How quick could you remove this ring from the cradle? Have you tried?

Standing on the bridge wing of a container ship years ago, a captain was telling me all about the Williamson Turn and how effective it was at putting his massive ship on a line straight back from whence it came. He practices them at every man overboard (MOB) drill on his vessel (and logs the training, thank you) and seemed very pleased with himself and his crew’s ability to find find me should I fall overboard. Laying out the details of his MOB procedures, he got to the part where a mate would release the smoke float and life ring from the bridge wing.

“Let try it,” I said. Grabbing the ring to prevent it from falling , “Pull the pin.” I’d been looking at the release mechanism – a simple pin through the bulwark at the end of the bridge wing – and wondered how easily the ring would fall. With a confidence in his stride, the third mate walked past his skipper and grabbed hold of the red handle. “I’ve got the ring, don’t worry,” – then he gave it a twist and pull.

Nothing – nothing happened. The pin was stuck, enlarged by too many coats of paint and expanding corrosion. A full minute and thirty-eight seconds later, after desperate grunting and twisting, he got the pin out. The captain just looked at me and said, “You’re kidding me.” (though he used a different word than kidding – I was feeling his pain.)

“Now do we start that turn,” I asked?  Oddly, I was the only one smiling.

Right now, many of you are thinking “lack of maintenance,” but that wasn’t the problem. I believe it was cause by a lack of practice. Until I said “Let’s try it.” the idea of pulling that pin during every MOB had never occurred to them. It was always done as a simulation. The idea of the gravity-dropped life ring deployed by a simple pin pull is so simple, that nobody thinks to practice it. They hadn’t violated any rules or established maintenance practices. The ring was just replaced a few months prior. But how often do you pull that pin? Why would you?

Of all the tools that mariners use at sea, the things they may need the most are used the least. Survival gear and rescue equipment – basically everything in the LSA Code – is stuff you really need when you need it, but rarely get the chance to use. It doesn’t necessarily have to be that way. Lowering and running of the lifeboats happens enough I suppose, sure; but when was the last time all hands fired off a flare, lit off the EPIRB, or….deployed the smoke float and life ring from the bridge wing? They aren’t always things you can do all the way, but those first steps can usually be practiced at any time – scheduled or not – making everyone a little safer and more informed about their use.

How is the spring behind your EPIRB cradle? You can remove that thing and re-cradle it anytime you want. Why would you? So you can be really good at removing it for one, and also because you get to know how the spring behind the cradle looks. Don’t just walk by the pyro locker on the way back to the bridge: open it up. pull out a parachute flare – check out it’s condition – and read the instructions. Why? Well besides the obvious, you get to see that the instruction label is still even there and legible; an important feature of the device if you ask me. And don’t even pretend that all hands can use that line throwing device.

I believe two things about handling survival equipment during an emergency -

1. It is always tougher than it may seem; and

2. It is not something you want to do for the first time (or second or third) during an actual emergency.

You don’t always have to go all the way to full use of the gear to make things better. But why not do what you can when you can? The entire crew is wearing a Type I PFD during a drill, yes? Do they turn on the light? Will all the lights work?

There is only one way to find out, and it’s free. Lots of stuff on your boat is like that. So consider doing more than just walking by the emergency stuff. Do more than simulate when you can. Open the fire extinguisher box to see how easily or not it opens. Removed the cap on the tube containing the fire plan – that is the only way to make sure it’s in there. And, for the sake of anyone who might fall overboard, hold onto the ring and pull that pin.

What other things can be done without being completely done aboard your vessel? Because, going through some of the motions is better than going through none of them at all.

While even the most basic binocular upgrades which focus on image quality, like image stabilization and night-vision, have failed to make their way to the bridge of most ships, Sony has introduced a new technology which takes a different approach… digital video recording. While the cost may sound high, $1400 for the most basic model, each model includes SteadyShot, Sony’s name for image stabilization and 3D recording features. The binoculars can also take 7.1 megapixel still photos.

What could these glasses be used for? Well the Navy would certainly be interested in high definition photos of pirate vessels and incident investigators would love the additional information provided by these units.  Most likely though, they will be used for fun.

