LATERAL MARKS - REGION B

Hello guys, today we will focus on another part of the IALA Maritime Buoyage System article.You may remember that in the previous section we talked about the lateral mark in Region A, today we will talk about the lateral mark in Region B.



LATERAL MARKS - REGION B 

This diagram is schematic and in the case of pillar buoys in particular, their features will vary with the individual design of the buoys in use.

PORT HAND 

Colour: Green. 
Shape: Can, pillar or spar. 
Topmark (when fitted): Single green can. 
Retroreflector: Green band or square.

STARBOARD HAND 

Colour: Red. 
Shape: Conical, pillar or spar. 
Topmark (when fitted): Single red cone, point upward. 
Retroreflector: Red band or triangle.




LIGHTS, when fitted, may have any rhythm other than composite group flashing (2+1) used on modified Lateral marks indicating a preferred channel. Examples are:

The lateral colours of red or green are frequently used for minor shore lights, such as those marking pierheads and the extremities of jetties.

PREFERRED CHANNELS 

At the point where a channel divides, when proceeding in the conventional direction of buoyage, a preferred channel is indicated by

Preferred channel to starboard 

Colour: Green with one broad red band. 
Shape: Can, pillar or spar. 
Topmark (when fitted): Single green can. 
Retroreflector: Green band or square.



Preferred channel to port 

Colour: Red with one broad green band. 
Shape: Conical, pillar or spar. 
Topmark (when fitted): Single red cone point upward. 
Retroreflector: Red band or triangle.

NOTES

Where port or starboard marks do not rely on can or conical buoy shapes for identification, they carry the appropriate topmark where practicable. If marks at the sides of a channel are numbered or lettered, the numbering or lettering follows the conventional direction of buoyage. Special marks, with can and conical shapes but painted yellow, may be used in conjunction with the standard Lateral marks for special types of channel marking.


Around the British Isles the General Direction of the Buoyage runs N along the W coast and through the Irish Sea; E through the English Channel and N through the 3 North Sea.

On Admiralty charts, the Conventional Direction of Buoyage may be indicated by magenta arrow symbol. In some straits (eg. Menai Strait and The Solent) and the open sea (eg. off the Irish coast at Malin Head), where the direction changes, attention is drawn to its reversal by magenta arrow symbols confronting each other.

 On many coasts and in some straits, world-wide, buoyage authorities have not yet established or promulgated General Directions of Buoyage, so it is not possible to chart the magenta symbol. This could be hazardous if a New Danger were to be marked by Lateral buoys.

Preferred Channels

 At the point where a channel divides, when proceeding in the Conventional Direction of Buoyage, to form two alternative channels to the same destination, the Preferred Channel is indicated by a modified Lateral mark. The System does not provide for a Preferred Channel mark where the two channels join.

Colours

Red and green are the colours reserved for Lateral marks. 

Topmarks 

Port-hand marks carry can-shaped topmarks, and starboard-hand marks carry conical topmarks.

Lights 

Red and green lights are used for Lateral marks. Lateral marks for certain purposes have specified rhythms: Composite Group Flashing (2+1) for Preferred Channel marks; Quick or Very Quick for New Danger marks. Other Lateral marks may have lights of any rhythm. 

Sequence 

If marks at the sides of a channel are numbered or lettered, the sequence follows the conventional direction of buoyage. 

Special marks 

Can and cone shapes coloured yellow may be used as Special marks in conjunction with the Lateral marks for special types of channel marking,


Stay tuned to our web page until another similar article comes to you. Have a nice day

LATERAL MARKS (REGION A)

Hello guys, today we will talk about another part of IALA Maritime Buoyage System. Here we will identify the details of the buoys identified in the previous part.

1) LATERAL MARKS

 Lateral marks are generally used for well-defined channels in conjunction with a Conventional Direction of Buoyage. They indicate the port and starboard hand sides of the route to be followed.

