The Pilot Boat

Minerva

2009-08-28T00:01:00.001+02:00

The small cruise vessel Minerva (ex-Explorer II) sailing from Viana after a short call. She is currently operated by Swan Hellenic.

This ship motion to port is technically known as "ooops!".

This ship motion to starboard is described at Bowditch, The American Practical Navigator as "Iwiwa" or "I wish I was ashore".

Akademik Shokalskiy

2009-08-27T23:38:00.000+02:00

The ice class passenger vessel Akademik Shokalskiy, sailing after extensive repairs at Viana Yard. She is now operated by Quark Expeditions.

"Akademik Shokalskiy was originally designed and built in Finlandfor polar and oceanographic research. The ship is small, nimble, andice-strengthened, capable of reaching the nooks and crannies ofAntarctica that many larger ships cannot. The vessel is equipped withZodiacs. A kayaking adventure option is offered on this vessel in theArctic."

Passió per Formentera

2009-08-27T23:27:00.000+02:00

The passenger/ro-ro ship Passió per Formentera under tow by Charuca Silveira. This hull, built by Astillero Barreras (Vigo) was completed by Viana Yard. With a 101 meter LOA and 6146t GT she will soon be delivered to Balearia Group.

Cape Henry

2009-08-27T23:17:00.000+02:00

The 1992 built, Liberian flagged container ship Cape Henry sailing after unloading several hatches for Viana Yard newbuildings.

First rotor blades export from Viana do Castelo

2009-06-20T23:47:00.001+02:00

The Maltese flagged, Russian owned cargo ship "Socol 4" loading 30 rotor blades produced at the Enercon's factory, located adjacent to Viana Yard.

These were the first blades ever to be exported through this port and were destined to Italy.

Vessels in Vitoria harbour

2009-06-15T19:26:00.005+02:00

Hi there I would like to show some old pictures taken when on board Far Swift alongside CPVV terminal in Vitoria harbour Brazil.
The entrance in Vitoria harbour is quite interesting because is very narrow in some parts as the passage between rocks showed on the pictures and very strong currents especially after heavy rains and during ebb tide.
Vitoria Pilots (Praticagem de Vitoria) always being of a great help and very friendly and kind, so I want to thank them for their help every time Far Swift call this port.
All the best and take care out there.

Pict.1

Pict.2
Pict.3 Pict.4 Pict.5 Pict.6(Posted on board Far Spirit for the moment at anchor in Luanda bay)

A different kind of sailing

2009-05-27T23:03:00.001+02:00

Radio remote controlled sailing boats in a regatta at Cais da Fonte Nova, Aveiro.

Pilots and helmets

2009-05-09T19:17:00.002+02:00

The most dangerous part of the pilot’s job (from the personal point of view) is the transfer between pilot boat/ship/pilot boat as the previous post clearly shows. The pilot’s personal protective equipment is therefore of paramount importance on the prevention of serious injury should an accident occur. For several years this equipment has been limited to the wearing of automatically inflatable lifejackets or “Seasafe” jackets which includes all the SOLAS requirements for lifejackets as well as an harness, strobe light and even a personal locator beacon (depending on model). Safety boots and non-slippery gloves are usually also standard equipment. All this equipment becomes quite useless should a pilot suffer a more than probable head injury on a falling accident. 

As part of our Safety Management System there is a constant formal safety assessment and an ongoing review of critical pilotage procedures. Due to previous incidents with pilots while transferring to or from the ship, the risk of head injury was identified and corrective action taken. Appropriate safety helmets (light, comfortable and with neutral buoyancy, which minimizes the risk of neck and spine injury for water impact) were ordered, also taking into account previous experiences on this subject on some US and North European ports.

Since the beginning of this year pilots at Viana do Castelo have been using these safety helmets on a regular basis as a complement to the other standard protective equipment.

Also taken into consideration was an eye opener text “Why Do Pilots Not Wear Helmets”, posted by Capt. W. A. Worth on Professional Mariner, March 2008:

“The recent spate of accidents, have shown that often pilots are rendered unconscious when they fall from a pilot ladder and are unable to take action to save themselves.  Working on a pilot boat puts both the pilot and the deckhand often 30 feet below the deck level of the ship that they are working, anything dropped from the deck from shackle pins to the pilot ladder itself can cause serious head injury.

