3. Basic Seamanship 

• Pilot ladders are to be regularly inspected for wear and tear of side ropes, missing wedges, and damages on the steps.  

• The steps should never be painted and should be kept clean, free from oil and grease.  

• All the steps should be equally spaced between the side ropes and the distance between two steps should be uniform.  

• Steps should be always horizontal. 

• The pilot ladders should be stowed in dry and well-ventilated space, clear of the deck and fitted with a cover to prevent the ladder from sunlight, chemical and paint spills.  

• If required to repair, the emergency repair should be carried out as per IMO guidelines.  

• When any replacement step is secured to the side ropes of the pilot ladder by means of grooves in the sides of the step, such grooves should be in the longer sides of the step.

Types of rope  

There are mainly three kinds of ropes used onboard, these are-  

1. Vegetable or natural fibre ropes. 

2. Synthetic fibre ropes. 

3. wire/ metal ropes 

Vegetable or natural fibre ropes are mainly classified into five types.  

• Manila 

• Sisal 

• Coir 

• Hemp

• Cotton 

Synthetic Fibre Ropes are the man-made fibre ropes.  

• Nylon 

• Polyester 

• Polypropylene

Steel wire ropes are composed of three parts – wires, strands and the heart.  

• Steel wire rope (SWR) 

• Flexible steel wire rope (FSWR) 

• Extra flexible steel wire rope (EFSWR)   

Structure- Fibre rope  

Lay of rope

A fiber rope consists of strands made up of from fiber yams twisted and laid into rope form.  A strand is made by twisting yams and a rope is made by twisting strands. There are two types of lay dependent on the direction of twist, Z-lay and S-lay. When you see a rope and you can see "Z" on the rope as shown in, the rope is called  Z-lay rope. On the contrary, when you can see "S" on the rope, it is called a S-lay rope. 

Length of one lay: Pitch 

To measure length between top and top of the same strand. 

Diameter (measuring a diameter) 

To measure length between top and top of the same strand. 

Rope Type Determined by Lay and Structure 

• 3-stranded rope 

− Z-lay is mainly used on board. 

− This type is no longer used aboard large merchant vessels. 

− A rope is easily kinked when twisted.

• 8-rope/Cross rope 

− In comparison with 3-stranded rope, this rope is more supple and kinks less and 

   also more flexible. 

− Its strength is comparable to a 3-stranded rope. 

− Different from 3-stranded rope, each strand of cross-rope is differentiated by its twist as S-Lay, Z-Lay. 

• Double braided rope 

− This rope is easy-handled, good flexibility and less-deformation. 

− Breaking strength is remarkably improved. 

− It is called 'Tafle Rope' or 'Doubler Rope' by each manufacturer.

Structure- Wire rope 

Name of each part 

Lay 

The "ordinary lay" has the lay of the rope opposite to that of the strand. The most standard ropes found on board vessels are those of "ordinary Z-lay" The Lang's lay rope has the same lay of the rope as that of the strand and has the tendency to unlay and is liable to kink. It is used in places where both rope ends are unlikely to rotate freely or the rope is kept tensioned at all times. It should not be used for general slinging. 

Structure of cross section 

Of JIS (Japanese Industrial Standard), No.1 to No.23 wire ropes, the following figure shows No.1 to No.6 wire ropes.  No.4 wire rope is mostly used for general and marine purposes. 

Handling and stowing Ropes 

Selection of rope 

The safe working load of any rope should always be observed, bearing in mind the more it is used, the more it deteriorates. Ropes used for Bosun's chair, where the safety of life is involved, shall be used exclusively and kept with a tag to avoid being used for other jobs. Proper ropes for the job. Avoid multi-purpose usage. Rope ends should be either whipped with a twine or plastic tape temporarily. 

Stowage 

• Regularly check the condition of the rope when stowed under canvas. 

• Be aware of a humid location when stowing ropes. 

• Ropes kept on deck for a long time will deteriorate. 