Direction of buoyage 

The Conventional Direction of Buoyage is defined in one of two ways:

 Local Direction of Buoyage. The direction taken by the mariner when approaching a harbour, river, estuary, or other waterway from seaward; 
General Direction of Buoyage. The direction determined by the buoyage authorities, based wherever possible on the principle of following a clockwise direction around continents. It is usually given in Admiralty Sailing Directions and, if necessary indicated on charts by the appropriate symbol.

Region  A

This diagramn is schematic and in the case of pillar buays in particular, their features will vary with the individal design of the buoys in use.

port hand

Colour :- red
Shape :- Can,Pillar or spar
Top mark (when fitted) :- Single red can
Rectroreflector :- Red band or  square

Starboard

Colour:- Green.
Shape:- Conical, pillar or spar. 
Topmark (when fitted):- Single green cone point upward. 
Retroreflector :- Green band or triangle.


Lights :when fitted, may have any rhythm other than composite group flashing (2+1) used on modified Lateral marks indicating a preferred channel. Examples are:

The lateral colours of red or green are frequently used for minor shore lights, sach as those marking pierheads and the extremities of  jetties.

PREFERRED CHANNELS 

At the point where a channel divides, when proceeding in the conventional direction of buoyage, a preferred channel is indicated by

Preferred channel to starboard 

Colour: Red with one broad green band. 
Shape: Can, pillar or spar. 
Topmark (when fitted): Single red can. 
Retroreflector: Red band or square.


Preferred channel to port 

Colour: Green with one broad red band. 
Shape: Conical, pillar or spar. 
Topmark (when fitted): Single green cone point upward. 
Retroreflector: Green band or triangle.


Stay tuned to our web page until you come across another similar article. Leave your comments below.Have a good day

IALA Maritime Buoyage System part 2

Hello guys, today we are going to talk about another part of IALA Maritime Buoyage System .I hope to introduce you about the types of buoys and their colors and symbols.

Five types of mark are provided by the System 

1) Lateral 
2) Cardinal 
3) Isolated Danger 
4) Safe water
5) Special marks
                     They maybe used in any combination..

Most lighted and unlighted beacons,other than leading marks, are included in the System. In general,beacon topmarks have the same shapes and colours as those used on buoys, (Because of tje variety of beacon structures, the accompanying diagrams show mainly buoy shapes )
           Wrecks are marked in the same way as other dangers; on unique types of mark is reserved for them in the IALA System.

Colours of buoys

Red and green are reserved for Lateral marks, and yellow for Special marks, Black and yellow or black and red bands,or red and white stripes are used for other types of marks as described later.

On Admiralty charts, the shading of buoy symbols formerly used to indicate the colours of buoys is omitted. A black (ie filled-in) symbol is used for predominantly green marks and for all spar buoys and beacons; and open symbol is used for all buoys and beacon towers of other colours, but with a vertical line to indicate striped Safe Water buoys. 
 
          The abbreviated description of the colour, or colours, of a buoy is given under the symbol. 
Where a buoy is coloured in bands, the colours are indicated in sequence from the top, eg East buoy Black with a yellow band BYB. If the sequence of the bands is not known, or if the buoy is striped, the colours are indicated with the darker colour first eg Safe Water buoy Red and white stripes RW.

Shapes of Buoys

Five basic shapes were defined when the System was devised: Can, Conical, Spherical, Pillar and Spar.
 But to these must be added light-floats, as well as buoyant beacons (which are charted as light-beacons). 
Variations in the basic shapes may be common for a number of years after the introduction of the IALA System to a particular locality since much existing equipment will continue in use. 
     Can, conical and spherical buoys indicate by their shape the correct side to pass.
       Marks that do not rely on their shape for identification, carry the appropriate topmark whenever practicable. However, in some parts of the world, including US waters, light-buoys have identical shapes on both port and starboard sides of Laterally-marked channels, and are fitted with topmarks. Also in US waters, a buoy w conical or truncated conical top, known as a nun bud used to mark the starboard side of the channel.
On Admiralty charts, if the shape of a buoy of the IALA System is not known, a pillar buoy is used.
    The symbol for a spar buoy is also used to indicate a spindle buoy. The symbol will, as before, be sloped to distinguish it from a beacon symbol which is upright.

