Jump to content
Cruise Critic Community

Son of a son of a ...

Members
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    1,787

  • Joined

 Content Type 

Posts posted by Son of a son of a ...

    Alaska cruises and rough seas ?? Is it possible ??

    in Alaska

    Posted

    2 hours ago, Heidi13 said:

     

    This is probably one of the most uneducated posts I have ever seen on this forum and is so incorrect.

     

    In commercial shipping, when bad weather is forecast, the Master has to consider risk, regardless of whether the ship is alongside, or at sea. If there is zero risk to not venturing out to sea, why did we almost lose the Sun Princess, when safely docked alongside San Juan, many years ago. A significant squall from off the berth blew the ship off the berth. The gangways dropped, which fortunately were empty at the time. Then lines started parting.

     

    Even with multiple head/stern lines, back springs and breast lines, in those days when a stopper was used before turning the line around the bits, it was impossible to get exactly equal tension on all lines. Therefore, the line with the most tension broke first and all other lines broke sequentially. We were throwing all spare lines ashore to reconnect and then when we ran out of spare lines, threw bowlines in the parted lines and sent them back ashore. As the officer on the Focsle, this lasted for an eternity and wasn't much fun since polyprop lines break with a bang and have a dangerous recoil, requiring everyone to dive to the deck, multiple time. Could have been cut in half many times, and you think that is zero risk??????

     

    We continued this process until the Master and Chief Engineer got the thrusters running and the main engines. I've experienced many significant risks in my 40 yrs at sea, but on a ship alongside the berth, that was one of the worst.

     

    You clearly don't have any experience dealing with vessel operations in the days of ISM driven safety management systems. Many cruise lines and ro/pax now operate an enhanced Bridge and Engine command and control system that provides clear guidelines to the Master and Officers. The ISM Code requires the company to make a clear statement as to the Master's authority. When dealing with safety and pollution prevention, the Master has the additional overriding authority and responsibility to make any decision and take any action, which is required in his/her professional judgement. Therefore, to ensure the safety of the vessel, the Master must make decisions that can contravene the SMS, and the company is required to assist the Master with any request.

     

    Yes, cruise ships operate on tight schedules and there is always pressure to maintain the schedule, at the lowest operational cost. However, the SMS must always be complied with, lest the vessel receive a non-compliance, which can impact the company's Document of Compliance, a requirement to operate.

     

    Since I have a number of years experience as an operational Master, here is how it works. When rough weather is forecast, the Master reviews the appropriate sections of the SMS, which can include a heavy weather checklist and even an operational safety matrix. The matrix will include numerous operational conditions - weather, defective machinery, defective Bridge equipment, crew issues, etc and may provide guidance using green/yellow/red. Green is normally good to go, yellow is Master's discretion and red is cannot sail. If this type of matrix is included in the SMS it is not negotiable, unless the Master utilises his/her authority and responsibility under ISM Section 5.2.

     

    If no Matrix is included, the Master initially reviews if the ship is seaworthy and then uses professional judgement reviewing all available information. In the ISM era, when I contacted the office to advise I wasn't sailing, the response was thank you Captain, do you require any assistance.

     

    BTW - I had 20,000 miles of open ocean experience before I had 1 yr of seatime and was not promoted to a junior watchkeeping officer until I had 3 yrs seatime.

    I do enjoy a good beat down by knowledge, skill, experience, and expertise.  Very informative, Andy!  Many thanks for your input for us lurkers hoping to learn from others who know.

    • Like 1

    HAL's Lifeboats

    in Holland America Line

    Posted

    Purely curious and largely towards Andy and Chief.  If lifeboat (the rigid, enclosed structure kind that carry our arses tendering) capacity is less than 100% of souls on board, some portion - likely crew, but maybe some passengers if the ship is listing and can’t use the “lifeboats” - must use the alternatives.  The alternatives are inflatable rafts of some sort.  What is the survivability on those alternatives in cold weather?  I recall reading on the boards that sailors need to plan on help being hours, if not days, away from rescue.   Just thinking of the cold weather cruises … but maybe they are so close to shore that rescue would be fast … I don’t know.  Thanks!

×
×
  • Create New...