Related Video

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Nearly 2 months ago a product arrived on gCaptain’s doorstep that brought a smile to our faces, Flir’s First Mate, Handheld Thermal Imaging, Camera. The unit itself is small, about the size of your average SART, and, at a street price of around $2500, relatively inexpensive but those attributes are only the beginning.

Our unit arrived packaged neatly in a Pelican Case and was ready to use without much configuration or reading of manuals. Like Apple fans say, “It just worked”.

And the results where impressive. Once powered on, the unit quickly showed an image of my surroundings which proved instantly valuable as I quickly found three air leaks in my house’s insulation and an overheating electrical powerstrip. Walking out my front door I spotted the neighborhood cat hiding in the bushes and could tell which cars on my block had been running in the last few hours.

But the real test came on the water. Arriving at gCaptain Mobile HQ, a 40′ boat gCaptain recently acquired to conduct on-the-water product testing, we immediately began giving the product a workout starting with the vessel’s electrical cables. A recent audit of the boat told us the wire running to the boat’s anchor windlass was too small and might create enough heat to start a fire…. so we dropped the anchor, put a few reverse revs on the engine, and watched through the camera’s viewfinder as the windlass’ electrical cable heated-up. Fortunately, the wire itself never got too hot, but it’s connection to the boat’s battery terminals did.

With the terminals cleaned, and a potential fire avoided, we turned the unit onto the engine and shaft watching the heat signature for potential problems…. then we headed topside. On a moonless night in the quite harbor of Morro Bay, it was difficult to make out the surrounding boats and it was impossible to see anyone walking along the nearby shore.  But with the Flir unit in hand, the night sky was illuminated clear as day. The unit clearly works.

Thermal Imaging units have been around for a decade, many ships carry an expensive unit to assist during search and rescue operations during fires and many more cary inexpensive units, like Flir’s $1300 i3 Compact, in the engine room for maintenance tasks. Some even carry Flir’s top-of the line mast mounted units, like the M-Series, integrated into a vessel’s ECDIS system for SAR and navigation at night.  While thermal imaging cameras can be repurposed for use on the bridge, this comes against most expert’s advice… and for good reason.

The advantage of the Flir First Mate over fixed mount units like the Flir Voyager and those designated for other purposes, like the i3, is portability and ease of use.  Sure, the i3 is portable but it’s not designed for long-range use and more importantly, it’s not going to be available for immediate use if you have to call the Engine Room and ask for it to be sent up to the bridge.  The unit’s best use is for times when you need to know what’s happening around you NOW.  From security threats (like scanning the horizon or, if in port, terminal docks for security threats) to search and rescue, and avoiding fishing scows in crowded traffic lanes… you want a unit that’s immediately available and easy to use. You want a unit which you can hand off to your AB and, without much thought, let him or her effortlessly scan the horizon.

Sadly, most ships don’t have a FLIR First Mate or any thermal imaging unit on the bridge due to their inherent cost. To that I say, yes $2,500 is not cheap, but the price pales in comparison to a marine radar and is nearly as useful.  This should not be an excuse. The COLREGS clearly state that, “Every vessel shall at all times maintain a proper lookout by sight and hearing as well as by all available means appropriate in the prevailing circumstances…”  If you do not have a thermal imaging camera (or similar device) aboard your ship, is it possible you are in violation of this rule? Expect this question to be asked by marine investigators and insurance companies in the near future.

Other potential uses of this tool include assisting fire-teams in searching for victims in smoke – the First Mate is not a replacement for a dedicated Infrared Locator like Scott’s Eagle 320 - but it could be of use to secondary search team in marine firefighting ops.  Additionally, with a built-in memory chip, the unit can record pictures and videos with the press of a button, potentially very useful if your vessel finds itself in court after a collision.