Topmarks

Can, conical, spherical and X-shaped topmarks only are used.
     On pillar and spar buoys the use of topmarks is particularly important, though ice or severe weather may at times prevent it.
  
  On Admiralty charts, topmarks are shown boldly, in solid black except when the topmark is red, when it is in outline only. 

Lights
 
 Red and green lights of the IALA System are reserved for Lateral marks and yellow lights for Special marks.
     White lights, distinguished one from another by their rhythm, are used for other types of marks.
           It is possible that some shore lights, specifically excluded from the IALA System, may, by coincidence have similar characteristics to those of the buoyage system. Care is needed on sighting such lights that they are not misinterpreted.

I will come back to you in the future with a number of separate articles on Buoys and an in-depth study of them. Have a nice day until then.Don't forget to leave your comments below

Types of Ships part 5

Hello guys,This is the last in a series of articles that bring you details on over 60 types of ships

48) Amphibious Assault Ships 


An amphibious warship is an amphibious warship used to land and support enemy territory in an amphibian attack.  The design evolved from aircraft carriers that were converted to be used as helicopter carriers (and as a result often mistaken for traditional stationary wing carriers).  Modern ships support amphibian landing vessels, including many design wells.  Some full-circle amphibious fighter ships also support V / STOL fixed-wing aircraft.

49) Landing Craft 


Landing crafts are small and medium-sized sea vessels such as boats and barges that are used to bring landing forces (infantry and vehicles) from sea to shore during an amphibian attack.  This term excludes large landing ships.  Production of landing vessels remained high during World War II, with a significant number of different designs being produced in large quantities by the United Kingdom and the United States.

50) Mine Warfare Craft 


Mines remain one of the greatest threats to warships and shipping vessels alike. To counter the threat, navies of the world are forced to field an effective mine warfare force for neutralizing mines/minefields. Conversely, a mine warfare force can be called upon to lay down minefields in strategic waters.These ships are designed to withstand these mines.

51) Replenishment ships 

replenishment ships is a naval auxiliary ship with fuel tanks and dry cargo holds which can supply both fuel and dry stores during underway replenishment (UNREP) at sea. Many countries have used replenishment ships

52) Repair and Support Ships

The repair ship is a naval support vessel.  Repair ship destroyers provide similar services to submarines and seaplane tenders or depot ships, but can also offer a wide range of repairs, including equipment and personnel to repair more important machinery failures or war damage.
Support Ships, as their name implies, are generally defined as noncombatant or defensively armed ships whose mission is to assist the fighting forces. While support ships are perhaps best known for their role in naval warfare

53) Naval Transports

These ships are used for naval transport.

54) Naval Auxiliaries 

An auxiliary ship is a naval ship designed to operate in support of combatant ships and other naval operations. Auxiliaries are not primary combatants.although they may have some limited combat capacity, usually of a self-defence nature.

55) Fishing Vessels

 
A fishing vessel is a boat or ship used to catch fish in the sea, or on a lake or river. Many different kinds of vessels are used in commercial, artisanal and recreational fishing.

56) Lightships

lightship, is a ship that acts as a lighthouse. They are used in waters that are too deep or otherwise unsuitable for lighthouse construction. Although some records exist of fire beacons being placed on ships in Roman times, the first modern lightvessel was off the Nore sandbank at the mouth of the River Thames in England, placed there by its inventor Robert Hamblin in 1734. The type has become largely obsolete; lighthouses replaced some stations as the construction techniques for lighthouses advanced, while large, automated buoys replaced others


57) Pilot Vessels

 

A pilot vessel is a type of boat used to transport maritime pilots between land and the inbound or outbound ships that they are piloting.