• Keep ropes away from chemicals.

How to uncoil new rope 

There might be many methods to uncoil ropes. But you have to select the correct way to do the job safely and to avoid kinks. For example, it will be a large-scale job when we uncoil mooring ropes and wires. And we need to remove twists from 3-strand ropes or wires that are always likely to be twisted. 

Uncoil with a wooden reel 

This is suitable for uncoiling mooring ropes wound around a wooden reel.  Insert a steel pipe and keep it on a stands, or hoist by crane. 

Uncoil with Non wooden reel  

Cross timbers and hoist it with a wire sling.  Steel bands binding the coil should be cut after hoisting it.  

Other than big mooring ropes  

This method is applied when an ordinary size of fiber rope is uncoiled. (Do not use this for wire rope.)   Place the coil so as to put the rope end at the center of the coil at the bottom.  Draw the end through the center top.  Wires should never be used directly from the stowage reel, unless the reel is purposely designed to allow direct operation; for if the wire should foul when running, the reel and its supporting frame may be torn from the deck mountings, causing serious injury to persons.  When breaking out a new coil of wire, care must be taken and a turntable used whenever possible.

Care and maintenance of fibre ropes 

• The common cause of rope failure are excessive stress (which damages fibre more quickly than any other cause), abrasion or cutting on a sharp object, exposure to alkalis, acids and rust removers and bad storage with inadequate ventilation, particularly in the case of ropes stored away in a wet condition. 

• Fibre must be examined frequently for external chafe, cutting, internal wear between strands, and deterioration of fibre. 

• Wet or damp ropes should be kept in a well-ventilated store and not dried rapidly in      a boiler house, or left to dry out on the open ground, 

• These must be stored away when dry, and either hung on wooden pegs, galvanized hooks, or stowed on gratings. 

• These should be turned on these gratings every so often so that the weight of the coil is taken on a different part of the rope.

• Ropes, if dried artificially in extreme heat, will become dry (i.e. the lubricant will dry out) and brittle. 

• After use, ropes should be cleaned and dried. After immersion in salt water they should ideally be hosed down with fresh water.

Care and maintenance of fibre ropes 

• Wire rope should be kept on reel or coil down when not in use. 

• Date of replacement of wires being used shall be recorded and inspect periodically, so as to find abnormality in early stage. 

• The most important thing to prevent kinking is to find signs of kinks and prevent them. 

• Check for the internal corrosion in the portion of a wire rope regularly. 

• In service, wire ropes should be frequently examined, cleaned and lubricated. 

• Lubricating and greasing prolong the wire ropes life by up to 2 to 3 times compared with non-lubricated wire ropes.

Proper Use of Greases and Lubricating 

• Nowadays, many excellent rope lubricants are available, but the rope must be cleaned and dried before application of the lubrication oil. 

• The intended application generally will dictate the initial lubrication of the wire rope by manufacturers. 

• Wire rope lubricants can be normally applied onboard by methods of 

• Swabbing 

• Brushing

While there are many kinds of knots, it is not necessary to learn many of them. It is wise to learn several types of knots which serve actual purposes and to gain a full knowledge of their advantages and disadvantages through familiarizing with those knots. 

Basic Methods 

There are 3 categories by name. 

• A hitch is named when a rope is used to tie it to something. 

• A knot is named when a rope is used for tying itself or a ring by rope 

• Bend is named when 2 ropes are connected. (Some of them are called hitch or knot depending on) 

Bowline knot 

• Called the king of knots, it is known as the most popular knot on board ships. 

• You should master this knot in order to be able use it easily. 

• Bowline is highly reliable and safe and there is no worry about it working loose or slipping. 

  • Even if it is worked taut, it is easy to untie it. 

  • It has many varieties and you can use it extensively.

Splice of fibre rope 

Eye Splice

• This is by far the most widely used splice within the marine industry. 

• The eye is made by unlaying the three strands and interweaving them into the rope against the lay. 

