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MARINE CASUALTIES
Despite the best endeavours of the companies, governments and international organizations, casualties and incidents resulting in loss of life,
loss of ships and pollution of the marine environment continue to occur.
On December 9, 2004, M.V. Hyundai Advance collided to M.V. MSC Ilona in Hong Kong, China.
Approx. 138.000 gallons of oil were spilled. The oil spill was
approx. 22x16 km big. The Hyundai Advance was underway from
Shenzhen to Singapore, while the MSC Ilona arrived from Shanghai
and was heading for Shenzhen. This was only one of the many casualties and disasters being recorded in
the maritime history. The thorough investigation in marine casualties and incidents allows the development of effective
analysis and preventive actions. Either revising the current regulations or developing new regulations is the never ending effort to prevent the similar incidents
from recurrance. In other words, rules and regulations are the bases of human knowledge and experience to promote safety of life at sea and
protection of the marine environment. As a mariner, he/she has to constantly keep up the changes. Following lists a few of those regulations and standards.
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PERFORMANCE STANDARDS FOR MAGNETIC COMPASSES CARRIAGE
All ships are required to equip with the magnetic compass on board.
Each magnetic compass is required to be properly compensated and its table or curve of residual deviations
is available on board in the vicinity of the compass at all times.
A spare magnetic compass, interchangeable with the standard compass, is carried, unless the steering compass or gyro-compass is fitted.
Resolution A.382(X) stipulates the performance standards of the magnetic compasses . . .
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PERFORMANCE STANDARDS FOR GYRO-COMPASSES
The gyro-compass should determine the direction of the ship's head in relation
to geographic (true) north. The compass card should be graduated in equal
intervals of one degree or a fraction thereof. A numerical indication should
be provided at least at every ten degrees, starting from 000° clockwise
through 360°. Fully adequate illumination should be provided to enable reading
of scales at all times. Facilities for dimming should be provided. Shipowners/masters
are required to conforms gyro-compasses to performance standards not inferior
to those specified in Resolution A.424(XI) . . .
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PERFORMANCE STANDARDS FOR RADAR EQUIPMENT
The radar equipment should provide an indication, in relation to the ship, of
the position of other surface craft and obstructions and of buoys, shorelines
and navigational marks in a manner which will assist in navigation and in avoiding
collision. Radar equipment installed on or after 1 September 1984 conforms to
performance standards not inferior to those specified in Resolution A.477(XII) . . .
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PERFORMANCE STANDARDS FOR AUTOMATIC RADAR PLOTTING AIDS (ARPAs)
Automatic radar plotting aids installed on or after 1 January 1997 conform
to performance standards not inferior to those specified in the annex A.823(XIX)
to the present resolution. Adequate training is established in the proper use
of automatic radar plotting aids to enable masters and dock officers to understand
the basic principles of the operation of automatic radar plotting aids, including
their capabilities, limitations and possible errors . . .
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PERFORMANCE STANDARDS FOR ECHO-SOUNDING EQUIPMENT
The echo-sounding equipment should provide reliable information on the depth
of water under a ship to aid navigation. Under normal propagation conditions
the equipment should be capable of measuring any clearance under the transducer
between 2 metres and 400 metres. The equipment should provide a minimum of
two range scales one of which, the deep range, should cover the whole range
of depth, and the other, the shallow range, one tenth thereof. The scale
of display should not be smaller than 2.5mm per metre depth on the shallow
range scale and 0.25mm per metre depth on the deep range scale. Resolution
A.224(VII) provides the performance standards for Echo-Sounding Equipment . . .
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PERFORMANCE STANDARDS FOR RATE-OF-TURN INDICATORS
The rate-of-turn indicator (ROTI) should, in addition to the requirements
of those specified in Resolution A.526(XIII), comply with the requirements
of resolution
A.281(VIII) for shipborne electronic navigational aids. The ROTI should be
capable of indicating rates of turn to starboard and to port of the ship
to which it is fitted. It may be self-contained; alternatively it
may form part of, or derive information from, any other appropriate equipment . . .
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PERFORMANCE STANDARDS FOR DEVICES TO INDICATE SPEED AND DISTANCE
Devices to indicate speed and distance are intended for general navigational
and ship maneuvering use. Although the minimum requirement is to provide
information on the distance run and the forward speed of the ship through
the water or
over the ground, additional information on ship's motions other than in
the forward axis may be provided. The equipment should comply fully with
its performance
standard at forward speeds up to the maximum speed of the ship and in water
of depth greater than 3 m beneath the keel. Devices installed or after 1
January 1997 conform to performance standards not inferior to those specified
in the
annex A.824(XIX) to the present resolution . . .
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PERFORMANCE STANDARDS FOR ELECTRONIC CHART DISPLAY AND INFORMATION SYSTEMS (ECDIS)
The up-to-date charts required by SOLAS regulation V/20 can be provided
and displayed electronically on board ships by electronic chart display
and information systems (ECDIS), and that the other nautical publications
required by regulation V/20 may also be so provided and displayed. In order
to ensure the operational reliability of such equipment, and to ensure that
the information provided and displayed electronically is at least equivalent
to that of up-to-date charts and, when also provided and displayed, other nautical
publications, and to avoid, as far as practicable, adverse interaction between
ECDIS and other shipborne navigational and communication equipment, shipowners/masters shall
adhere to Resolution A.817(XIX) . . .
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THE RULES OF THE ROAD AT SEA
The Rules of the Road have 38 rules. Every one is vital to the safety of life at sea. Every mariner shall memorize them words by words.
When he is on the navigation watch, he shall exercise them swiftly and precisely without creating any ambiguity to the other mariners in the navigation waters . . .
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INC Alumni Association
Orient Overseas Container Line