58) Icebreakers

An icebreaker is a special-purpose ship or boat designed to move and navigate through ice-covered waters, and provide safe waterways for other boats and ships. Although the term usually refers to ice-breaking ships, it may also refer to smaller vessels,

59) Patrol Craft

A patrol boat (also referred to as a patrol craft, patrol ship or patrol vessel) is a relatively small naval vessel generally designed for coastal defence, border protection, immigration law-enforcement, search and rescue duties. There have been many designs for patrol boats. They may be operated by a nation's navy, coast guard, police force or customs and may be intended for marine ("blue water") or estuarine ("green water") or river ("brown water") environments. They are commonly found engaged in various border protection roles, including anti-smuggling, anti-piracy, fisheries patrols, and immigration law enforcement. They are also often called upon to participate in rescue operations. Vessels of this type include the original yacht (from Dutch/Low German jacht meaning hunting or hunt), a light, fast-sailing vessel used by the Dutch navy to pursue pirates and other transgressors around and into shallow waters.

60) Lifeboats and Rescue Craft

 A rescue lifeboat is a boat rescue craft which is used to attend a vessel in distress, or its survivors, to rescue crew and passengers. It can be hand pulled, sail powered or powered by an engine. Lifeboats may be rigid, inflatable or rigid-inflatable combination hulled vessels.

61) Fireboats

A fireboat is a specialized watercraft with pumps and nozzles designed for fighting shoreline and shipboard fires. The first fireboats, dating to the late 18th century, were tugboats, retrofitted with firefighting equipment.Older designs derived from tugboats and modern fireboats more closely resembling seafaring ships can both be found in service today. Some departments would give their multi-purpose craft the title of "fireboat" also.

62) Preserved Vessels and Museum Ships


A museum ship, also called a memorial ship, is a ship that has been preserved and converted into a museum open to the public for educational or memorial purposes. Some are also used for training and recruitment purposes, mostly for the small number of museum ships that are still operational and thus capable of regular movement.

63) Sailing Ships 

A sailing ship is a sea-going vessel that uses sails mounted on masts to harness the power of wind and propel the vessel. There is a variety of sail plans that propel sailing ships, employing square-rigged or fore-and-aft sails. Some ships carry square sails on each mast-the brig and full-rigged ship, said to be "ship-rigged" when there are three or more masts.Others carry only fore-and-aft sails on each mast-schooners. Still others employ a combination of square and fore-and aft sails, including the barque, barquentine, and brigantine.Sailing ships developed differently in Asia, which produced the junk and dhow-vessels that incorporated innovations absent in European ships of the time. Technically in the Age of Sail a ship was a specific type of vessel, with a bowsprit and three masts, each of which consists of a lower, top, and topgallant mast

64) Yachts 

A yacht is a sail or power vessel used for pleasure, cruising, or racing. There is no standard definition, so the term applies to such vessels that have a cabin with amenities that accommodate overnight use. To be termed a yacht, as opposed to a boat, such a pleasure vessel is likely to be at least 33 feet (10 m) in length and have been judged to have good aesthetic qualities.
The Commercial Yacht Code classifies yachts 79 ft (24 m) and over as large.Such yachts typically require a hired crew and have higher construction standards. Further classifications for large yachts are: commercial—carrying no more than 12 passengers, private—solely for the pleasure of the owner and guests, or by flag, the country under which it is registered. A superyacht (sometimes megayacht) generally refers to any yacht (sail or power) longer than 131 ft (40 m).

Racing yachts are designed to emphasize performance over comfort.Charter yachts are run as a business for profit.As of 2020 there were more than 15,000 yachts of sufficient size to require a professional crew.

Have a nice day until you meet another important article related to the shipping industry

Types of ships part 4

Hello friends,Today we will talk about the fourth part of the series of types of ships.