• It is considered a permanent eye when completed, and if spliced without a thimble it is referred to as a soft eye splice (as opposed to a hard eye splice with a metal thimble set inside the eye).

Short Splice 

This is a strong method of joining two ropes together. 

Long Splice 

The purpose of this splice is to join two rope ends together without increasing the thickness of the rope. The splice is not as strong as a short splice and is generally used as a temporary method of joining ropes together as they pass through a block.

Splice of wire rope 

• Splice 5 tucks at least. 

• Lay a sheet of plywood for splicing job to avoid slipping of a spike on a steel plate. 

4:2 Method 

Cross section is a view from arrow side as shown. 

Thimble-Eye Splicing with: 3:3 Method 

Cross section is a view from arrow side as shown. 

Short splice with 5:1 Method 

Cross section is a view from arrow side as shown. 

Basketwork insertion by 5:1 Method 

Cross section is a view from the eye side.

Wire rope end treated by Bulldog Grips 

Clips treatment

• Clips should be correctly fitted and secured sufficiently tightening the nuts. 

• They should be tightened again after the rope is tensioned. 

• Arrange and fit U-bolts on the end side of the rope with same intervals. 

• Tighten U-bolt equally. 

• Care should be taken so that the number of clips fit may be sufficient. 

• A rule of thumb is about 4 units for 10 to 16mmwire, and 5 units for 20mm wire. 

• If the U-bolts are fit in the opposite direction, the rope is pressed by the U-bolts, reducing its breaking strength. 

• This method is seldom applied for slings. 

• A turnbuckle, stretching screw or bottle screw is a device for adjusting the tension or length of ropes, cables, tie rods, and other tensioning systems. 

It normally consists of two threaded eye bolts, one screwed into each end of a small metal frame, one with a left-hand thread and the other with a right-hand thread. The tension can be adjusted by rotating the frame, which causes both eye bolts to be screwed in or out simultaneously, without twisting the eye bolts or attached cables.

Use of Bulldog Grips and Bottle-screws, Turnbuckles in Joining wires

After completion of securing, there should be at least half the threaded length of screw available for further tightening as necessary. 

Method of treating a rope end is decided dependent whether or not the end has been treated.

Temporary whipping with twine 

• This is used not only for a fiber rope but also for a wire rope. 

• Plastic tape cannot be used if the surface of rope is stained with oily material. 

Temporary treatment with a plastic tape 

• Cut off after binding both sides of cutting position with plastic tape. 

Whipping 

• All of ends of ropes used for Bosun's chair, painting stage, and so on, shall be treated with this method instead of temporary methods or back splice. 

• Whipped at 2 points is preferable. 

• If a rope is small, it is better to be done by single twine to make the knot small. 

• For a synthetic rope, whipping and fusion by heat is best. 

Seizing for wire rope 

• To split seizing wire into 4:3 so that the finished appearance is better. 

• To separate at both start and finish of a seizing, the seizing wire should be passed through strands. 

• The length of seizing is about twice - three times of size of diameter of the wire rope.

Splice for 8-strand Mooring rope 

Eye splice- Method 1 

Short Splice  

A splice is made by untwisting the constituent strands of two rope ends and weaving them together.  Used for joining two parted mooring rope. 

Handling of Mooring Rope 

• Do not stand or stay where a rope might bound back or rebound in case of a rope whipping or breaking off suddenly. Avoid straddling mooring ropes during mooring. 

• At lease 2-men are to be assigned to work together when using mooring winch and a rope. Signaling between a person in charge and workers is most important when preparing mooring ropes before entering or leaving a port. 

• When slackening a mooring rope walk it back on a winch rather than releasing manually. Maintain a proper distance from the warping end of the mooring winch to avoid loose clothing being caught. 

• When preparing hawsers on deck beware that if too much is laid out, it can snake away and becomes uncontrollable due to its weight.

• When securing a mooring rope on a winch drum, it shall be wound politely from one side toward the other side, not being jammed each other. 

