NAUTICAL LOG

September 05, 2009: A n update: NAUTICAL LOG is pleased to announce that it's "NAUTICAL LOG PASSAGE PLANNING GUIDE" is now avialable. Several have already been e-mailed as requested. ******************************************************************************* Since the publication of the Posts on 'PASSAGE PLANNING' there have been numerous inquiries to NAUTICAL LOG about how to prepare such a 'PLAN'. At present NAUTICAL LOG is gathering all the relevant information together. Starting with the requirements of the International Maritime Organization (IMO). From this data NAUTICAL LOG will develop a procedure that one can follow to complete the ' PASSAGE PLAN' . This will be particularly useful to the smaller vessels as the big shipping companies already have all this in place. At least they should have all this in place, however judging from the inquiries received at times NAUTICAL LOG wonders if they actually do. The NAUTICAL LOG PASSAG...

BELUGA SHIPPING GMBH is a truly remarkable company. Many of you have accessed NAUTICAL LOG about their transit project of the Northeast Passage across the top of the Russian Federation. Well as it happens just today we received an e-mail from Verena Beckhusen of their Public Relations Department updating the transits. The MS "Beluga Family" sailed from Antwerp to Murmansk and after clearance proceeded to Yamburg to discharge her heavy lift cargo. Once that is completed she returns to Murmansk and then Rotterdam. So she will have completed a western half-transit of the Northeast Passage from West to East and the return. The MS "Beluga Fraternity" and MS "Beluga Foresight" have left Vladivostok with their cargo of heavy lifts, loaded in South Korea, and are now transiting the Northeast Passage. Heading westwards across the top of the Russian Federation bound for Novyy Port/Yamburg in the estuary of the river Ob leading southwards from the Kara Sea. As on...

VERY PISTOL Pistol for launching coloured flares as a signal device. WAIST The midship section of a ship between bow and stern. WARDROOM The officers common room in a Naval vessel and also used in some Merchant ships. WATCH The period of time on duty aboard ship. WILLIAMSON TURN A formal manoeuvre to turn a ship 180 degrees rapidly and return to the same point on the course. Used to recover persons overboard. WORKAWAY A person who works his way on board a ship for a free passage. He is not a crewmember but gets a berth and food. Rare in British Merchant Navy but fairly common in Scandinavian ships. I came from the West Coast of Canada to the Netherlands on a Norwegian ship one time. ZENITH The highest point of a celestial bodies transit. It is the point at which we measure, with the sextant, the Sun to obtain the Latitude. Hope you enjoyed these nautical words. Good Watch.

RATLINES The rungs between the shrouds for going aloft either of rope or metal rods. RED DUSTER The British Merchant Navy ensign, designated so in 1864. It is red bunting with the Union flag in the upper left hand corner. REEMING IRON A tool for cleaning out old caulking from a seam. REGISTER The record of all vessels registered in a nation for legal and business which are entitled to fly its flag. Now known as a vessel's Flag State. RIGHT SAILING Running a course on one of the Cardinal Points so as to change Latitude or Longitude only. RODE The line or chain to an anchor. ROGUES YARN Coloured yarn woven into cordage to identify it's manufacturer. It was used in the British Royal Navy to identify cordage made in the Naval ropewalks to reduce stealing. ROSE BOX A strainer box set into bilge lines on the suction side to prevent blockage. Similar to the 'starting box' for roses which are very popular in England. RUTTER The Navigator's book which contained his...

MAIDEN VOYAGE A vessels first voyage as a new ship. MARCONI Considered the inventor of marine radio by using the continuous wave radio, and its equipment. The Radio Officer was known as 'Sparks' or 'Marconi' aboard European ships. MARLINE SPIKE A tapered and pointed metal tool for splicing wire ropes. MASTER The Legal title of the officer commanding ocean-going and most coastal merchant ships. On warships he was in charge of the vessel under sail but not in command as this was given to the ranking military officer. MATE The deck department officer's below the rank of Master. Older title was master's mates. MESSENGER A light line bent to a heavier one such as a heaving line for passing a mooring line. MONKEY JACKET A short uniform jacket worn originally by seamen and midshipmen. Now used as an evening dress jacket by officers. It can be white or black depending on time of year and climate. NAPIER CARD A diagram giving compass readings on all headings of a...

HALF-DECK A short deck above the Main Deck with a small accommodation house abaft the funnel. This is where the Deck Apprentices on British built ships lived, and the one place where they got relative peace and quiet!! HANDY BILLY A light tackle for a variety of uses, usually rove with two single blocks. HATCH Used for many openings aboard ship. In cargo ships more usually refers to the openings leading below the main deck for cargo stowage. HELM Refers to the actual steering item, be it wheel, tiller, lever or whatever in modern ships. From Old Norse hjalmvoh a rudder handle. HOLIDAY A gap in ones work such as a missed painted area. Definitely will not please the Boatswain HOLYSTONE A block of sandstone used for scrubbing wooden decks. I am an expert from my Deck Apprentice days!! HORSE LATITUDES The latitudes between 30 degrees and 35 degrees North and South. The winds are light, variable or non-existent. There are so many sources given for this one that you get to pick one yo...

CROWS NEST The lookout at the highest practical point aboard ship. DASHER BLOCK Small block on the gaff peak for an ensign halyard also known as a jewel block. DAY'S WORK The Navigator's calculations from noon sight and position to the next day's noon. DEAD HORSE The period of time during which the crew are working off their wages 'advance' after signing on. In British ship's the crew got an advance to pay off debts on sailing day. They also got 'channel money' on arrival in home port prior to paying off the next day. This enabled them to have some money to go ashore the first evening. DEMURRAGE The delay of a vessel beyond the Charter Party terms for handling cargo. Also used for the charges the shipowner or charterer would have to pay. DIOPTRIC LIGHT Beam of light from a lighthouse concentrated by a Fresnel prism lens. From the Greek dioprikos meaning refraction. DUBBING The shaping of a ship's timbers using an ADZE. Anglo-Saxon word dubbe...