Four important things sailors must avoid while onboard ship

The word " SAFETY FIRST"  is very important. Many sailors do practice all safety precautions but forgot that some little things they do could lead them into unsafe stay onboard.

On this article,  we will like to mention some mistakes you most avoid while onboard ship.

1. Listen music or watch movies with headphones : to listen music or watch movies is good because, it removes stress and boring time.  But you most not use headphones to block your ears or play it very loud in such a way that when any alarm comes up,  you will not be able to hear it.

2. Get drunk : many sailors like to drink,  mostly those who sail in cold area.  But in some cases,  you will find out that some people over took them.  To be drunk onboard could cost you not to attend any emergency or escape from any emergency around you.

3. Embarking ship with highness : sometimes you may go outside the ship while at Port or at anchorage probably to get one or two things for yourself,  maybe your ship alcohol policy is highly prohibited, then you choose to do it outside and come back with highness.  No it's bad because I have been a witness of a cook who went out and got drunk,  after he gets to the middle of the pilot ladder,  he fell down to the water,  before rescue came,  he couldn't survive it.

4. To Keep malice with your fellow crew : onboard ship,  all crew use to see themselves as one family because,  in case of emergency,  we all join hands together to rescue each other. Also if anything happens to you,  the people onborad are first to take care of you.  So you most like and be happy with everyone because you don't know whom God will use to rescue you in an emergency time.

Think safe,  work safe and earn safe.

What to know about Officer on watch (OOW)

Officer on duty (OOW) : Is an officer assigned to keep duty either on the bridge or engine room team for the smooth navigation or sailing .

As an officer on watch, you are to put all general effort towards the smooth and Safe navigation during sailing.  While that of engine room team, have a big responsible to make sure that all machineries are running smoothly.

An error from any of the officers on duty can cost the ship into danger which all crew are to face and/or lead to loss of life.  Therefore,  there is need for the officer on duty to put all his or her professional effort to make sure all required parameters are perfectly working smoothly.

What are duties of the officer on watch?

1. Maintain proper watch keeping

2. Maintaining all Recording of all activities during his watch

3. Regular checks on running equipments

4. Following regular plan led by the captain or chief engineer for smooth running

5. Applying professional ability for safety of the ship and her crew.

6. Could ask for assistance,  if required from chief engineer or captain.

7. Ensure proper handover of watch (explaining to the incoming duty office all difficulties encountered and those he or she was able to solve) .  Etc. 

Read more from you ship duty manifest.

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Navigational lights and Meanings.

Navigational lights are colored lights use in ships,  aircrafts  and other space vessels to indicate there position and direction or heading status.

On this article,  we will like to enlighten our readers the basic knowledge about Navigational lights and there functions.In shipping,  these lights are five in number ; white on forward and aft, red port side(left) , green Starboard(right) ,  and one on the mast head (above the monkey island).

Following the descriptions of these lights,  the red and green light is use to indicate between to moving vessel which side direction she is heading to,  in other to take clear for each other. While the forward and aft light shows the length and position of the vessel.

According to the international mandatory regulations, the mast head light which is the 5th light,  is mounted in other to permit other ships to determine the type and relative angle of the ship.  Also to know how danger of her, if collision.

Four reasons why Seafarers are poor

Seafarers career  are widely good earning job,  but still you will find most of them who are still on service and those who are off service are very poor. On this article,  we will like to give four important reasons why Seafarers got there Self into situation.

1. Management : seafarers lack management when you come to finance, this cost them to miss use the money they are been paid why onboard.  In such case,  you will find some seafarers spending money like someone who earn money from illegal way at beer clubs, restaurants, etc.

2. Family : unfortunately, some seafarers got very bad wives  who use there very hard worked and risk money anyhow. These also cost the seafarers to come back home to meet nothing but empty account,  of which when he plans to go back to sea,  he end up borrowing money for agent fee and others.

3. Fear of exams : sea job is a ranking job which requires reading and taken exams in stepping up to the upper ranks. some people feel very lazy to read or go for exams, which I believe they feel comfortable with there little rank and earnings. Age which wait for no one passes very fast and before you know it,  this person remain either rating or low rank till the end of his career age.

4. Unconcerned : some rating for example do feel unconcerned about the duties of there superior,  which makes the very poor in performance and ship owners do not take people who do not improve there job quality.  In this case,  they end up staying at home looking for job from year to year and end up earning nothing for themselves. 

How to start ship Air condition plant and refrigerator

In ship,  the chief engineer is always in charge of the air condition and refrigerator plants.  But in some cases whereby chief engineer is busy with other things,  2nd Engineer can manage any problem that may come up with these plants.

On this article,  we are going to explain little basic things you need to know about starting and stopping these plants.

Lets say your ship have two air compressors and number one is running,  but u like to change to number two plant in other to stop the running one,  here are steps you need to take,  for the safety of the compressor.

