Although maritime transport is relatively a safe mode of transportation, accidents still do happen, and whenever these occur, there are usually huge personal, economic, and environmental costs. Most trading operators around the world, therefore, have adopted a vetting process for vessels offered for charter, as a means of ensuring safer ship operations. The process of…
The COLREGs are the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea. They are a set of information, advice, guides, and mandatory rules that all ships must follow in order to avoid collisions. Much like how all other regulations are structured, the Colregs set out by first defining and demarcating the responsibilities of the major contracting…
The first bulk carrier “John Bowes” was launched in 1852, and since then this type of vessel has been actively improved and developed. Modern bulk carriers are significantly superior to their predecessors in terms of size, equipment, and computerized equipment. Dry bulk carriers, bulkers, or bulk freighters – are vessels for the transportation of only…
Carriage of the cargo by sea transport starts with planning and searching for an appropriate cargo vessel and the cargo stowage factor plays a crucial role in this process. A ship must be fit for each cargo and cost-effective to keep a trade beneficial for all parties. Here is my simple cargo stowage factor calculator:…
Pivot pointed can be defined as the imaginary point about a vessel’s centerline about which the vessel is pivoted while turning and this point is not stationary and can change with the vessel’s speed and heading. The pivot point is used to describe the ships turning circle maneuverability and handling at sea. It is not…
The phenomenon of dry bulk cargo liquefaction is now receiving much attention from industry stakeholders because it has now been recognized as a major hazard for bulk carriers. Liquefaction is an interplay between Transportable Moisture Limit (TML) and Flow Moisture Point (FMP). The IMO’s International Maritime Solid Bulk Goods Code (IMSBC) now provides recommendations on…
Pilots, police officers, military officials, and maritime officers communicate through radio and phone calls. The recipients need to receive the exact information, but sometimes it isn’t easy. In poor networks or obstruction from background noise, people use spellings of different words to ensure they pass accurate information. So what is the NATO phonetic alphabet? The…
An officer of the watch needs very important information during his watch and voyage. These are position and course/heading. The position, it is normally taken from the GPS equipment. For the course and heading, they can derive from either the gyrocompass or the magnetic compass. To get a reliable reading of the heading, magnetic compass…
The ocean is vast and unpredictable. There are many things that can go wrong when navigating through the sea. If you don’t know where you are going, you might get lost at sea. There are some basic skills that you should master before heading out into the open waters. These include knowing how to read…
Ship transport is a critical mode of global transportation, responsible for moving over 75% of global goods. While historically known for slower speeds, technological advancements have pushed modern ships to new limits, making some faster than many land vehicles. The Fastest Ship in the World: HSC Francisco The fastest ship in the world is the…