AIS or Automatic Identification System is one of the newest bridge equipment used by merchant mariners. As long as it is turned on for vessels in the vicinity, ships would be able to automatically transmit and receive information from each other. The main data that are being transmitted and received are bearing, range and CPA.…
The Wheel House poster is an indispensable material on the bridge as it provides necessary information for the Bridge personnel and Pilots. The Wheelhouse Poster is a large document posted in a conspicuous area on the bridge. It contains the general particulars of the ship, engine characteristics, and stopping distances in laden and ballast conditions.…
Grounding is one of many possible accidents that a vessel encounters. This happens when the bottom of the ship touches the seabed. The damage can be minor or it can lead to a severe oil spill. To avoid this, bridge officers can check the paper charts or ECDIS (for paperless vessels) for the depth and…
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…
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…