While underway in busy shipping areas during the hours of darkness, a separate dedicated lookout is needed on the bridge in addition to the watchkeeper. Read the MARS report on a collision in a busy traffic separation scheme where this was not the case.
The report highlights the misunderstanding of the situation and miscommunication and the question of how to assess if someone is sufficiently competent to take charge of a bridge watch.
Please share the report with your colleagues and friends and encourage them to access, and contribute to, the Institute’s free onlineMARS database.
Beware: hazards of the mundane
When there’s an unusual job to be done onboard we generally make the time to analyse risks beforehand and stay focused and communicate efficiently as a team while doing it. Everyday jobs need the same degree of care and concentration to ensure that everyone in the team is kept safe.
Read the MARS report of how the everyday task of greasing the aft mooring winches resulted in serious hand injuries because the team members had not thought hard enough about what could go wrong.
If you value our MARS reports, you can help us to develop the MARS database by encouraging your organisation to become a Nautical Affiliate in partnership with The Nautical Institute. Visit our website to find out more.
NI Radio: Capt Soomro FNI talks nav audits
Member exclusive: What purpose do navigational audits serve, how effective are they and what constitutes best practice when conducting them? Captain Yusuf Soomro FNI, Master Mariner and Marine Consultant at TMC (Marine Consultants Ltd) answers these and other questions.Captain Soomro was speaking at a short evening seminar entitled ‘Watchkeeping standards: do navigational audits help?’ held on 1 December 2014 onboard HQSWellington and hosted by the Institute’s London branch. Listen now to Captain Soomro’s presentation (and view the accompanying slides) by logging in to the Members’ Area of the Institute’s website and clicking on the blue ‘Presentations’ tab on the left hand side of your screen. (Please note this presentation can only be viewed by members of The Nautical Institute.
Join our LinkedIn group and join the debate
The Nautical Institute has a lively discussion group on LinkedIn. Why not join the debate?Hot topics at the moment include active or passive navigation and reliance on GNSS (sparked by Captain Paul Whyte’s article in the February issue of Seaways).Also trending is a discussion on the human science of ship driving, focusing on the cognitive processes which underpin human behaviour in any given situation – processes such as risk perception, situational awareness and emotional intelligence.
Ten tips for avoiding collisions
One of the most popular features of The Navigator, our free magazine for professional marine navigators, is ‘Take Ten’, a list of ten tips summing up the magazine, which appears at the back of each issue.
Issue two of the magazine focuses on the subject of avoiding collisions. Tips in the ‘Take Ten’ list include:
put yourself in the position of the other vessel to get a rounded perspective
share your knowledge and learn from the experience of others
above all, keep an eye out! In over 50% of collision cases, either one or both vessels didn’t see the other before it was too late.
View the full list here or visit our website to read the Take 10s featured in each issue ofThe Navigator.
Thanks to all those who sent in photos of themselves reading The Navigator. Our most
recent winner is Edmund D Salmon Jr, pictured here. Edmund is currently a Third Officer on the car carrier Höegh Seoul and he told us that he finds the articles “very interesting and lessons can be learned from them”.
Send us your photo for a chance to win an iPad mini and let us know where the magazine is being enjoyed. More and more photos are coming in and the number of copies being distributed worldwide is increasing, but we still need your help to reach our target of having a copy of The Navigator on every SOLAS vessel. Individuals, companies or colleges can become distributors.
CPD – who needs it? Watch our webinar
Continuing Professional Development (CPD) can be a powerful tool in helping you to grow your maritime career.Earlier this month, Steven Gosling MNI, the Institute’s Training and Quality Manager, hosted a webinar to explain the support available to Nautical Institute members through its CPD Online programme. As part of the programme, members can submit their CPD record to the Institute each year for independent validation, evidencing their commitment to self development.If you didn’t catch the webinar why not watch it now.
MET focus for San Francisco NI AGM Event
Booking is now open for the 2015 Nautical Institute AGM Event in San Francisco on 11-12 May and places are likely to go quickly for what promises to be a thought-provoking seminar.
The theme is ‘Sailing into the future: bridging the gap between training and technology’. Do you have views on how maritime education and training can keep pace with technological change in the industry? Then come along and hear from serving seafarers, educators, trainers and other experts and make your contribution to the debate.
For further information and to register visit the Institute’s website.
Events guide: up to £225 off for NI members
Listed below are upcoming events. If there’s a Nautical Institute event near you then why not go along and meet some like-minded souls.
CPD certificates are provided at many Nautical Institute events – please check with the event organiser.
Rhode Island Convention Center, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
Publications
Visit the publications section of our website to download our interactive Publications List and Services brochure, listing the entire range of specialist book titles available from The Nautical Institute.
