Manoverboard occurs when a person falls in the water while working, is washed by big waves, or because of a simple slip at the side of the ship. Time is of great essence for the crew to respond because the victim may be injured or will most likely suffer from hypothermia due to long exposure…
Seafarers, particularly the bridge officers, always need to know the two most important information onboard a ship. The heading or the course, and position of the vessel. Sextant allows the mariners to measure the angle of a celestial body to the horizon. That attitude of either the Sun or stars and the time it was…
Ships carry a wide array of goods ranging from foodstuff, machinery, vehicles, oil, gas, and dry goods. At the port, the goods are unloaded from one vessel to the warehouse or from one warehouse to another that is ready for transportation to the next destinations or put in warehouses as they await repackaging, customs clearance,…
The Great North River Tugboat Race has run in New York Harbour since 1991. It is one of the few events in North America where working port vessels compete in public. Every year on the Sunday before Labor Day, tugboats race a one-nautical-mile course down the Hudson River off Manhattan’s West Side. The audience ranges…
The sea has always been an important part of human history, and seaports have long been an important part of maritime trade. Seaports are more important than ever today, as international trade has become a critical component of the global economy. There are several factors that contribute to the importance of seaports. For starters, seaports…
There are lots of different types of boats out there, but keeping track of all of them is a pretty daunting task. If you have heard the term ‘lift boat’ before but you aren’t sure what it means or what a lift boat is, then keep on reading. We are going to take a look…
For those fascinated by maritime navigation, the term ‘boxing the compass’ might sound familiar. But what exactly does it entail? This traditional navigational practice, essential for mariners traversing the seas, involves mastering all 32 points of the compass. While modern navigators predominantly rely on 360° angles for course-plotting, a select few sailors maintain the tradition…
Down on the docks, a lot of different phrases and words get thrown around: port, starboard, fairway, lanyard, gunwale, tides. Trying to keep up and learn all of these different important maritime terminologies can be tricky, but luckily, we’re here to help. One such term you may come across but not know about is neap…
These days mariners have accurate weather forecasts at their fingertips. The science of meteorology, weather forecasting, and the tools we use to interpret weather data have improved so much that it may seem sailors needn’t worry about the weather at all. However, science is sometimes imperfect, and a good captain must closely monitor weather conditions…
When we think about the items we use every day, it’s easy to overlook how those items arrived at our stores, markets, and warehouses. Only recently have we learned about things like supply chain disruptions and logistics issues at our world’s ports. It’s estimated that 11 billion tons of consumer goods travel by cargo ship…