38) Cable Ships


Cable ship is a deep-sea vessel designed and used to lay underwater cables for telecommunications, electric power transmission, military, or other purposes. Cable ships are distinguished by large cable sheaves  for guiding cable over bow or stern or both. Bow sheaves. some very large, were characteristic of all cable ships in the past, but newer ships are tending toward having stern sheaves only, 

39) Heavy Lift Ships


A heavy-lift ship is a vessel designed to move very large loads that cannot be handled by normal ships. They are of two types:

Semi-submersible ships that take on water ballast to allow the load usually another vessel to be floated over the deck, whereupon the ballast is jettisoned and the ship's deck and cargo raised above the waterline.

Project cargo ships that use at least one heavy-lift crane for handling heavy cargo and sufficient ballast to assure stability and sea-keeping properties.


40) Floating Cranes and Sheerlegs


A floating cranes and sheerleg is a floating water vessel with a crane built on shear legs. Unlike other types of crane vessel, it is not capable of rotating its crane independently of its hull.

41) Barges and Pontoons 



42) Research Vessels

 

research vessel is a ship or boat designed, modified, or equipped to carry out research at sea. Research vessels carry out a number of roles. Some of these roles can be combined into a single vessel but others require a dedicated vessel. Due to the demanding nature of the work, research vessels are often constructed around an icebreaker hull, allowing them to operate in polar waters.

43) Survey Vessels


 
survey vessel is any type of ship or boat that is used for mapping. It is a type of research vessel.


44) Aircraft / Helicopter Carriers 



An aircraft carrier is a warship that serves as a seagoing airbase, equipped with a full-length flight deck and facilities for carrying, arming, deploying, and recovering aircraft. Typically, it is the capital ship of a fleet, as it allows a naval force to project air power worldwide without depending on local bases for staging aircraft operations. Carriers have evolved since their inception in the early twentieth century from wooden vessels used to deploy balloons to nuclear-powered warships that carry numerous fighters, strike aircraft, helicopters, and other types of aircraft. While heavier aircraft such as fixed-wing gunships and bombers have been launched from aircraft carriers, it is currently not possible to land them. By its diplomatic and tactical power, its mobility, its autonomy and the variety of its means, the aircraft carrier is often the centerpiece of modern combat fleets. Tactically or even strategically, it replaced the battleship in the role of flagship of a fleet. One of its great advantages is that, by sailing in international waters, it does not interfere with any territorial sovereignty and thus obviates the need for overflight authorizations from third-party countries, reduces the times and transit distances of aircraft and therefore significantly increase the time of availability on the combat zone.


45) Cruisers and Battleships 



Cruisers and battleships  was a type of capital ship of the first half of the 20th century. They were similar in displacement, armament and cost to battleships, but differed slightly in form and balance of attributes. Battlecruisers typically had slightly thinner armour and a lighter main gun battery than contemporary battleships, installed on a longer hull with much higher engine power in order to attain greater speeds


46) Destroyers and Frigates 


Frigates are thus usually used as escort vessels to protect sea lines of communication or as an auxiliary component of a strike group whereas destroyers are generally integrated into carrier battle groups as the air defence component or utilised to provide territorial air and missile defence.

47) Corvettes and Patrol Vessels


A corvette and patrol is small warships. It is traditionally the smallest class of vessel considered to be a proper (or "rated") warship. The warship class above the corvette is that of the frigate, while the class below was historically that of the sloop-of-war. The modern types of ship below a corvette are coastal patrol craft, missile boat and fast attack craft. In modern terms, a corvette is typically between 500 tons and 2,000 tons, although recent designs may approach 3,000 tons, which might instead be considered a small frigate.

48) Submarines

A submarine (or sub) is a watercraft capable of independent operation underwater. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability. It is also sometimes used historically or colloquially to refer to remotely operated vehicles and robots, as well as medium-sized or smaller vessels, such as the midget submarine and the wet sub. 


