Introduction

After loading the cargo to the vessel, after everything is all set for a long voyage,
here comes the next crucial activity of the vessel which will set the start of a smooth and
safe sailing over the next months - the leaving of the ship from the port.

This time our learning will be through an experience of a motor vessel named,
Marina, leaving the port. We can learn the principles of how to do it right straight from
technical books and references, but too much technicality would be so boring that makes
it hard for us to understand them even more. And, there must be some other time for
that. Right?

So today let us just immerse our imagination with the Marina leaving the port, so we
could experience Marina and we could leave the port together with her. What do you
think? Learning through the experience of others, huh.

Objectives

At the end of this topic, the student will be able to:

 get the meaning of some maritime terms and follow the story about the Marina
leaving the port with the help of the given vocabulary,
 analyze the orders and their meanings used when executing the leaving of the
port,
 remember important details of a vessel leaving the port, and
 familiarize the process when the vessel is leaving the port through role playing.
Read the scenario below.

The Marina is now ready to sail from the Port of Santander. The Pilot has come on board
and is greeted by the Second Mate, who takes him up to the bridge to meet the Captain.
Now read the conversation between the pilot and Captain James.

Pilot: Good afternoon, Captain. I don’t think we have met before. I’m Alejandro
Rodriguez.
Captain: How do you do? Pleased to meet you. I am Andrew James. Welcome on board,
Mr. Rodriguez.
Pilot: Thank you. I understand you are ready to leave port.
Captain: Yes, we’ve just about finished with the paper work and Port State Control. The
cargo loading operations are completed. I think we are actually all set to start
singling up.

Rodriguez studies the wheelhouse poster, which contains information on the Marina.
The conversation continues.

Pilot: Is there any particular information you would like to give me? Any recent changes
on board?
Captain: No, not really - I have the pilot card for you. Here you are. I’ll be happy to
fill you in with any manoeuvering data you need.
Pilot: Thanks, there are a few questions I’d like to ask. Is the engine room manned?
Captain: The engine room will be manned while leaving port, but is on bridge control.
Pilot: How long does it take to change engines from ahead to astern?
Captain: It takes 25 seconds to change from ahead to astern.
Pilot: And to start engines from stopped?
Captain: It takes, let’s see, 15 seconds.
Pilot: Do you have a right-hand or left-hand propeller?
Captain: We have a right-hand propeller.
Pilot: And you have a bow thruster?
Captain: Yes, a bow thruster of 900 kw.
Pilot: And what is your maximum present draught? (draught is read as draft)
Captain: It is 8 metres.
Pilot: Ok, fine. One or two more things. Do you have a controllable or a fixed-pitch
propeller?
Captain: We have a fixed-pitched propeller.
Pilot: Is the turning effect of the propeller very strong?
Captain: Yes, it is very strong.
Pilot: So how long does it take from hard-a-port to hard-a-starboard?
Captain: It takes 20 seconds.
Pilot: And what is the speed at full ahead and dead slow ahead?
Captain: Let me see, at full ahead it is 17 knots and at dead slow ahead 4 knots.
Pilot: I think that about covers it. Are you getting tug assistance?
Captain: Yes. We will have one tug assisting us while casting off.
Pilot: Are you ready to get underway?
Captain: Yes. Indeed we are.
Pilot: All right then. Stand by engines.
The Marina is now ready to cast off. She is moored to the quay by a number of ropes. At
the bow are the head lines. The stern is fastened by the stern lines. The lines are
fastened to the bollards on the quay. There are also the breast lines fore and aft. An
important line is called the spring.

The boatmen on the quay cast off from the bollards.

Captain: Marina Forward station, Marina Aft station, this is Marina Bridge, how do you
read me?
Boatman 1: Marina Bridge, this is Marina Forward station. I read you with signal
strength five.
Boatman 2: Marina Bridge, this is Marina Aft station. I read you five.
Captain: Marina Forward station, single up forward to spring!
Boatman 1: Marina Bridge, this is Marina Forward station. I will single up.
Captain: Marina Aft Station, single up aft to breast line! Make fast tug towing line on
starboard quarter!
Boatman 2: Marina Bridge, this is Marina Aft station. I will single up and make fast tug.
Boatman 1: Marina Bridge. Singled up forward.
Boatman 2: Marina Bridge. Singled up Aft.
Captain: Marina. Let go forward! Let go aft! Is the propeller clear?
Boatman 2: Marina Bridge. Marina Aft station. Yes, propeller is clear. All clear aft!
Boatman 1: Marina Bridge. Marina Forward station. All clear forward!
Captain: Marina. Finished with manoeuvring stations!
Boatman 1: Marina Bridge. Marina Forward station. Understood. Finished with
manoeuvring stations.
Boatman 2: Marina Bridge. Marina Aft station. Understood. Finished with manoeuvring
stations.

