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March 2010

Upcoming Events

Week C: General Subjects (Deck & Safety)
March 15, 2010 - March 19, 2010

Radar Renewals
March 16, 2010

Radar Renewals
March 18, 2010

Week D: General Subjects
March 22, 2010 - March 26, 2010

Radar Renewals
March 23, 2010

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Question of the Week

WWII Merchant Mariners

Don't forget the "Belated Thank You to the Merchant Mariners of World War II Act" (S961 & HR23). This legislation needs to be acted upon soon if it is to have any significance. For more information as well as links to Representatives, go to www.usmm.org.

Merchant Mariner Credential

If you have questions about qualifying for the new Merchant Mariner Credential, please contact us.

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Question of the Week

Seminar on Sextants Every week we will post questions here -- examination questions, general maritime questions -- and our answers. USCG Examination questions are indicated by the question's number and the "Book" of the Deck Examination Bank in which it can be found. "Book 1" has Rules of the Road questions. "Book 2" covers Deck General subjects; "Book 3" -- Navigation General, "Book 4 " -- Safety, and "Book 5" -- Navigation Problems.

If you would like to suggest a question, please This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it us.

Reading Range Lights

Range lights (or "leading lights" as the British call them) are pairs of lights (a front light usually lower than a rear light) that perform several functions. Mariners can find safe passage through the deepest water in a channel by steering toward or "on" the range. If the range opens up, that is if the lights appear to split apart, the mariner is warned that his vessel is not in the safest part of the channel. (Sectored lights provide similar information.) In some areas subject to heavy silting, the front range light is mounted on a track so that it can be moved to accommodate the whims of the shape-shifting river.

By comparing the compass bearing of the lights when in line with the charted (or true) bearing of the same lights, range lights can also be used to determine compass error.

Get Smart, Go Astern

In a study published in Psychological Science (April 2009), Dutch researchers determined that

“Backward locomotion appears to be a very powerful trigger to mobilize cognitive resources.”

The Rules of the Road anticipated this conclusion in Rule 8 by advising that "if a vessel needs more time to avoid collision or assess the situation, she shall slacken her speed or take all way off by stopping or reversing her means of propulsion." So in the spirit of COLREGS, Plennie L. Wingo, Raju Munirayappan, and enhanced cognition, this week we’ll look at questions having to do with operating astern propulsion.

Magnificent Beast(s) -- The Northern Right Whale

In order to protect the dwindling number of Northern Right Whales, the "Marine Mammal Protection Act" has mandated that the amazing "Eubalaena" be given wide berth by, among others, mariners. As reported in the New York Times, March 17, 2009, the MMPA is working. The population of Northern Right Whales has increased. Volumes 1 & 4 of the US Coast Pilot, which provide the details of avoidance procedures, are available to license candidates during the examination.

Privilege Schmivilege: Rules of the Road

The only purpose of the Rules of the Road is to prevent collisions. To this end, the COLREGS (International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea) as well as the Inland Rules require constant vigilance, encouraging vessels to take early action to avoid situations involving even the risk of collision. But as this is not always possible, the Rules further require that should risk of collision develop, the vessels involved must assume carefully specified roles. When there are two vessels, in sight of one another, with risk of collision, and except where the two vessels are power-driven meeting head-on, one vessel is assigned the role of the "give-way" vessel, the other is the "stand-on."

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In the News

Collisions, groundings, piracy, rescues -- bad things, inexplicable things and, as in the freeing of Capt. Richard Phillips, very good things happen. Here is our record of such events as they come to our attention. Read More

On the Quarter

onthequartercomment

Barbecues in LaPaz? Flags of Convenience? Is 'acronym' an acronym? We are pretty sure our ruthlessly inquisitive father was born to blog, so we've invited him to do it here, in "On the Quarter." Read More

National Maritime Center

The National Maritime Center in Martinsburg, West Virginia, is the US Coast Guard's processing center for all mariner licensing and credential transactions. The website provides information for new mariners, continuing mariners, returning mariners -- license and STCW requirements, applications, policy and guidance. It also enables the mariner to check on the status of his or her pending application. Read More

Regulation Watch

capitol Mariners increasingly find themselves beset by regulations from a variety of sources. We will try to alert you here to significant changes (proposed and enacted) to maritime laws, affecting licensing requirements, examination procedures and documentation requirements as found in the Federal Register, USCG Navigation and Inspection Circulars (NVICs), Policy and Guidance Statements. Read More

Towing Licenses

Obtaining a Towing License

p-e-and-tugs-2 Over the last several years there have been significant changes in the licensing requirements for operators of towing vessels. It used to be that licenses authorizing operation on inspected vessels would satisfy the requirements for most towing vessels of lesser or equal tonnage. This is no longer the case. There are now several ways to become an officer on a towing vessel, ranging from the entry level Apprentice Steersman to service-in-training while holding a previously issued license. Read More