PONDICHERRY MARITIME ACADEMY

A recent grounding incident of a ship turned out to be fatal as the master declared “Abandon-Ship”. Though the decision to abandon the ship was, some say, dubious; it was nevertheless a-moment-of-panic and given the conditions the only chance to survive. Subsequently, as the crew managed to get away from the wretched ship, the fate had its own plans; the lifeboat which was carrying the survivors capsized under steep breakers and heavy surfs, while they tried ‘beaching’ it. Except a few crew members who went missing in the bad weather conditions, others found themselves extremely lucky to be alive. Beaching a life boat in good weather seems doable, although a bit tricky, but when it is to be done in a bad and inclement weather, it is a nightmare. A boat can easily be toppled over its broad side when approaching dangerous breakers and surfs near the shore, if not handled skillfully and of course, with a lot of patience. That’s what exactly happened to the folks in the life boat who w

  You can’t manage what you don’t measure. For ship managers who want to keep a close eye on their fleet, the internet of things (IoT) is a dream come true. Maritime IoT devices increase engine efficiency, decrease maintenance costs, and reduce the frequency and severity of breakdowns. For the crew on board, IoT cuts down on administrative tasks, allowing them to focus on their core tasks. In simple terms, the internet of things connects physical objects to a network. Ashore, IoT devices can include smart light bulbs, moisture sensors to water your plants, and a growing range of health-tracking gadgets. IoT blurs the line between physical and digital objects by connecting the physical and digital worlds. By providing a continuous stream of data, IoT unlocks the power of  big data ,  artificial intelligence  (AI) and machine learning (ML). How can IoT improve ship management? The strength of IoT isn’t in the sensors and the network, but in the data they provide. Ship managers can use ML

How do cyclones form? The above figure shows how cyclones form. The green arrows show where warm air is rising. The red arrows indicate where cool air is sinking. •             Tropical cyclones form only over warm ocean waters near the equator. •             To form a cyclone, warm, moist air over the ocean rises upward from near the surface. As this air moves up and away from the ocean surface, it leaves is less air near the surface. So basically as the warm air rises, it causes an area of lower air pressure below. •             Air from surrounding areas with higher air pressure pushes in to the low pressure area. Then this new “cool” air becomes warm and moist and rises, too. And the cycle continues… •             As the warmed, moist air rises and cools the water in the air forms clouds. The whole system of clouds and wind spins and grows, fed by the ocean’s heat and water evaporating from the ocean surface. •             As the storm system rotates faster and faster, an e

Ship Manoeuvres for a Man Overboard The Round or Anderson Turn is a maneuver used to bring a ship or boat back to a point it previously passed through, often for the purpose of recovering a man overboard. This turn is most appropriate when the point to be reached remains clearly visible. Both will require more time before returning to the point in question. 1. If the turn is in response to a man overboard, stop the engines. 2. Put the rudder over full. If in response to a man overboard, put the rudder toward the person ( e.g. , if the person fell over the starboard side, put the rudder over full to starboard). 3. When clear of the person, go all ahead full, still using full rudder. 4. After deviating from the original course by about 240 degrees (about 2/3 of a complete circle), back the engines 2/3 or full. 5. Stop the engines when the target point is 15 degrees off the bow. Ease the rudder and back the engines as required. If dealing with a man overboard, always bri