Here on the Columbia River Bar, helmets have become standard safety gear. From the beginning of the helicopter transfer system, they were mandated by the helicopter companies. Simple kayak helmets offered the protection needed for being hoisted from the helicopter. They have become routine, and are now used in both helicopter and boat transfers. There have been several incidents in which a head injury has been prevented.

The big question is Why Not? This is the easiest and cheapest way to reduce injury, and only vanity and tradition seem to be reasons to not wear some type of head protection. All of the float coats, epirb's, and waterproof radios, fail if the pilot is unable to help themselves duecto a head injury.

Buying an off the shelf Kayak helmet, covering it with reflective tape, and even attaching a small light, is a simple way to increase the survivability of pilots.”

Seamanship (or the lack of...)

2009-05-05T23:32:00.000+02:00

After more than 10 years of ISM implementation, after increased worldwide scrutiny by Port State Control authorities, after recurring recommendations from EMPA and IMPA regarding pilot boarding arrangements following fatal accidents involving pilot ladders, this is what we are still witnessing day after day.

The picture speaks for itself. What we have here is two ladders recklessly attached to each other. Imagine using this pilot ladder during the night and under bad weather conditions…

This vessel is owned by a reputable (?) European company and manned by European officers.

More than an evident lack of seamanship that could and should lead to a major non-conformity under the company’s SMS, what this situation shows is a complete lack of respect for fellow mariners.

Shipspotting activities

2009-04-22T23:55:00.000+02:00

Safmarine Andisa approaching port entrance.

Safmarine Andisa through the main navigation channel.

Cape Byron loaded with ship hatches from China.

Cape Byron on the shipyard basin.

Pilot and Master.

Fruit juice tanker Bebedouro approaching drydock nº1.

Dredger Brage R working on the port entrance.

Danish Butter Cookies

2009-04-18T15:05:00.000+02:00

No, you didn’t get the wrong blog. 

It is a known fact that next to the most important equipment on a ship’s bridge (the coffee machine) there will always be a tin of cookies to help the watchkeepers go through the 4 hours watch with their stomachs comforted. Not always known is that these tins of delicious “danish butter cookies” can also give a help navigating the ship… 

Back in 1996 we were approaching Hormuz Strait, outbound from the Persian Gulf, having loaded a full cargo of crude oil at the Iranian  Kharg Island terminal. The traffic separation scheme north of Musandam Peninsula demands a large alteration of course, which can be tricky for a 22 meter draft, 342 meters long vessel with heavy traffic nearby. For this reason, the Captain was also on the bridge with the 2nd Officer (me).  At some distance on our starboard bow there was a salvage tug approximately with the same heading and speed. She was delaying the course change and soon we would need to start going to starboard and had no acceptable room. Before deciding to slow our speed to increase the distance we tried to call her on the VHF asking if she would alter course before us or proceed with that course. After calling the tugboat a few times by her name, with no answer whatsoever and approaching the defined position to alter course, I headed for the phone to call the engineers in order to let them know that I would soon be decreasing the engine revolutions so as to alter course. Before I could pick up the handset, the Captain phlegmatically told me to wait a moment. He approached the “danish butter cookies” tin, removed the lid and went outside on the bridge wing. Using the sun and the polished interior of the lid as a mirror, he began to flash the bridge of the tug. Almost immediately a voice sounded on the VHF, with the tugboat watchkeeper apologizing after realizing that there was a huge vessel approaching on her port quarter. She instantly altered course to starboard and allowed us also to alter with no speed decrease. 

So, next time you join a ship, check if the “danish butter cookies” are a part of the standard navigational equipment…

