THE BOOK: HOLDS AND HATCH COVERS

This book highlights some of the common causes of damage, loss and personal injury associated whit cargo holds and hatch covers. it will help you operate and maintain the holds and hatch covers on your vessel safely and cost effectively.

LINK DE DESCARGA: HOLDS AND HATCH COVERS

CHANGING OVER THE WATCH

• When changing over the watch relieving officers should personally satisfy themselves regarding the following:

- Standing orders and other speacial instructions of the captain relating to navigation of the ship.

- Position, course, speed and draught of the ship.

- Prevailing and predicted tides, currents, weather, visibility and the effect of these factors upon course and speed.

- Procedures for the use of main engines to manoeuvre when the main engines are on the bridge control and the status of the watchkeeping arrangements in E/R.

• Navigational situation, inluding but not limited to:

- The operational condition of all navigational and safety equipment being used or likely to be used during the watch.

- The errors of gyro and magnetic compasses.

- The presence and movements of ships in sight or known to be in the vecinity.

- The conditions and hazards likely to be encountered during the watch.

- The possible effects of heel, trim, water density and squat on underkeel clearance.

- Any special deck work in progress.

- Other points.

NAVIGATION IN HEAVY WEATHER OR IN TROPICAL STORMS AREAS

•  Have the master, E/R and crew been informed of the conditions.

- Have all movable objects been secured aboce and below decks, particularly in E/R, galley and in storerooms.

- Has the ship’s accommodation been secured and all ports and deadlights closed.

- Have all weather deck openings been secured.

- Has the crew been warned to avoid upper devk areas made dangerous by the weather.

- Have safety lines/hand ropes been rigged when necessary.

•  Have instructions been issued on the following matters?

- Monitoring weather reports

- Transmitting weather reports to the appropiate authorities or, in the case of tropical storms, danger messages in accordance with SOLAS.


- Other checks.

NAVIGATION IN RESTRICTED VISIBILITY

• Has the following equipment been checked to ensure it is fully operational?

- Radar, ARPA or other plotting facilities.

- VHF.

- Fog signalling apparatus.

- Navigation lights.

- Echo sounder, if in shallow waters.

- Watertight doors, if fitted.

- Have look-out(s) been posted and is a helmsman on stand-by.

- Have the captain and E/R been informed, and engines put on stand-by.

- Are COLREGS being complied with, particularly with regard to rule 19 and proceeding at a safe speed?

- Is the ship ready to reduce speed, stop or turn away from danger.

- If the ship’s position is in doubt has the possibility of anchoring been considerd.

- Other checks:

ANCHORING AND ANCHOR WATCH

•  Has an anchoring plan been prepared taking into account

- Speed reduction in ample time.

- Direction/strength of wind and current.

- Tidal stream when manoeuvring at low speeds.

- Need to adequate sea room particularly to seaward.

- Depth of water, type of seabed and the scope of anchor cable required.

- Have the E/R and anchor party been informed of the time of ‘stand-by’ for anchoring.

- Are the anchors, lights/shapes and sound signalling apparatus ready for use.

- Has the anchor position of the ship been reported to the port authority.

•  While an anchor, the OOW should:

- Determine and plot the ship’s position on the appropiate chart as soon as practicable.

- When circumstances, check at sufficiently frequent intervals wether the ship is remaining securely at anchor by taking bearings of fixed navigation marks or readily identifiable shore objects.

- Ensure that proper look-out is maintained.

- Ensure that inspection rounds of the ship are made periodically.

- Observe meteological and tidal condition and the state of the sea.

- Notify the captain and undertake all necessary measures if the ship drags anchor.

- Ensure that the ship exhibits the appropiate lights and shapes and that appropiate sound signals are made in accordance with all applicable regulation.

- Take measures to protect the enviroment from pollution by the ship and comply with applicable pollution regulations.

- Other checks.

TIPS FOR THE NAVIGATION IN OCEAN

•  Is keeping a look-out being given due priority?

- Are NAVAREA, HYDROLANT and HYDROPAC navigational warning broadcasts and other long-range weather reports being closely monitored?

- Are changes to the local weather being monitored and is the barometer regularly observed?


- Is participation in area reporting systems (e.g. AMVER) recommended?

- Is the ship’s position being fixed at regular intervals


- Are celestial navigational techniques being practised

- Are gyro/magnetic compass errors and radar perfomance being regularly checked

- Have radar techniques been practised (in clear visibility)?

- Have preparations been made for landfall


- Have measures been taken to protect the enviroment from pollution by the ship and to comply with applicable pollution regulation


- Other checks.

TIPS FOR THE NAVIGATION IN COASTAL

•  Have the following factors been taken into consideration in preparing the passage plan?

- Advice/recommendation in sailing directions

- Ship’s draught in relation to available

- Effect of ‘squat’ on underkeel clearance in shallow water.

- Tides and currents.

- Weather, particularly in areas renowned to poor visibility.

- Available navigational aids and their accuracy.

- Position-fixing methods to be used.

- Daylight/night-time passing of danger points.

- Traffic likely to be encountered-flow, type, volume.

- Any requirements for traffic separation/routering schemes.

- Are local/coastal warning broadcasts being monitored?

- Is participation in area reporting system recommended including VTS?

- Is the ship’s position being fixed at regular intervals?

•  Has equipment been regular checked/tested, including:

- Gyro/magnetic compass.

- Manual steering before entering coastal waters if automatic steering has
been engaged for a prolonged period.

- Radar performance and radar heading line marker aligment.

- Echo sounder.

- Is the OOW prepared to use the engines and call a look-out or a helmsman to the bridge?

- Have measures been taken to protect the environment from pollution by the ship and to comply with applicable pollution regulations?


- Other checks.

PILOTAGE

* Inmediately on arrival on the bridge has the Pilot been informed of the ship’s heading, speed, engine setting and draught?

* Has the Pilot been informed of the location of livesavings appliances for his use?

* Have details of the proposed passage plan been discussed with the Pilot and agreed with the Master, including:

- Radio communications and reporting requirements

- Bridge watch and crew satand-by arrangements

- Deployment and use of tugs

- Berthing/anchoring arrangements

- Expected traffic during transit

- Pilot change-over arrangement

- Fender requirements

- Has a completed Pilot Card been handed to the Pilot been referred to the wheelhouse poster?

- Have the responsabilities within the bridge team for the pilotage been defined and are they clearly understood?

- Has the language to be used on the bridge between the Ship, the Pilot and the Shore been agreed?

- Are the progress of the ship and execution of orders being monitored by the Master and OOW

- Are the correct lights, flags and shapes being displayed?

- Others.