Ship Handling

David House

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2007
• Print ISBN: 9781138129108
• eBook ISBN: 9781136366574
• Topic: Physical Sciences
• Subtopic: Human Geography

Suitable as a training manual and a day-to-day reference, Shiphandling is the comprehensive and up to date guide to the theory and practice of ship handling procedures. Its covers the requirements of all STCW-level marine qualifications, provides expert guidance on all the hardware that marine professionals will make use of in the control and operation of their vessel and offers a broad focus on many shiphandling scenarios.

1 Ship handling and
manoeuvring

Introduction; Manoeuvring and handling scenarios; Turning short round; Snub round; Berthing and unberthing; Entering a dock; Use of mooring lines and deck equipment.

Introduction

It is impossible for any text, or other simulation to imagine that it could substitute for the practicalities of real time ship handling operations. Nothing can be a substitute for the real thing. However, the theory behind ship manoeuvres can be explained but it is up to the practitioner to then take full account of the wind and tidal effects in a real-life situation.

Ship handling theory is a vast topic in its own right because not only are there numerous manoeuvres but so many variants within those manoeuvres (such as those effected by single right hand fixed propellers, twin screw vessels, ships with controllable pitch propellers, ships with tugs and without tugs, good weather or bad weather conditions prevailing, with tide or without tide, etc.).

The practitioner can take heart from the fact that the more handling and the more manoeuvres that are attempted, the greater will be the expertise that is to be gained. It is hoped that this chapter will deal with the fundamentals of ship handling and provide theoretical principles of operation covering most of the more common situations.

Where modern hardware (like bow thruster/stern thrusters or controllable pitch propellers) are used, alternative manoeuvres are easily employed; although it is appreciated that some vessels are fitted with only basic manoeuvring aids.

Ship handling has always been placed firmly in the hands of the ship’s Master; which is, without doubt, unfortunate in many aspects for the future. Especially so when the industry expects that the newly promoted Master should become an expert ship handler, virtually overnight, often with no previous experience. A distinct lack of opportunity and positive training in the subject has long been recognized as a failing point of the maritime sector. It would certainly be helpful and advance education, if Masters were to encourage their junior officers to gain hands-on experience, whenever safety and time allows.

Aspects of ship handling

The men who handle our vessels are not born expert ship handlers, neither are they made from a mould. Usually, they are self-taught and become well-practiced over time. They have a variety of elements under their control, such as: engines and relevant speed control, helm and steering gear effecting rudder(s), bow and stern thrust units if fitted, stabilizers, anchors and moorings. Also ‘tugs’, assuming they respond to the directions of the conn. To some extent, draught and trim of the vessel can be controlled within limits, provided that the vessel is undamaged.

What of course makes the task of the ship handler so challenging, is that many elements are not under his or her control but still have to be catered for. Clear examples of this are the weather, tide heights and times, depth of water and respective underkeel clearance, manmade objects like bridges, geographic obstructions as with narrows, etc. The person handling the vessel in confined waters will employ all elements under their control as well as the elements that lie outside their control, e.g. the wind. To achieve the objective any aspect including ‘luck’ is usually gratefully accepted.

The forward mooring deck of a Class 1, passenger vessel. The deck is fitted with a centre pipe lead, with triple roller fairleads either side. International roller fairleads, with Panama leads are sited to port and starboard, set into the bulkheads. The wide beam ship carries split windlasses, each with tension winch and warping drum incorporated. ‘Old men’ roller leads are also seen amongst the sets of bitts on the deck forward of a spare anchor fixed to the deck on the centre line.

Turning short round (right hand fixed propeller)

Alter the ship’s head to move to the port side of the channel, as this would gain the greatest advantage when operating astern from transverse thrust, during the turn.

1.Dead slow ahead on engines and order the helm hard to starboard.

2.Stop engines, wheel midships.

3.Vessel still moving ahead making headreach.

Full astern, wheel amidships, until the vessel gathers sternway, then stop engines. The effect of transverse thrust would generate a tendency for the bow to move to starboard and the stern to move to port (with the ships bow in the centre of the channel, where the flow is the strongest the tide effect would tend to push the bow round to starboard).

4 & 5.Wheel hard to starboard, engines full ahead to achieve the reverse heading.

The objective of turning short round is to effect a tight turn within the ship’s own length or as near as possible to within its own length.

Snubbing round (tide astern)

The objective of this manoeuvre is to turn the vessel where restricted sea room exists.

The turn employs the use of a single anchor and can be made turning to port or starboard. It is employed to turn the vessel to stem the tidal stream or can be used when berthing, leaving the anchor deployed to heave the vessel off the berth when clearing the berth.

1.Position the vessel on the port side of the channel, with the tide astern. Have the starboard anchor walked back, ready for deployment at short stay.

2.Helm should be placed hard to starboard, engines on stop. Let go the starboard anchor at position ‘2’, to a short stay.

3.Check the anchor cable and keep the anchor at short stay. The momentum on the vessel should carry the stern through 180° with the bow being held by the cable.

4.The helm should be placed hard to starboard and engines on half ahead to overcome the tidal effect. Engage the windlass gear and recover the anchor, having turned the ship’s head into stemming the tide.

Turning (snubbing round) to starboard.

When using the manoeuvre to turn off the berth and go alongside, the anchor cable would be paid out more to allow the vessel to close the berth. Once alongside, the cable would be walked back to the ‘up and down’ position so as not to obstruct the channel.

NB. The manoeuvre can also be employed by passing the bow or stern through the wind. The tide effect being the main force pushing the stern around.

Berthing and unberthing

Berthing port side to the quay – right hand fixed propeller – calm conditions

1.Approach the berth at an angle of about 25°, engines dead slow ahead.

2.Stop engines on the approach taking account of the headway that the vessel will carry.

3.Engines astern. Transverse thrust would cause the stern to swing to port and the ship would gradually stop parallel to the berth.

4.Stop engines. Send away head and stern lines and make fast.

NB. If the a...

Table of contents

• Front Cover
• Half Title
• Title Page
• Copyright
• Dedication
• Contents
• About the author
• Preface
• Acknowledgements
• Meteorological tables common to the marine environment
• Weather notations and symbols as plotted on synoptic weather charts
• List of abbreviations associated with ship handling and shipboard manoeuvres
• Definitions, terminology and shipboard phrases relevant to the topic of ship handling and this text
• Tidal reference
• Introduction
• 1 Ship handling and manoeuvring
• 2 Manoeuvring characteristics and interaction
• 3 Anchor operations and deployment
• 4 Operations with tugs
• 5 Emergency ship manoeuvres
• Appendix A: Controlling elements of ship handling
• Appendix B: Dangers of interaction – MGN 199
• Appendix C: The hardware of manoeuvring ships
• Summary
• Bibliography
• Self-examiner – Questions and Answers on ship handling
• Index