• A synthetic fiber hawser elongates and reduces in diameter under load. It is most dangerous when stranding and recoiling. You should be aware and stand well clear. 

• A synthetic fiber hawser deteriorates when exposed to ultra violet rays. They should be covered when not in use with a canvas cover, etc. 

• Any protrusions or flaws on the fairleads or mooring barrels may damage synthetic fibres. Rust should be removed, also grooving form wire ropes are also damaging. 

• Chemical agents’ paints and thinners will cause damage to Synthetic fiber hawsers. They should be stowed well clear of these substances.

ANCHORING TERMS 

Windrode: A vessel is so described when she is riding head to wind. 

Tide rode: A vessel is so described when she is riding head to tide. 

Lee tide: A tidal stream which is setting to leeward or downwind. 

Weather tide: A tidal stream which is setting to windward or upwind. 

Shortening-in: The cable is shortened-in when some of it is hove inboard. 

Growing: The way the cable is leading from the hawse pipe, e.g., a cable is growing aft when it leads aft. 

Short stay: A cable is at short stay when it is taut and leading down to the water close to vertical. 

Long stay: A cable is at long stay when it is taut and leading down to the water close to the horizontal. 

Come to, Brought up, Got her cable: These are used when a vessel is riding to her anchor and cable, and the former is holding.

Snub cable: To stop the cable running out by using the brake on the windlass. 

Range cable: To lay out the cable on deck, or a wharf, or in a drydock, etc. 

Veer cable, Walk back: To pay out cable under power, i.e. using the windlass motor. 

Walking back the anchor : To lower the anchor under power. 

Surge cable: To allow cable to run out freely, not using the brake or the windlass motor. 

A’cockbill: Used to describe the anchor when it has been lowered clear of the hawse pipe and is hanging vertically.

Foul anchor: Used to describe and anchor which is caught in an underwater cable, or which has brought old hawsers to the surface with it, or which is fouled by its own cable. 

Up-and-down : The cable is up-and-down when it is leading vertically to the water. 

Clear hawse : When both anchors are out and the cables are clear of one another. 

Foul hawse : When both anchors are out and the cables are entwined or crossed. 

Open hawse : When both anchors are out and the cables lead broad out on their own bows. A vessel lying moored to anchors ahead and astern is at open hawse when she lies across the line of her anchors.

Anchor Work 

All anchoring operations are carried out under the supervision of the Chief Officer, and should be carried out smoothly. 

Procedure of Anchoring 

(1) Start the cooling water. 

(2) Start the hydraulic pump. 

(3) Run the pump in unloaded condition. 

(4) Release the lashing wire for anchor in use. 

(5) Engage the clutch. 

(6) Heave the clutch to holding position on gypsy. 

(7) Remove the chain compressor. 

(8) Release the brake of the windlass. 

(9) Walk back chain once order is given. 

(10) Apply the brake to the windlass. 

(11) Disengage the clutch. 

(12) Now the anchor is ready for dropping. 

(13) Release the break by order of "let go anchor". Usually, the anchor starts moving slowly in the first seconds, and the runs at its full speed. (Hoist a black ball.)

(14) Deaden chain speed by controlling the break by order. 

(15) Tighten the brake after the anchor is "brought up". 

(16) Engage the chain compressor. 

Procedure of Heaving in Chain and Anchor 

(1) Have sea water ready for washing anchor. The same process of the 2·1 (1) to (8). 

(2) Start heaving the chain after the order is given. 

(3) Apply the brake to the windlass after the anchor is home. 

(4) Engage the chain compressor 

(5) Secure the anchor with lashing.

How to check the effectiveness of windlass brake

Prior to anchoring check whether the chain link is in contact with the chain compressor if contact is showing the windlass brake may have loosened.

Securing for sea 

When the anchor is clean and ready to be stowed, it should be heaved home into the hawsepipe, the brake applied and bow stopper put on, together with extra lashings as required. 

