, they don’t just wander willy-nilly about the oceans.