With all the positive features of the FLIR we did run into a few problems. First the unit took about 90 seconds to boot-up making it useless in most maritime security settings where a pirate or NGO is quickly advancing on your ship. Second the battery system was less than ideal; the First Mate unit takes 4 AA rechargeable batteries that can only be replaced with the assistance of a small screwdriver… not something that’s easy to use in the dark or aboard a rolling ship. In FLIR’s defense, the batteries can be recharged without disassembling the unit, but the system relies on old NiCad technology that does not have the longevity or shelf life, of today’s modern Lithium Ion batteries.

Good news came shortly after the conclusion of our test with the introduction of a newer version of the unit…. The First Mate MS. While gCaptain did not have a chance to test the new MS version (seen in the picture above) we are told it contains the “same thermal imaging technology as FLIR’s best-in class” models and has a few other advantages over our older test unit, most notably; instant start-up (no boot-up required), a Lithium Ion battery and a suggested retail price of just $1,999.  Now we are talking.

For those unfamiliar with drillships, the new ones are built from super tanker hull designs with one noticeable change… they cut a large hole in the middle of the ship above which they erect a drilling derrick. This large hole is called a moonpool.

About 4 years ago I was working aboard a large exploratory drillship in the Gulf of Mexico and we ran into a problem; a hammerhead shark was found swimming around our moonpool and we had no way of getting it out alive.

We tried everything from slowly lowering bait, down in the hopes the shark would swim down and out of the moonpool, to gently prodding it that direction. Nothing worked. Then, after about a week of false hope, a new electronics technician arrived and suggested our problem was related to the ships magnetic degaussing system, a system which engulfs the ship in an electrical current to inhibit corrosion. He suggested the shark used electromagnetic signals to navigate and our system was confusing the predator. With nothing to lose we disabled the degaussing system and immediately the shark swam towards freedom.

One company, Oak Ridge Shark Lab of the Bahamas, has taken the theory of confusing sharks with the use of magnets to the next level with a new product from their subsidiary Ocean Magnetics. With the use of rare-earth materials such as neodymium and boron, and combined with iron, the company has developed a line of products from magnetic jewelry to magnetic fish hooks that repel most species of sharks.

For their work in 2007, the company was awarded the WWF’s SmartGear award, issued to product with the most potential for reducing fisherman’s bycatch of unwanted fish species.

But Ocean Magnetics didn’t stop there…

Instead they continued their research and successfully developed electrochemical shark repellents and later highly effective natural deterrents which appear to show a great deal of promise when applied to man overboard scenarios in shark infested waters.

Magnets are clearly effective at repelling sharks, however they are heavy, highly susceptible to corrosion, work at limited range, and thus impractical for use in a MOB scenario.  Oak Ridge Shark Lab’s natural deterrent – a concentrated liquid sold under the name SharkDefense – is lightweight, heavily concentrated, and deployable by a wide range of methods from toy water guns to pneumatic air grenades and hydrostaticly deployed cylinders.

In developing SharkDefense the scientists first got the idea by talking to fishermen and discovered that some would tie dead shark carcases to the back of their boats to deter sharks. Using this idea the scientists distilled a concentrated perfume from rotting shark remains – creating a odiferous substance which sharks hate.

And it works! In tests, deployment of just a few ounces of the substance made all sharks in the area immediately disappear. Don’t’ believe us? Well take a look at this video produced by Mike Rowe of the Discovery Channel show Dirty Jobs:

Impressive, eh?

The only question left for mariners is when will this substance be standard equipment in all lifeboats and abandon ship ditch bags.

I used to be a pretty die hard fan of Maui Jims, in fact I bought my first of 3 pairs at LL Bean in the early 90s.  Since 2005 however, I’ve been wearing the Kaenon Rhino, which is likely the finest pair of ocean-going sunglasses you’ll find on the market today.

Besides the fact they look cool, these lenses are AMAZING.  Their proprietary technology provides an extraordinarily sharp and polarized lens but without the added weight found in a glass lens or the distortion typically found in a polycarbonate lens.  They are also perfectly tinted to deal with that wicked late afternoon sunlight reflecting off the ocean.

Are you an outdoor athlete?