I hope to put you through another article like this about the rest of the ships.Don't forget to leave your comments below. Have a good future until we meet in the next article.

IALA MARITIME BUOYAGE SYSTEM

Today we are going to talk about one of the most important and mandatory things to know in the field of shipping.This is called the IALA maritime buoyage system.

What is the IALA maritime buoyage system?

The severest test of a buoyage system occurs when the mariner is confronted unexpectedly by night or low visibility by the lights marking an uncharted danger, such as a recent wreck; immediately he must instincively,positively and correctly decide which way to go.
                 In the Dover Strait in 1971 the Brandemburg struck the wreckage of the Texaco Caribbean and sank,thought the wreckage  was appropriately marked. A few weeks later the wreckage,dedespite being marked by a wreck-marking vessel and many buoys, was struck by the Niki, which also sank. A total of 51 lives was lost. It was this disaster which brought to life the IALA  Maritime Buoyage System.

     The beginning of a uniform system of buoyage emerged in 1889, when certain countries agreed to mark the port hand side of channels with black can buoys and the starboard hand with red conical buoys.
              Unfortunately when lights for buoys were introduced,some European countries placed red light on the black port hand buoys to conform with the red lights marking the port hand side of harbour entrances, whilst ththroughout North America red lights were place on the red starboard hand buoys.
                        Thereafter various conferences sought a single buoyage system , but without success until 1936 when a system was drawn up unde The League of Nations at Geneva. It established a Cardinal system, and a Lateral system with the principle that red buoys should be used on the port hand and black buoys on the starboard hand.But several countries were not signatories on this Conversation and continued to develop their original and opposite systems.
          After World War II buoyage system were re-established in North- west Europe based on the systems devised by the 1936 Geneva Conversation but wide differences in interpretation of  that system resulted in 9 different system coming into use in those waters
            In 1973 observing the need for urgency a further attempt to find a single world-wide system of buoyage was made by the Technical Committee of the International Association of Lighthouse Authorities ( IALA). IALA is a non - governmental body which bring together representative from the aids to navigation services in order to exchange information and recommend improvements to navigational aids based on the latest technology.
              IALA decided that agreement could not be achieved immediately but concluded that the use of only two alternative system was practicable by dividing the world into two Regions. It proposed a system allowing the use of both Cardinal and Lateral system in each Region but whereas in Region A the colour red of the Lateral system in used to mark the port side of channels and the colour green the starboard side, in Region B the colours are reversed.

Below is a map of the area around Region A and Region B

In future articles I hope to introduce you in detail about the shapes of buoys and their variants and their uses..so stay tuned.Leave your comments below. Have a nice day

Types of ships part 3

Today we will talk about the third part of the series of types of ships.




28) Hopper Barges



hopper barge is a kind of non-mechanical ship or vessel that cannot move around by itself, unlike some other types of barges, that is designed to carry materials, like rocks, sand, soil and rubbish, for dumping into the ocean, a river or lake for land reclamation.
                      Hopper barges are seen in two distinctive types; raked hopper or box hopper barges. The raked hopper barges move faster than the box hoppers; they are both designed for movement of dry bulky commodities.

                              There are several "hoppers" or compartments between the fore and aft bulkhead of the barge. On the bottom of the barge hull, there is also a large "hopper door, opening downwards. The doors are closed while the vessel is moving, so she can carry the materials that are to be dumped. The door open when the ship has arrived at the spot where the materials are to be dumped.
              
Split barges serve the same purpose, but instead of a door in the hull's bottom, the hull of the whole barge splits longitudinally between the end bulkheads. The vessel consists of two major parts (port and starboard halves), both are mostly symmetrical in design. Both parts of the vessel are hinged at the deck and operated by hydraulic cylinders. When the vessel splits the load is dumped rapidly, which means the barge has to be very stable in order not to capsize or otherwise get damaged.