Fishig Boats

2009-04-06T20:48:00.017+02:00

Fishing Boats

Hi there.
I want to wish a nice and happy Easter season full of Easter gifts.
This time, I would like to bring forward a problem that vessels involved in offshore operations in some Brazilian oil fields must dealt in a regular bases when working inside the 500 metres alongside platforms or just navigating through the oil fields, as we all know the 500 metres zone should be a restricted access zone to allow the operations with the offshore units as safe as possible, so why small fishing boats are still working (fishing) inside the 500metres zone and nobody looks to be worried with this fact? We know that all the oil fields in Brazil are areas were is forbidden to navigate or fishing, just the vessels strictly involved in the operations are allowed to enter in these areas, you just need to read the navigation charts notes to be aware of this fact, it looks that nobody is bother with this ongoing problem, for me as skipper of a supply boat is an utmost danger for the safety of all operations, no matter how many near miss reports you fill into the SMS system or complains to the platform OIM.
To say that nothing has been done is not correct, here and there you see a Navy patrol boat, or maybe a few days after a complain you see a Navy patrol boat arresting and fine some “poor” fishing boats, but just after another day the small “little beasts” are back.
I understand that fishermen must feed their families and the fishing are the only way of incoming money, but put their lives and the lives of others in great danger doesn’t look to me a very wise way of life, there are so many places with good fish, why the fishermen choose always to put their lives and the lives of others in dangerous situation close to offshore units?
Please see the pictures to prove that I’m speaking true.
All the best take care out there.

Pict.1

Pict.2

Pict.3

Pict.4

Pict.5

Pict.6

Pict.7

Azores online media and copyright issues...

2009-03-28T11:31:00.001+01:00

Given the problems with the ferry Atlântida, much attention has been given by the online Azores media to this vessel and its sea trials. This morning, to keep me up to date to the latest news, I browsed for some news on the internet and found several websites using photos taken from this blog without any reference to their origin or authorization from the author.

The used photo was originally posted by thepilotboat here and can be found on the following websites:

http://www.picoazores.com/noticias/noticia.php?noticia=5606

http://radiopico.pt/site/conteudoss.php?otal=5876&wm=17

http://www.correiodosacores.net/view.php?id=6139&poll=5&resposta=1

http://www.jornaldiario.com/ver_noticia.php?id=18946

This is an unacceptable practice. We have no problem with the use of our photos as long as you ask us kindly or insert a reference to their origin!

Atlântida, more pictures!

2009-03-19T23:06:00.001+01:00

Atlântida sailing for sea trials, last week. Pictures by L. Ré.

Atlântida

2009-03-08T14:39:00.001+01:00

After some alterations to the original project she is finally ready to go to the sea for the first time. Tomorrow she will sail for sea trials.

Images dedicated to [Navios e Navegadores], where a daily visit is mandatory to learn about the history of ships and shipping companies throughout the years.

Again, the stormy weather

2009-02-08T12:01:00.010+01:00

Some pictures taken from the breakwater to the port entrance, last wednesday

PIRACY / ISPS Code

2009-01-21T16:37:00.010+01:00

PIRACY/ISPS Code

Who never heard about pirates, imaginary or true stories fulfilling our youth, pirates with wooden legs and parrots on their shoulders, sailing the seven seas.
The pirates always have been known as very good and venturous sailors with a bloody heart.
We admire the bravery of these sailors and dream about their treasures left behind in some unknown Island waiting to be discovered in modern times, the actual history is a little bit different, we always tend to forget the other side of the coin, the pirates victims.
Now I want to have a more objective approach, definitions of what is Piracy or an act of Piracy - according an Wikipedia article there’s the usual - “Piracy is robbery committed at sea, on a river, or sometimes on shore, without permission from a nation”. From same page we can find the UN definition and the Sea Act - “ Maritime piracy, according to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) of 1982, consists of any criminal acts of violence, detention, or depredation committed for private ends by the crew or the passengers of a private ship or aircraft that is directed on the high seas against another ship, aircraft, or against persons or property on board a ship or aircraft. Piracy can also be committed against a ship, aircraft, persons, or property in a place outside the jurisdiction of any state”
In the real world and since the man started to sail on any kind of “floating device”, attacks always had been committed on and from vessels, we have reports since the ancients times, Greek, Phoenician, Chinese, African, European etc, all these people had perpetrate Piracy acts.
With the time passing and during the 20th century, piracy attacks were news just when some western people or vessels belonging to western Companies were involved, and quickly forgotten, local attacks in areas like Malacca Strait, Indonesia waters, Vietnam, East and West Africa, Brazil and many more other locations allover the World were passed unnoticed for long time.
On recent times the piracy word start to appear in the media news front page more often than should I’m afraid, in some occasions associated with terrorism actions (political motives), other times, pure acts of robbery over vessels cargo, highjacking against crews and their belongings, ransoms asked to Ship Owners for releasing of crews and cargo, etc, etc, remembering the IRA attacks in the early eighties and the well known terrorist highjack of Italian cruise ship “Achille Lauro” off the Egypt coast by “Palestinian Liberation Front” terrorists, just before the 9/11 World Trade Centre terrorist attack, the Americans had suffered another terrorist attack that took the lives of 17 seamen, this suicide bomb attack was perpetrated against the Destroyer USS Cole when she was berthed at Yemeni port of Aden.
In the aftermath of the 9/11 and the urgent need to give an answer to the increasing pirates/terrorists attacks against ships, IMO/UN came out with the ISPS Code.
The ISPS code (The International Ship and Port Facility Security Code) was created with the intension to be the answer to all this attacks and the best instrument to fight against the increasing rate on piracy attacks and threats over the world merchant fleet.