If so, you’re certainly not wearing sunglasses with glass lenses as they’ll be bouncing all over your nose as you run.  Or slipping down your nose as you sweat.  The Kaenon Kore provides perfect coverage, ultra light weight, and sharpness while staying on your face no matter how fast you move.  These sunglasses sit a bit farther away from your eyes than the Rhino’s, which provides better breathability, and also helps keep the lenses clean as you run.

The price tag is a bit steep, somewhere around $200, but I promise you won’t be disappointed.

Ranging in price from one to several hundred dollars for a quality unit, these guns do one simple job, and they do it effectively… they tell the temperature of objects from a distance. The best ones come not only with a heat detector, but also with a laser mount which makes aiming the unit simple and effective.

This is perfect for use in boundary cooling operations aboard ship.

Just think, what are your biggest enemies during marine firefighting operations… smoke, heat and water.  Too much heat and the fire will spread but put too much water on surrounding bulkheads and you run into stability problems.

This is why a temperature gun should be in your emergency gear kit and handed out to each boundary cooling team with directions to only cool the bulkheads surrounding the fire in short bursts and only when they have heated up beyond normal levels.

The temperature gun has other uses too. Entry teams no longer have to feel each door risking burns on the back of their hands and ventilation ducts can be shot with the laser to check for the movement of smoke and heat through the HVAC system.

The greatest feature of Temperature Laser Guns is their price.  For less than a $1000 you can buy multiple units ready to hand out to first responders.  The best units, like the Fluke-68IS, are more expensive but the price translates to key features including intrinsically safe, water resistant housings, more rugged design, and temperature sensors ranging from -40 °F to 1400 °F.  In contrast, Amazon sells a no brand model for $20 which is great for using around the house (I own one myself!), but it’s max temperature range of 750 °F and shoddy construction would make it useless aboard ship… well, at least useless beyond making sure the old man’s coffee pot is still hot;)

Lifesaving Laundry Chute

There have been many lessons learned in the year since the Deepwater Horizon’s tragic explosion but one remains in the forefront of my mind… we need to look at alternative methods of evacuating rigs. For this reason I was particularly interested in Viking’s offshore evacuation system.

While this unit is basically a laundry chute for people, the design and engineering of the product leaves no stone unturned. Capable (and tested!) of evacuating 140 people in just 10 minutes the unit itself is made of kevlar netting and nomex line… materials more famous for their use in bulletproof vests and fire suits. This means they will not melt under high heat conditions and provide a smooth transit for personnel escaping oil and gas fires. The netting itself is capable of withstanding high wind conditions and the entire system has been tested to survive 10 meter seas.

gCaptain will be looking more at this technology in a future post but, from first look, Viking has all the problems answered including evacuating personnel via a stretch and options for moutning the unit on ship-shaped hulls (more on this later).

Waterproof Touchable PC

The world is enamored by the latest touch screen technologies like the iPad and Android reader but neither is waterproof, intrinsically safe or capable of running windows programs. Citadel Computer’s touch-screen computers (yes, the computer lives within the monitor!) have all three features and a reasonable price point.

The company itself started by making computer screens for industrial forklifts but has since branched out to other industrial applications. Yet they have seen little market adoption aboard ships… hopefully this will change as it’s a perfect solution for AIS and pilot stations on bridge wings. The fact they offer intrinsically safe models means they might be of great use as loading computers on tankers and LNG’s.

Heated Flooring

My first crude oil tanker was of 1970′s vintage meaning it was built without the creature comforts of enclosed bridge wings or a comfy cargo control room. While most of these ships have been phased out, mariners still need to spend a large amount of time out on deck… and when the decks are icy it quickly becomes a safety issue.

Advanced Mat Systems has a solution with non-skid, cushioned mats – of industrial strength – which are heated! Not much more to say about this technology, it just works, but the company tells me they are also developing a new system of heated hand-rails.

Glass Zip Ties

Tip ties are one of my favorite inventions because they are cheap and simple… just bend them around a bunch of wires and pull tight! But for heavy duty applications mariners have been stuck using metal banding solutions with difficult to handle tools metal bands which are either susceptible to rust or prohibitively expensive.

