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NAVIGATION
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130. All Navigating Officers must make themselves thoroughly conversant with the "International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea", together with any amendments thereto which may he introduced
from time to time.
The "Rule of the Road" for preventing collisions at sea must be strictly adhered to.
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131. Whilst at sea, standing four-hour Watches should be kept on both the Bridge and in the
Engineroom by Officers and Engineer Officers respectively. However, Watches will he regulated by the Commander.
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132. The Officer of the Watch is directly responsible to the Commander for the safe navigation of the ship. He must send for the Commander if he is in doubt, taking such steps in the meantime as he may consider desirable to avoid risk. He is on no account to leave the Bridge until relieved.
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133. When the nature of employment of the ship requires closing land or the transit of narrow channels or rivers, without the assistance of a local pilot, the Commander will satisfy himself that the ship is not placed in unnecessary hazard. In such cases the ship must be under the personal direction of the Commander.
A detailed plot of the operation must be drawn up before its commencement and a copy retained on board. All the Officers concerned must study the plot in. advance.
The above must be
taken as the minimum safety criteria for close navigation.
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134. There are great dangers inherent
in the improper use of, and too exclusive a reliance on, radar at the
expense of the procedure laid down in the "International Regulations
for Preventing Collisions at Sea". It must be clearly understood
that radar is merely an aid to navigation and the availability of radar on
board does not relieve the Commander of his responsibility to adhere
closely to the Collision Regulations. It must be remembered that radar
cannot give any indication of a ship's intentions, but can portray
only the history of its movements
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135. All navigational gear will be
tested and checked for correct operation shortly before proceeding to
sea.
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136. "Stations" are to be
made when entering or leaving port and also during transit of narrow
waters or where the Commander considers it necessary.
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137. When "Stations" are
made, Officer personnel will proceed to the following positions: -
Commander-on the
Bridge
Chief Officer-on
the Forecastle
Second
Officer-aft, to attend to propellers and emergency steering gear
Third
Officer-on the Bridge, with the Commander
Other
Deck Officers and Cadets-at the discretion of the Commander.
When
a ship has additional certificated Officers as part of its complement, the
Commander may, at his discretion, alter the above positions as he
considers necessary.
The
Chief Engineer Officer will place himself in such a position in the
Engineroom on or near the manoeuvring platform, as will enable him to see
that orders transmitted from the Bridge are promptly carried out. He will
act similarly as soon as "Stand By" is ordered and stay in the
Engineroom through- out the period of the operation except in the case of
prolonged periods, e.g., passage of the Suez Canal or long rivers when
Watches are being worked, during which periods he will pay frequent visits
to the Engineroom.
He will allocate
to the other Engineer Officers their respective stations at his
discretion. (See also Reg. 82).
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138. Before making "Stations" (see Reg. 136) clocks will he synchronised and
all Deck and Engineroom telephones and portable VHF sets will be tested.
This applies both when entering and leaving port. Ships Telegraphs will be
tested before leaving port.
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139. After "Stations" are
called, the first duty of Officers will he to re-cheek their
communications with the Bridge and to inform the Bridge that they are at
"Stations".
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140. Officers working the telegraphs,
the telephones and the portable VHF sets are to repeat the order received
to the person issuing it, to ensure the correct order being carried out.
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141. All orders on the ship's
telegraphs and the times such orders were given will be recorded in the
Rough Bridge, and Engineroom Telegraph Log Books. In certain
circumstances, which might lead to an emergency, and in conditions of
emergency, it may be necessary to record in the Rough Bridge Log Book all
helm orders issued and received ; in such an event the responsibility of
ensuring that such entries have been made will he that of the Commander
and the Officer of the Watch.
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142. When entering or leaving port,
when swinging to or at an anchor in narrow waters, when making or
navigating close to land, when the ship is in proximity of any danger, and
at all other times when the Commander considers it to be prudent,
soundings must be taken not only with modern echo sounding devices but
also by the use of the lead.
