MISCELLANEOUS

• A vessel traffic service (VTS) is a marine traffic monitoring system established by port authorities
• It came into existence somewhere in 1980s
• It deals with monitoring and managing ship’s traffic in confined and busy waterways, suggesting best route for a vessel and ensuring that no two vessels run into each other on congested routes.
• It even helps in keeping an eye on unauthorized cargo movement, smuggling etc. making water more safer and controlled
• One more important role of VTS that it act as a vessel finder.

Vessel Traffic Management Information System

• It is the extension of VTS & in the form of an integrated maritime surveillance 
• It allow other telematic resource & other interested agency to share the VTS data to increase the effectiveness of port or maritime operation
• It has modular design & full range of functionality
• It also support for sectorization where multiple traffic center can be linked and use each other’s data
• Various VTS is integrated in a VTMIS

• Restricted visibility
• Heavy traffic
• Heavy weather
• Failure to sight land or navigational mark
• Unexpected sighted land or navigational mark
• Met an hazard to navigation such as ice
• Main engine, steering gear failure
• Navigation equipment or radio equipment malfunction
• If any other emergency or if in any doubt

• General emergency alarm
• Fire alarm
• BNWAS stage alarm
• Navigation equipment alarm
• Radio equipment alarm
• Navigation light failure alarm
• Steering gear failure alarm
• Pumproom bilge alarm
• UMS alarm (if in UMS)

• Ocean passage:- more than 50 m or 7 times the draft
• Open coastal water (when depth is 2 to 7 times of draft):- 20% of the maximum static draft
• Approaching port:- 10% of the maximum static draft
• In port (alongside or moored):–  => If draft is less than 10 m – 0.30 m
                                                                 => If draft is 10 m to 17 m   – 0.60 m
                                                                 => If draft is more than 17 m – 0.90 m

NOTE:- This policy may differ from company to company. So, if surveyor asks you, state your last company’s UKC policy.

Static Draft is the draft which is taken by the transducer when the ship is stationary i.e. without effecting current, swell, tide etc. It effect only the load of the cargo or by the weight of the ship.

When crossing a bridge or overhead construction a minimum clearance of 1.5 meters to be maintained.

NOTE:- This policy may differ from company to company. So, if surveyor asks you, state your last company’s overhead clearance policy.

1. Distress alert via VHF DSC, MF/HF DSC
2. Signal containing the spoken word “MAYDAY”
3. SART & EPIRB
4. SOS
5. Hand flare
6. Orange smoke
7. Rocket or shell throwing shell star
8. Flames on the vessel
9. Slowly lowering & raising arms
10. Signal flag N over C
11. Square flag with ball either above or below it
12. A gun or other explosive signal fired every minute
13. Continuous sounding of fog signalling apparatus

Grounding is when a ship strikes the seabed.

Stranding is when the ship then remains there for some length of time. That means, it remains aground & cannot afloat until external assistance.

Foundering is when a ship sinks below the surface of water.

Floundering is when a ship struggle to move.

Like Titanic hits an iceberg, she flounder & eventually founder.