HCL Clamping Solutions has an answer with heavy duty zip-ties made of industrial nylon and glass. Yes, glass – woven in strands – comprises the inners of these bands giving their smallest tie a breaking strength of 750 pounds! Their larger bands have breaking strengths much higher but, while they remain are easy to use compared to metal banding systems – they do require special tools to operate.

Infrared Locator

As a child I donned my first Scott air pack in the early 80′s at my father’s firehouse in the Bronx. What I loved most about his fire house where always the cool tools I found in the compartments of his heavy rescue truck. They where always of the best quality – FDNY has very strict requirements on the survivability of their tools – and Scott produced many of the components on dad’s truck.

While the company is still, 30 years later, the preferred manufacturer of breathing air systems for the FDNY, their product line has extended to gas sensors, flame detectors and thermal imaging. We have discussed the numerous merits of having a thermal imaging camera in your fire-gear locker before but these were fairly simple units capable of only showing a video image of your surroundings in low visibility environments. Scott’s new technology brings new capability to their Eagle 320 Thermal Imaging units with man down detectors integrated into their thermal imagers.

The idea is simple, each firefighter is given a PASS device – a unit with a motion sensor and alarm which activates a blaring siren when a man looses consciousness – with a homing beacon. The thermal imager takes this beacon signal and tells you if you are moving closer or further away from a victim. Check the details out HERE.

More To Come…

Be sure to stop back in the weeks to come as we bring in depth reviews of technology found at this year’s OTC conference in Houston.

But for those watch standers that have trouble getting up at mignight we have a solution for you… Tocky The Runaway Alarm Clock
! The idea is simple – big, smooth and welcoming – our the enemy is the snooze button, an enemy that needs to be hunted and destroyed. Tocky is an alarm clock disguised as a ball that by hurdles itself off the shelve and rolls around the room, making you get out of bed to find it.

Here’s the video which explains more:

If you are interested in how the idea for Tocky was developed Click HERE to watch founder Gauri Nanda’s interview at Mixergy.

Remember the time when people wore wristwatches, the most fancy of which had auto-wind features capable of winding your watch with just the movement of your arm? Well a new company, NPower, has taken the concept to the next level with PEG a Kinetic battery charger. They tell us:

The nPower PEG is a backup battery charger for hand-held electronics that uses the energy you generate while walking, running, or biking. Just place your nPower® PEG in your backpack, briefcase, or purse and go about your daily activities. As you move, your PEG will continuously top-off its internal battery providing you with extra power when you need it. –When you’re on the go. And, if you’re in an emergency situation, shaking your nPower® PEG will give you the ability to call for help or get in touch with a loved one.

What does this mean to shipping? Using only our imagination we imagine the short team will find kinetic chargers that keep the lifeboat and GMDSS batteries charged… and in the long term entire vessels may augment engine power with kinetic devices which turn the pitch and roll of ship into a significant source of energy.

The Senseo Coffee Roaster, which took the DIY idea to bean roasting, never really caught on but the company’s single serve coffee makers ignited a revolution in bridge technology for, once a Senseo machine was installed, never again could the old man complain about the AB’s not making enough fresh coffee.

Fast forward four years and over 200,000 individual readers now visit gCaptain each month but, sadly, Senseo has shared little of our success having been replaced by Keurig Cups and, my personal favorite, Nespresso Espresso makers .

But as much as I love the Nespresso for its ability to ooze caffeinated mud it requires a separate $99 Aeroccino Frother to deliver a Cappuccino or Latte. It also has to be separately cleaned.

But Senseo returns with a solution that promises to make the same frothy coffee as the original Senseo machines, but with an added milk container that’ll whip you up a latte or cappuccino. It’ll be called the Select Latte Senseo HD7850.

It’s been announced in Germany with a suggested retail price of $190 Euro, which seems a bit steep considering regular Senseo’s sell for well under $100. So maybe the US pricing will be a bit lower. It’ll be available in September — in Germany, at least an I’d assume we’d see it here in time for the holidays. And if Senseo offers a color other than pink, I’m sure you’ll find this coffee maker as standard equipment on many ships worldwide.

(Via CrunchGear)