“ The International Ship and Port Facility Security Code (ISPS Code) was adopted by a Conference of Contracting Governments to the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, 1974, convened in London from 9 to 13 December 2002.
The Code aims, among other things, to establish an international framework for co-operation between Contracting Governments, Government agencies, local administrations and the shipping and port industries to detect security threats and take preventive measures against security incidents affecting ships or port facilities used in international trade and to establish relevant roles and responsibilities at the national and international level. These objectives are to be achieved by the designation of appropriate personnel on each ship, in each port facility and in each ship owning company to make assessments and to put into effect the security plans that will be approved for each ship and port facility.”

The implementation costs of this code was sustained by the shipping Companies in a big effort to comply with the resolutions, crew members were trained, courses held allover the world, security plans, manuals, certification, inspection and obviously at the end of the line a “little” more weight on the paper work for the deck officers and a new assigned responsibility as SSO (Ship Security Officer) for the Master or the officer on board untitled to, on the Company side a new figure appears, the CSO (Company Security Officer) a few more tasks to be done for all involved in the security plan etc, on the Port Facilities side the implementation took also a high cost, the need to certify the ports and all the measures to comply with the code were taken seriously in some contracting countries, but in others the seafarers found big problems and breaches in the code procedures, some times just to know who is the PFSO (Port Facility Security Office)is a problem not to speak about security levels and the discussions between ships Masters and Port Facilities Authorities (scarce information from the local agents), when to issue a DOS (Declaration of Security) is a guessing job, you never know, so the majority of SSO just fill in one DOS and that’s it, log in the Security Log Book for the sake of future inspection.
Associated with this came the electronic aids like the AIS and the SSAS, these two systems if in theory these should be a great help for the sailors, in practice the AIS starts to be miss used by deck officers not well trained, when using this system for navigation, and obvious if this system identifies the vessel and give important information about voyage and cargo, everybody, including the pirates can easily follow the vessel and attack when and where is more suitable and the SSAS systems on the market proved to be very complicated to operate and just a simple test or drill can become a nightmare of push buttons!!!
In a real situation even if you are able to send the alert through the SSAS some times when the answer come from shore you are already seized by the pirates and the vessel is under the power of their guns, any kind of physical help would arrive to late and any armed action to freed crew and vessel could put in jeopardize the lives of the crew
So I’m asking, is the ISPS Code really effective? If yes, why the threats, the terrorist attacks and the pirate attacks instead of decreasing it looks that have lately increased in great amount.

Just to finish, this post has gone to long already, why the tanker “Sirius Star” was attacked, hijacked or what ever you called, about 450’nm from land in an area well away from the usual dangerous and prone area to piracy (Somali waters, horn of Africa), this attack was done out at sea, off Kenya, well further South, showing a well managed organization involving large mother ships and not just the usual fast small boats, this mother ships give the range that pirates need o spread the attacks area and make escort from Navy vessels much more difficult.
Just to inform that “Sirius Star” was freed after a ransom of 3 millions US Dollars was paid to the pirates by the ship owner.

When you read reports about pirates attacks and you found that even with contracted and “well trained security agents” on board the vessels keeping to be high jacked, these agents are hired from apparently trustful Companies in security procedures and using the “most appropriated” devices such as LRAD (Long Range Acoustic Devices), or just the old “hoses spray over board” method, no real guns, were ineffective, this security agents “bravely” had jumped over board and later rescued by a helicopter from a British war ship I don’t know if this information is right so it must be taken cautiously, you as Master of a merchant vessel can’t feel secure even if you “go by the book” in relation with the ISPS Code.
All the best, keep safe out there, watch your back.

