Well, let’s take the oppotunity to learn a little about anchors, anchoring and moorings when we are out here on deck looking. There is plenty equipment for anchor and mooring handeling.
On the foc’sle, that’s forward of the ship, there is mooring winches that we use when we secure
the ship to the jetty. We send ashore mooring ropes and the boatmen put the ropes on bollard
ashore. Then we keep our ropes tight while we are along side. On the forecastle we have our
anchor winches as well. We are dropping our anchor while waiting for our jetty and shore
readiness etc.
When we are waiting at the anchorage we have to be on anchor watch on the bridge. Keep a look out so we hold our position. It have happen that the ship is dragging the anchor in bad weather. Then we have to start up the engine and move so we don’t hit other ship or end up on land.
On the poop, thats the aft part of the ship, there is also mooring winches. Depending on the size of the ship and the weather we use 4 – 6 ropes forward and aft. On the big VLCC’s we used 10 – 12 mooring ropes. So we have to wake up extra crew from the other watches at arrival and departure to help out with the mooring.
So if they need they call us 2 hours before watch and 2 hours after watch. Sometimes all crew is required for mooring.After departure we have to make the ship ready, Ship shape.
If it’s bad weather we need to secure everything onboard. As you understand we can not have anything lying around on deck in bad weather.
In the winter it’s always bad weather in Europe.
Mooring Arrangement
At arrival to a port there are boatmen waiting on the jetty. Boatmen are the guys taking ashore our mooring lines.
We are using a line with a weight at the end (Heaving line) to get ashore our mooring lines. We make fast the heaving line in our mooring line and throw it ashore. The boatmen take the heaving line and pull it ashore with our mooring line. We must use a heaving line because the mooring line is very heavy and it’s not possible to throw it.
Sometimes the boatmen come out with small boats to pick up the mooring lines. Then it’s just to drop down the mooring lines in the mooring boat.
On the jetty there is bollards so the boatmen can make fast the mooring lines. On most of the oil terminals the jetty is not long enough to use for mooring. We can use the jetty for our spring lines but for head and stern lines there are Dolphins, it’s like small islands with a bollard on top of them.
When it’s time to leave the jetty we slack on our mooring lines and the boatmen can let go the lines. We only have to winch them back onboard again and we’re off for new exciting destinations.