The
hand lead will be used forward and/or aft as necessary, to give ample
warning of shoaling, including the use of a heavier hand lead aft if
engines are in use. In addition, a hand lead will be used amidships to
warn against shoaling and the movement of the ship ahead or astern.
These instructions
will not normally apply to ships manoeuvring in enclosed Docks.
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143. All sounding apparatus is to he
kept in thorough working order and in readiness for immediate use. Lead
lines are to be measured before entering waters where the lead is to be
used.
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144. When the ship is under way, a
look-out man is to be stationed on the forecastle or in the Crow's Nest
between sunset and sunrise and at all times during impaired visibility,
falling snow, heavy rain, dust storms, thick and foggy weather. (See also Reg.
47).
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145. Should the Commander or Officer
of the Watch think the ship to be in shallow water, and/or he in doubt as
to the position of the ship, he is to stop the ship at once and verify the
position by taking soundings.
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146. When carried in lieu of
Emergency Electric Steaming Lights, the Emergency Oil Steaming Lights are
to be kept in readiness for immediate use and so should the N.U.C. Lights
and Signal Shapes.
All whistles and
sirens are to be tested daily at sea unless the proximity of traffic or
other reasons prevent this.
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147. When navigating in dangerous
waters boats should be swung out as a precautionary measure. However, in
certain circumstances, the Commander may consider it hazardous to swing
out boats and in such cases an entry is to be made in the Deck Log Book
giving the reasons for retaining them inboard. It is not necessary to
swing out boats attached to gravity davits.
As
an additional precaution in dangerous waters, scuttles below or near the
main deck should be kept closed. Details of scuttles which are
open/closed must always be available to the Officer of the Watch by
means of an appropriately designed notice board.
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148. All courses are to he set by
standard compass or gyro compass and frequent comparisons are to he made
with the steering compasses and repeaters and noted in the Log Book.
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149. When the ship is at sea, not
less than two, and preferably three, certificated Officers, when manning
permits, will work out the position of the ship at noon by observation and
dead reckoning and calculate the current, if any, with course and distance
to go and made good and each Officer is to hand to the Commander a
memorandum embodying his observations.
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150. The position of the ship is to
be determined frequently and the charts are to be available to the
Officers.
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151. To avoid any delay in sending
out the correct position of the ship in an emergency, the position of the
ship is to be posted up in the Chart Room and the Wireless Room every two
hours.
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152. When anchored, the correct
position of the ship is to be placed on the chart, and an entry made in
the Log Book noting this position, together with the direction of the
ship's head, depth of water and draft of the ship.
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153. Compass observations are to he
frequently taken. and recorded as instructed in the Rough Azimuth and
Compass Observation Book.
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154. Barometer readings are to be
logged every four hours and more frequently in the vicinity of a
depression, and any abnormal movements or weather changes are to be
reported to the Commander.
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155. Side scuttles are under the
charge of the Officer of the Watch who should have them closed when the
state of the weather makes this necessary.
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156. Ventilators to cargo spaces and
passenger accommodation are to he attended to for rain or shift of the
wind, and a note made in the Log Book of the action taken. When any deck
ventilator is exposed to damage in a seaway, it is to be removed and
plugged in anticipation and an entry is to be made in the Deck Log Book
that this has been done.
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157. At the termination of his Watch,
the Officer of the Watch will send to the Engineer Officer on duty the
speed made for each hour throughout the Watch, and the Engineer Officer on
duty will send to the Officer of the Watch the average revolutions per
minute so made. Should the number of revolutions set have to be increased
or reduced for some reason arising in the Engineroom the Bridge must be
informed immediately.
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158. The Officer of the Watch will
report to the relieving Officer the course and speed, and both Officers
will check the course by the standard and steering compasses. The
relieving Officer will read and sign the Commander's Night Order Book and
will accept responsibility for the watch from that time.
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159. When an Officer comes off Watch,
he will go the rounds of the Deck and, in passenger ships, will also visit
all classes of passenger accommodation, thereafter recording his
observations in the Log Book.
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160. Passengers are not allowed on
the Bridge unless permitted by the Commander and accompanied by an
Officer.
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