José Saraiva

Martin i Soler

2008-12-04T23:04:00.000+01:00

The brand new Spanish built passenger/ro-ro ship approaching Viana for final works and painting. Barreras Yard (Vigo) hull nº 1655, she is 165,3 meters long and powered up to 24 472 hp.

Safely inside drydock, she will soon rest on the blocks, after all water is pumped out.

OGS Explora

2008-12-04T23:00:00.000+01:00

OGS Explora, the Italian flagged research vessel, sailing under tow from Viana bound to Vigo.

Bow Bracaria

2008-12-04T22:55:00.000+01:00

Bow Bracaria, chemical tanker built in 1997 at Viana Yard, hull nº186. Seen here with a beautiful winter sunset.

The Top 5 (by special request...)

2008-11-29T17:13:00.002+01:00

I was recently tagged by [Sailor Girl] at her blog [Atlântico Azul] in a meme called 5 things. She gave me the assignment of creating a post showing you five ships I have enjoyed piloting. It is a difficult task, to choose only 5, and I do not have a picture from every vessel I handled. Anyway, here is a list of 5 ships that, for some reason were somehow special to me:

"Minerva II", because it was the first modern cruise liner to call at Viana do Castelo

"Suula", because it was the most sophisticated chemical tanker to be built at Viana, with the interior of the wheelhouse looking like an airplane cockpit

"Carmel Ecofresh", because it was the largest vessel ever to be built at Viana do Castelo

"Creoula", because this task was assigned by Sailor Girl, Nº1 fan of this beautiful training ship...

"Stellar Cupid", a woodchip carrier and the largest vessel ever to call Viana for commercial operations

A "call" to Gothenburg port.

2008-11-22T00:57:00.019+01:00

A “call” to Gothenburg port.

I would like to show some pictures taken during my stay in Gothenburg to attend a course about Norwegian law and rules for Captains on NIS flag vessels and some how underline the different mentality and approach reigning in this city about the use (good) of waterways and the sea in general, compared with the narrow minded and obsolete use of ours waterways and sea.
Gothenburg is placed close to the mouth of river Göta, flowing directly to the Kättegat, is the second biggest city in Sweden and he fifth of Scandinavia, known to be the “Volvo” town because the production plants of this world known car, trucks, marine engines etc manufacturer.
A very nice town to visit with a lot of museums, theatres, opera house and shops where you can bye everything your money can afford, a very nice night life to have fun and drink a good pint of lager or anything it suits you.
Just to finish the people were all very nice and friendly, any information asked was always answered with a smile and in a helpful manner.

Pict.1 – Aspect of the view into the Göta River and the Älvsborgsbron bridge.

Pict.2 - Guest harbour with the famous office building known locally as the “lipstick”.

Pict.3 – Guest harbour with the floatel "Viking" in the back.

Pict.4 – Floatel "Viking".

Pict.5 – "Poseidon".

Pict.6 – Ferry "Stena Germanica".

Pict.7 - Stena Line HSC Cat.

Pict.8 – Cargo ship "FK-River".

Pict.9 – Floating dock.

Pict.10 – Floating car park.

Pict.11 – "Göteborg" barge.

Orange juice for breakfast...

2008-10-24T15:05:00.002+02:00

"Southern Juice", a fruit juice tanker, sailing from Viana after extensive repairs. Registered at Nassau, she was built in 1983.

LOA 170 m

GT 19 349t

She is currently trading between Brasil and North Europe with a full cargo of orange juice concentrate in stainless steel tanks.

For a tankerman like myself it is very strange to finally find a tanker not carrying noxious, toxic, flammable, corrosive, smelly products...

WG Columbus, a new look...

2008-10-21T15:53:00.003+02:00

WG Columbus after extensive finishing works at Viana (she was built in Vigo), the most important being the installation of the two propulsion units. You can check here how she looked one month ago.
The opinions are divided, some say she is beautiful some say she is ugly, I would say she is definitely strange...

Tall Ships Regatta - 3

2008-10-18T12:45:00.005+02:00

While most of the thousands visitors were taking photographs of the ships I was looking for the details or that special moment when you grasp a scene of the daily routine on board these beauties. This is what I got...