While the tug is assisting the Marina, she is getting off from the quayside. The small but
powerful harbour tug tows the big ship slowly but steadily.
The Marina is now free of the quay and soon she is in the middle of the basin.

Pilot: Let go towing line!

The Marina is ready to manoeuvre on her own. The harbour tug is leaving her.

Pilot: Slow ahead.

Helmsman: Slow ahead.
Pilot: Starboard twenty!
Helmsman: Starboard twenty.
Pilot: Midships!
Helmsman: Midships.
Pilot: Steady as she goes.
Helmsman: Steady as she goes.

Noting the heading the helmsman continues:

Helmsman: She is steady at 182°.

The Marina is now getting underway; she is passing through the Port of Santander area.
On either side are different docks and wharves serving all the big specialized vessels.
Soon the extraordinary landscape of the whole Bay of Santander surrounds the Marina
with white sandy beaches both small and sheltered from the wind or open to the bay
with more surf. Next to these beaches, a coastline of cliffs and beautiful natural areas
looks out over the sea. The Marina is leaving the elegant city and the snow-topped
mountains behind. She is passing ships of all sizes and nationalities on her way towards
the main fairway and the open sea. Some vessels are going inward, to port, while other
vessels are outbound, towards the sea; they are going outward.

The Marina is keeping a steady course and speed, and is making a speed of 5 knots. Her
ports of call during the voyage will be first Antwerp in Belgium, then Gdynia in Poland,
after that Riga in Latvia and her final port of destination will be Kotka in Finland. The
voyage is just starting. The weather is fairly good, the forecast has promised sunny
spells but with occasional rain showers, and visibility about 1 mile; there will be a north
westerly wind of 8 m/s, with a moderate sea. In the distance she can see the famous Isla
de Mouro Lighthouse off Santander.

It is time to contact the Coordination Local Centre of Santander and report to VTS,
Vessel Traffic Service.
MARITIME VOCABULARY:

To single up - to decrease the number of mooring ropes

Wheelhouse poster - a sign on the navigating bridge containing important
information on the vessel
Pilot card - a document containing information on the vessel for the
pilot
To fill you in - (here) to give you information
Manoeuvring data - technical information on engines propellers, bridge
instruments, etc. Important for steering the vessel
(Is the engine room) - someone or a personnel is looking after or managing or
Manned operating the area
Bridge control - the vessel is controlled from the bridge
Bow thruster - a bow propeller
Draught (British - the depth of water needed to float a ship
spelling of draft)
Maximum present - the deepest draught at the moment
draught
Turning effect of the - how quickly and efficiently the propeller can make the
propeller vessel turn
Hard-a-port - very much to port
- an instruction to turn to the nose of the ship to port as
quickly as it will go
Hard-a-starboard - very much to starboard
-
Casting off - to let go mooring ropes
To get underway - to start moving in the water
Stand by engines - be prepared to start engines
Engine orders:
Astern - full, half, slow, dead slow
Ahead - full, half, slow, dead slow
Starboard twenty - hold 20 degrees of starboard
Midships - hold the rudder in fore and aft position

Steady as she goes - steer a steady course on the present compass heading
A heading - the course steered indicated by the compass
Sheltered from - protected from
Surf - big waves
Outbound - going outward
Outward - towards the open sea
To go inward - to go to port
The main fairway - the approach channel; the navigable channel in an ocean
Port of call - a port a vessel visits along the route
Port of destination - the final goal on a voyage
Forecast - a prediction
Sunny spell - a short period of sunshine
Visibility - how far it is possible to see clearly
Moderate sea - not rough, but not completely calm
Vessel Traffic Service - radio service at ports directing inward and outward vessel
traffic
Slack away loosen
Heave Pull
Harbour - such a body of water having docks or port facilities
Bollards - a short, thick post on the deck of a ship or on a wharf, to
which a ship's rope may be secured
Quay - dock; pier; wharf