DISTRESS CALL LEVELS

Busy day at NAUTICAL LOG with lots of comments to recent Posts and some good questions from non-seafaring commenter's about those DISTRESS CALLS. Lets us explain how they must be used:

Level #1; a MAYDAY situation is one in which a vessel, aircraft, vehicle or person is in grave and imminent danger and requires immediate assistance. Examples: Fire, Explosion, Sinking.

Level #2; a PAN situation which is one other than Level #1. Examples: Fouled propeller, Engine failure, or Out of Fuel.

There is a fuller explanation given in WIKIPEDIA which one can read. Since the MS Yushin Maru #3 had an apparently 'Fouled propeller' she should have used the PAN level call. Her procedure would therefore be something of this nature:

"PAN - PAN - PAN all ships this is YUSHIN MARU #3 - YUSHIN MARU #3 - YUSHIN MARU #3. My position is (give Latitude & Longitude) my propeller has been fouled from an attack by the SSCS Pirate Group vessels which are still in the area. We request assistance."

This message would be repeated three times . If no reply after say 15 minutes it could be repeated. After that it would be up to the Master to decide how long this is going to go on. Since the only people known to be able to assist are the SSCS who are the ones who caused the problem in the first place. To NAUTICAL LOG this is an exercise in futility and shows the stupidity of the behaviour in The Southern Ocean. We hope this is helpful and shows that all concerned are violating the Navigation Rules and Maritime Laws in general so clearly there is no innocent party, quite apart from the whaling /anti-whaling issue itself.

Good Watch.

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HOW TO WEAR A LIFEJACKET

A popular U.S.-based cruise ship style
A popular European ferry style

Several times during the year NAUTICAL LOG has had visitors searching for lifejacket instructions. With two just over Christmas we decided to publish something for everybody to see and read.
Choose a Coast Guard approved life-jacket and make sure it is undamaged. Make sure life-jackets are readily accessible, never locked away. Check the fit, there are adult, child and infant sizes, the correct one MUST be used. Choose bright colour life-jackets so as to be seen easily by Search and Rescue (SAR).Put your life-jacket ON BEFORE you leave the berth. Make sure you have a light and whistle attached AND they BOTH WORK.
Good Watch

ISM CODE - AUDITING

Ships now operate under the International Management Code for Safe Operation of Ships and for Pollution Prevention (ISM Code). Since this is a Post on Auditing NAUTICAL LOG, who is a Trained Auditor, will not go through the requirements as these can be found on the Internet and in your local nautical bookshop - you do have a bookshop hopefully as they are a dying breed. There are two types of Audit an External Audit and an Internal Audit.

The External Audit consists of the Flag State or an outside Auditing Firm coming into the Company and going through all the Protocols, Procedures and associated Manuals. They may also hold a drill simulating a situation in one of the Company's vessels and observe the results of the Shore Staff dealing with it. NAUTICAL LOG has been through this experience with two very different Companies and believe me it is a long, difficult, trying day not made any easier by the subsequent debrief. The External Auditor then prepares a Report which causes a…

AN tSEIRBHIS CHABHLAIGH

This month saw the commissioning into the Irish Naval Service of a new Class of Irish Naval vessel more of the Frigate size than the previously Corvette size. However they are all classed as Patrol vessels, the new vessel is LÉ Samuel Beckett P61.NAUTICAL LOG wishes her well and a successful service.

The older vessels saw unbelievable service and value for money the first being commissioned in 1979 and continued through the '80's and 90's into the 21st. Century. During those years in addition to patrolling the stormy seas around the rugged Irish coast they made passages across the Western Ocean to the United States and Canada, south to South America as far as Argentina, and east to Asia as far as Korea. Such passages are really remarkable for such small vessels and show the competence of Irish seafarers who as Naval Officers and Merchant Marine Officers train together.

Good Watch.

NAUTICAL LOG

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