Category: Through the lens
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Properties of a Free Gyroscope
Free Gyroscope: A free gyroscope consists of a mass in the form of a rotor or wheel which is suspended in such a way that it is free to spin about an axis passing through its centre of mass and perpendicular to the plane of the rotor. Thus, it is a mass in the shape…
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ANATOMY OF CONTAINER SHIPS
The container ships of early 60s were very similar to the general cargo ship of that time. Benefit from the fast turnaround period multiplied by the capacity to carry revolutionized the concept of carrying dry cargo. This lead to the evolution of ships of more than double the previous dimensions, with the design made to…
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These Astonishing Currents
What are ocean currents?The horizontal movement of water near the surface is caused due to either terrestrial reasons or astronomical/tidal forces. The movement caused due to terrestrial reasons is called current, whereas the movement caused by gravitational pull by celestial bodies is called tidal stream. In British Admiralty charts, the current element is included in…
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Marine Gyro
Gyroscope: A gyroscope consists of a mass in the form of a rotor or wheel which suspended in such a way that it is free to spin about an axis passing through its centre of mass and perpendicular to the plane of the rotor. Thus, it is a mass in the shape of wheel or…
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IMO, A SEA Of DOCUMENTS – 2 (Committees and Sub-committees)
Resolutions, Circular Letters, etc issued by committees and Subcommittees are very effective tools of official communication internally and with Assembly, Council and various Organizations. The MSC is the highest technical body of the Organization. Its technical documentation relates to: aids to navigation; construction and equipment of vessels; manning from a safety standpoint; rules for the…
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IMO, A SEA OF DOCUMENTS (Assembly and Council)
International Maritime Organization has several Conventions and Protocol under its name. It publishes Codes, Resolutions, Recommendations, Circulars, Circular Letters, Notes, etc! Everything is related to the maritime affairs so a mariner ought to have user-friendly relationship with IMO documents. The idea being a mariner is able to navigate through the complex sea of documentation and…
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Hatch Covers (Maintenance and survey)
Hatch covers are gateways to the major and core volume of a ship. Its dimensions depend on: type of ship; the kind of cargo that has to be handled; the intended gear that would be used; etc. Thus, on a bulk carrier the length or breadth may be 45 to 60% of length / breadth…
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Hatch Cover Types
1. Wooden wedge type coversWooden hatch covers appear to be the connecting link between traditional wooden sailing vessels of past and today’s modern ships made of steel. Salient Features Portable steel beams, wooden sleepers, tarpaulin, etc were used for weather tightness. This involved difficulties like placement of hatch sleepers, manual labour involved, closing difficulties in…
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CSS Code-3 (Steel Cargo)
The different types of steel cargo are dealt in various annexes as follows:Annex 6: Coiled sheet steel stowed on the round side.Annex 7: Safe stowage and securing of heavy metal products like bars, pipes, rods, plates, wire coils, etc.Annex 8: Safe stowage and securing of anchor chainsAnnex 9: Safe stowage and securing of metal scrap…
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Bulk Carrier Losses (The Solution)
Deterioration of ships hull / structure through corrosion, fatigue and damage is identified as a principal factor in the loss of many ships carrying cargo in bulk. The cargoes under scanner being the coal and iron ore. There are these two things which happen here.(i) Failing to identify such deterioration; and(ii) sudden unexpected accident.Bulk carrier…