29) Multicats and Work Vessels


30) Salvage and Diving Vessels 

Salvage diving is the diving work associated with the recovery of all or part of ships, their cargoes, aircraft, and other vehicles and structures which have sunk or fallen into water. In the case of ships it may also refer to repair work done to make an abandoned or distressed but still floating vessel more suitable for towing or propulsion under its own power. The recreational/technical activity known as wreck diving is generally not considered salvage work, though some recovery of artifacts may be done by recreational divers.The vessels used for this purpose are called salvage and diving vessels.

31) Pollution Control Vessels 

The new generation of advanced coast protection vessels to deal with potential emergencies. Towing and pollution control ships are intended to prevent disasters such as the ERIKA and PRESTIGE pollution accidents happening again. They should have sufficient towing force to prevent a stricken vessel grounding or drifting ashore causing an oil spill, and a comprehensive oil recovery outfit. This includes oil booms and sweeping arms to direct floating oil to a variety of skimmer systems that can collect oil of different viscosities. They can have also other capabilities, including rescue, firefighting, salvage and support for divers.

32) Sludge Carriers and Refuse Vessels

33) Anchor Handling Tug / Supply Vessels

Anchor Handling Tug Supply (AHTS) vessels are mainly built to handle anchors for oil rigs, tow them to location, and use them to secure the rigs in place. AHTS vessels sometimes also serve as Emergency Response and Rescue Vessels (ERRVs) and as supply transports.
         Many of these vessels are designed to meet the harsh conditions of the North Sea, and can undertake supply duties there between land bases and drilling sites.They also provide towing assistance during tanker loading, deepwater anchor handling, and towing of threatening objects.
             AHTS vessels differ from Platform supply vessels (PSVs) in being fitted with winches for towing and anchor handling, having an open stern to allow the decking of anchors, and having more power to increase the bollard pull. The machinery is specifically designed for anchor handling operations. They also have arrangements for quick anchor release, which is operable from the bridge or other normally manned location in direct communication with the bridge. The reference load used in the design and testing of the towing winch is twice the static bollard pull.
                     Even if AHTS-vessels are customized for anchor-handling and towing, they can also undertake, for example, ROV (remotely operated underwater vehicle) services, safety/rescue services, and supply duties between mainland and offshore installations.
 
34) Platform Supply Vessels 

Platform supply vessels or PSVs is a type of offshore vessel which is mainly used for transiting essential equipment and additional manpower to reinforce the high seas’ operations

35)  Emergency Response and Rescue Vessels


The importance of the emergency response and rescue vessel (ERRV) within the marine industry is often overlooked. This may be due to the fact that the role of the ERRV can appear to be limited to standby duties and emergency situations. However, the ERRV is a vessel that is actually utilised for many and varied tasks associated both with work onboard the installation to which it is assigned and within the general offshore environment. An ERRV may be required to perform routine standby duties during over side work from the installation or during helicopter landing and take-off operations, to perform in-field transfers or be assigned collision avoidance duties. All of these tasks require specific skills, training and levels of competence unique to the vessel type. Training, drills and exercises are, therefore, a major part of life onboard an ERRV, and the roles onboard demand a level of competence that is routinely and continually tested and assessed.

          Routine operations may be performed in harsh weather conditions and the vessels must maintain station twenty four hours a day. Unlike other offshore support vessels, such as dive support vessels, platform supply vessels or anchor handling vessels, the ERRV is a constant presence at offshore platforms, semi-submersible drilling rigs and jack-ups. There is no respite from its duties and the vessel and crew must remain diligent, alert and in a constant state of readiness.

36) Offshore Construction Vessels


Offshore vessels are ships that specifically serve operational purposes such as oil exploration and construction work at the high seas. There are a variety of offshore vessels, which not only help in exploration and drilling of oil but also for providing necessary supplies to the excavation and construction units located at the high seas.

I hope to put you through another article like this about the rest of the ships.Don't forget to leave your comments below. Have a good future until we meet in the next article.




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