Recently, the USCG issued a Marine Safety Alert warning operators to have policies in place on the use of cells phones and other devices that may distract crew members from performing their job functions to the best of their ability. In fact, the alert brings to mind a popular discussion on the gCaptain forum regarding playing music in the bridge, something that most members … [Read more...]
The Most Dangerous Hour In Shipping
Question: What is The most dangerous hour in shipping? Answer: 22:24 to 23:45 There are three watches aboard ship 00-04 (i.e. 0000 to 0400 and 1600 to 2200) is often stood by the Second Mate. 04-08 is often stood by the Chief Mate. 08-12 is stood by the Third Mate. The C/M stands the 04-08 so he's up and ready for the day workers to start work at 0800 and the Third Mate … [Read more...]
Titanic Response
Our recent post Was the titanic sunk by a small key? elicited some great response from our readers. Surprisingly, the best ones had little to do with the titanic itself and more to do with the cause of all maritime incidents... the error chain. First a recap from the original post: While some point to the ship's excessive speed, the vessel's design or the positioning of the … [Read more...]
Cosco Busan – Questions,Questions,Questions
By Bob Couttie Once the US National Transportation Safety Board has produced the transcripts of the voyage data recorder from the Cosco Busan (Formerly the Hanjin Cairo, the Hanjin name remains on the ship side) we'll have a better idea of who said what to whom and when. Currently only the pilot's version of events is available and it is raising a number of questions. A … [Read more...]
San Francisco Pilot’s Report Published
The San Francisco Chronicle has published the Pilot's Report on the Cosco Busan Incident. Here are the parts of interest to mariners; Meadows said problems also cropped up in "bridge management," the communication between the pilot, who had years of experience on the bay, and the ship's officers, who had never navigated the bay in the Cosco Busan. All were supposed to work … [Read more...]
Bridge Resource Management – A New Focus On Watchkeeping
First a note... I am publishing this short clip ahead of my next article because of its importance! While preparing our upcoming "questions for investigators" article on the Cosco Busan incident we were asked by more than one party a question along this line; with communications failure being a leading cause of incidents and the crew of the Cosco Busan being Chinese of … [Read more...]