A tight lashing should ensure that extra weight does not come on the bow stopper. If the anchor is needed for use in an emergency, the bow stopper can be removed by hand. 

During the voyage 

It should be remembered that anchor may shift and become loose, especially in heavy seas. The securing may need to be checked and repeated during the voyage. A loose anchor moving in the hawse pipe can cause serious damage.

Mooring Lines 

• Both Synthetic fiber and wire ropes are usually used for mooring ships. 

• The word hawser is used to describe mooring ropes having a diam in excess of 40mm. 

Purpose of Mooring Line 

• Spring Line: To control the ship's ranging movement. 

• Breast Line: To control the ship's lateral movement. 

• Head/Stern Line: General control of both ranging and lateral movements including any yawing.

Holding of Mooring Line 

It is most dangerous when tension of the mooring rope is transferred to the stopper. Walk back slowly and carefully until the stopper holds the tension firmly. Signaling is most important. 

• when securing a synthetic fiber hawser to a bollard, initial turn should be around   the fore piece of the bollards and then belay in the shape of figure 8 with at least 6 turns. 

• This method allows for easy adjustment to hawser length and prevents slipping under sudden weight. 

• A chain stopper should not be used with synthetic hawsers. 

• Double braided rope with sufficient strength is recommended for hawser stoppers to ensure risk of snapping is reduced.

• Each side of a rope stopper holds the other end of the rope alternately at least    three times. 

• Deck ring is sometimes not enough strong for the tension of mooring stopper. In such a case, a bollard is to be used as shown.

Mooring/unmooring operations and procedures 

Before arrival 

• Checking condition of messenger, heaving line, stopper and mooring ropes; 

• Testing mooring winches; 

• Checking condition and SWL of winches, fairleads, chocks and bollards and maintain mooring equipment in good condition; 

• Non-slip mooring deck to be maintained.

During operation 

• Laying out mooring rope, preparing heaving line and stopper, standby one spare heaving line; 

• Giving signal to linesman when sending heaving line ashore; 

• Send the first line, when order received; 

• Controlling mooring rope speed when paying out/heaving up; 

• Ensuring mooring ropes keep clear of fenders, bow thruster and propeller; 

• Monitoring stress of mooring rope, adjust as required; 

• Monitoring crew position in relation to mooring ropes, to keep clear of mooring rope during slack/heaving up. 

• Monitoring vessel movement/clearance, report useful information to officer in charge/bridge. 

• Being able to identify leads, bitts and connections suitable for towing, understand the use of a messenger in taking, giving or receiving a towing line or other heavy-duty line, secure and let go tug lines, make use of the communication rules, including hand signs, and apply the necessary rigging works (knots and splicing) safely in the context of good seamanship.

Watch keeping duties with respect to mooring 

• Keeping watch at the gangway; 

• Assisting the duty officer in cargo operation (hatch cover opening / closing, sounding, securing cranes); 

• Adjusting the mooring lines or ropes. 

Tug Line Handling

This is a high-risk task during mooring operations, it requires close communication with clear signals, and orders and answer back, special caution is required especially when you are casting off the tug line.

Precaution before made fast the tug lines 

• Checking condition of messenger, heaving line, stopper and mooring rope; 

• Testing capstan, mooring winch, non-slip mooring deck to be maintained; 

• Checking condition of winch, fairlead, chocks and bollards. 

Operation during tug line make fast/cast off 

• Officer in charge keeping communication with tug boat by hand signals; 

• Ensuring tug line to be clear of bow thruster and propeller; 

• Monitoring stress of tug line and heaving line; 

• Monitoring crew’s position in relation to tug’s line, keeping clear of heaving line during heaving up, 

• Reporting to bridge when tug line make fast/cast off. 

• Should never stand in the close vicinity of a tug line when stress is seen to be in the line. 

• Tug lines should always be let go in a controlled manner (by use of rope tail) to ensure that the tug’s crew are not endangered.