A Master's Guide to Berthing.pdf

OLDENDORFF

CARRIERS

CONTENTS

Introduction

1. Golden Rules of Berthing

2. Dock Damage and P&l Claims

3. Ship FactorsthatAffect Manoeuvring

4. Berthing inWind

5. Effect of Current

6. Hydrodynamic Effects

7. Berthingwithout Tugs

8. Berthingwith Tugs

9. Berthingwith Anchors

10. Tugs and Pilots - Legal Issues

11. MasterIPilot Relationship

(Incorporatingthe ICS/lntertanko/OCIMF Guide)

INTRODUCTION

Ship handling is an art rather than a science. However, a ship handler who knows a little of the science

will be better at his art. Knowledgeof the science will enable easy identification of aship's manoeuvring

characteristics and quick evaluation of the skills neededfor control. A ship handler needs to understand

what is happening to his ship and, more importantly, what will happen a short time into the future.This

knowledge is essential in a port environment when a ship encounters close quarters situations, narrow

channels and the effects of cross-winds and currents.

The culmination of any voyage isthe controlled mating of the ship with a solid, stationary berth. Berthing

requires precise and gentle control ifthe former is notto demolish the latter. Such fine and precise control

is demonstrated everyday by ship handlers in ports all over the world. Most ships docksaf61y, most of the

time - a testament to pilots' skill and ability, - but the outcome of a manoeuvre is not always successful.

Ships can, and do, run aground, demolish jetties, hitthe berth and collide with other ships at an alarming

frequency, giving rise to loss of life, environmental pollution and property damage.

The purpose of this guide is to provide some insight into what can go wrong and why, why ships are

designed the way they are, why they handle the way they do and how to berth them. In the final chapter,

there is advice on pilotage. On its own, the guide will notteach you how to become a ship handler, but it

does provide background material to help a good ship handler become a better one.

Throughout the berthing examples, ithas been assumed that the ship has asingle right-handed propeller

and that bulk carriers and tankers have their accommodation aft.

Eric Murdoch

April 2004

1. GOLDEN RULES OF BERTHING

There are certain actions that a master should always take before and during berthing.These are listed

below.

Passage planning

Always passage plan from berth to berth. Pay careful attention to the dangersthat are likely to be

encountered during the pilotage.

Always fully brief the pilot, making sure that he understands the ship's speed and manoeuvring

characteristics.

Always ask the pilot to discuss the passage and berthing plan. Ask questions if anything is unclear.

Working with tugs

Consider the use of tug assistance, where wind and current or the ship's handling characteristics create

difficult berthing conditions.

Always estimate windage and use this estimate to determine the number of tugs required.

When berthing with a bow thruster, a large ship may need a tug to control the ship's stern.

Manoeuvring

Avoid high forward speed when working with tugs, when using a bow thruster, when under-keel

clearance is small, when sailing in a narrow channel or when close to other ships.

Test astern movement and wait until the ship moves positively astern before stopping.

Rememberthat a kick ahead can be usedto initiate and maintain a turn when speed is low.

Rememberthat the ship's pivot point is forward of amidships when steaming ahead.

Rememberthat a ship will want to settle with the pivot pointto the windward of, and inalignment with,

the point of influence of wind.

Rememberthat the point of influence of wind changes with wind direction and the ship's heading.

Rememberthat at low speed, current and wind have a greater effect on manoeuvrability and that high-

sided ships will experience a pronounced effect from leeway.

Finally

Never ring 'finished with engines' until every mooring line has been made fast.

c Always anticipate well ahead and expect the unexpectedto occur.

2. DOCK DAMAGEAND P&l CLAIMS

Since 1997the Club has seen the annual cost of dock damage claims increase from $3 million to $1 2

million. Duringthis period, the number of claims handled by the Club has doubled, while the total cost has

increased by almost four times.Almost 70% of these claims can be put down to bad ship handling, errors

in ship control, tug error or pilot error. We have noticed that newer ships are more likely to be involved in

dock damage, which may be a result of berthing without tug assistance. However, it appears that the

majority of incidents are caused by simple mistakes made by an individual.

The case studies that follow briefly report incidents,their causes and how they could have been avoided.

Struck a navigation mark

The ship was navigating ina buoyed channel steering towards the fairway beacon. It was the third

officer's watch. Visibility was good, the sea calm.The master was on the bridge with the watch officer.

They both stood and watched as the ship drove into and demolished the fairway beacon.

Cause - operator error

The master's instruction to the watchofficer was that when he, the master, was on thebridge, he

wouldbe in charge.As a result, there was no procedure for handing over between the watch

officer and themaster. In this incident, the thirdofficer thought the master would make the

necessary course change to miss the fairway beacon and the master thought the third officer

wouldchange course.However,neither made the necessary course alteration. Neither knew who

was in control. The need for formalproceduresto hand over the watchbetween the master and

watchofficer is essential.

Struck the berth at 90"

The ship was to berth without a pilot but with tug assistance.The plan was to approachthe berth head-on,

drop the starboardanchor and then turn with tug assistance to berth port side to the quay.The anchor was

dropped as the ship approached the berth at 90" but she continued on and struck the berth.

Cause - operator error

The master sailed directly towards the berth thinkinghe could drop his anchor to reduce theship's

approach speed rather than stoppingsome distance from the berth and approaching withcaution

atdead slow speed. The speed of approach was excessive and the ship couldnot be controlled.

Struck a dock

The master, pilot, watch officer and helmsman were on the bridge.The pilot gave the orders and the

helmsman applied them.The pilot ordered starboard helm, but the helmsman applied port helm. By the

time this error was discovered, the ship was swinging towards rather than away from the berth.

Cause - operator error

Itwas not the practice to repeat helm orders. The helmsman thought thepilot had orderedport

helm,he did not repeat the order and thepilot did not observe the rudder movement, Helm orders

should always be repeated. Itis bestpractice for the ship's master or watchofficer to repeat the

helm order from a pilot to the quartermaster and for the quartermasterto repeat the order back

before the manoeuvre is made.

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