1. Close The liquid line V/V -  while the #1 compression is running,  close the liquid line valve to pump down the gas to the condenser.  During this process,  the #1 compressor will shutdown automatically due to low pressure.

2.  Close the #1 suction and discharge valve fully - this process will insulate this compressor from been pressurized when #2 starts.

3. Open #2 compressor Discharge valve fully,  open the liquid line halfway 🌓, then open same #2 suction valve about 1/3 ( three or four turns, then wait for 1 or 2 mins and start the compressor. 

Note: once the compressor starts,  open the suction valve slowly till fully open,  the also go to liquid line valve and open slowly till fully open.  Check your pressures while opening the suction valve and after all valves are fully open as explained above. 

You can drop your questions on the comment box below.

Important thing you need to know about ship Ballast and De-ballast operation

In shipbuilding,  the word "stability" matters a lot.  Therefore, ship was built in such a way that she can Withstand the roughness of the sea with or without cargo. 

The word Ballast is always use in ship and aircraft. In shipping,  Ballast simply means the "sea water"  use to stabilizing the ship.

Operations and process

It's very important to have an experienced officer onboard, who can handle the loading, Discharge of cargo and stabilization of the ship.  Sometimes,  the upright stability of the ship also gives the engine a better speed.

Ballasting -  Is a process of taking in the Sea water into the ship tanks made for stabilization of the ship. This is ranging between port, starboard, forward and aft wings of the ship.

De-ballasting -  This is an act of removing or taking out the water filled into the Tanks for stability. 

Ballasting and De-ballasting can be done while loading or Discharging cargo,  at sea,  during rough weather.  If a ship is wrongly Ballast or De-ballast,  it cost the ship to list either port, starboard, forward or aft. In that case,  the ship may lose it stability and may capsize.

Five important things you must know while handling ship CO2 system

The CO2 system is built in a ship to fight fire in a major areas of the ship,  example: the engine room,  pump room,  etc.  There are important things the ship crews must know about this system, to avoid malfunctioning or misuse.

1. Familiar with operations : while onboard,  there is need to explain to all crew the right way of operating the CO2,  to avoid some new crews who like to touch unknown things from releasing the system unknowingly.

2. The CO2 release cabinet point must be kept always accessible: the CO2 room must not be luck down,  there should be always free accessibility. 

3. The CO2 room must have exhaust fan and its switch must be outside of the room. Always take note of this,  don't forget to start the vent fan before entering the CO2 room.

4. Maintenance of CO2 room and lines are very important.  As the ship moves between different weathers,  the temperature of the room may change,  since we got gases inside the bottles or cylinders, some condensation may occur,  which will brings corrosion to the lines. Therefore if these corrosion block the lines,  it may lead to less functioning during emergency or fire hazard.

5. The CO2 bottles room must be equipped with special hanging scale to weighing them in regular interval and class survey intervals.

Ghana signed seafarers cooperation agreement with Denmark.

Ghana been in first recognized Maritime country in West African,  last week signed a bilateral agreement for the mutual recognition of her seafarers certificates.

According to the Ghana Maritime Authority (GMA), " This development will bring a very high advantage to Ghanaian seafarers and ship manning agencies,  also access the Danish maritime labour market.

The ceremony which took place in Copenhagen, Denmark, last week when a maritime delegation from Ghana participated in this year's Danish Maritime Forum from 6th to 9th October, 2015. The delegation was led by the Deputy Minister of Transport, Honourable Joyce Bawa Mogtari.

In other hands, the Director Generals of the two institutions, Rev. Dr. Peter Issaka Azuma and Mr. Andreas Nordseth, initialed for their respective organizations.

Five common things about seaman carrier

Five things  you must know about offshore Carrier.

People like to join Maritime Carrier,  maybe  because there friends are doing well on it or because they love to travel from one country to another,  that is all part of it.  On this article will like to enlighten you on things you need to know before embarking on an offshore or seaman carrier.

There's need to know these Five things before you proceed to seaman profession:

1) Job offer : It's known that seafarers or marine offshore workers are always in search of job. This is because the nature of the job and/or company's salary differences makes it very difficult to place someone on permanent staff, as been done in an onshore jobs. Therefore you must have it in mind that no company may keep you as permanent staff for long; highest maybe 6 years and you will get tied of same company.

2) Family : This is another important point for some people who may love to see or be close to there families always. You must note that "to become a seafarer,  it means you agree to miss your family for months while at sea" , because no company will allow you to go home daily or weekly to see your family, except if your contract is on weekly basis.

3) Unstable salary : There's an option of low and high salary in many cases,  so you must not put your mind in what others receive. Every on negotiate his or her salary pending on your capabilities.

4) Risk : In an offshore jobs, there are a lot of risk to take; a) risk of life b)  risk of  injury.  But if you maintain all safety precautions,  you will work safely and earn safely.

5) Sea illness : While first time at sea,  people use to fall sea illness like; vomiting,  purging and others.  So you must know your body status before joining the ship.