FLEETWOOD NAUTICAL CAMPUS

EMERGENCY PLANNING

SEARCH & RESCUE ASSIGNMENT

Chief Mate C1, 2008

TUTOR : D. J.HOUSE

NAME- WASIM I. MODAK

DATE – 08 JULY 2008

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1 . Obligations of the vessel : Answer.

Upon receiving the distress call by third officer he immediately informed master & chief officer and informed them of the frantic call and that the MAYDAY prefix was not used. On arrival on bridge master took the con and chief officer assumed the duties of communication officer. All ship call was made to ships in vicinity had not picked up the distress signal. At 2320 the stricken vessel made direct contact with Probitas . and informed the vessel name is ADRIA & is in fire and engine room explosion and need immediate assistance .After obtaining all the information of the ship in distress(e.g. position, number of person onboard, any casualty etc ), Master made MAYDAY RELAY to all ship on channel 16 & altered course towards the distress position with best possible speed.

IMMEDIATE ACTION 1) Must acknowledge the distress message. 2) Maintain continous radio watch. 3) Maintain continous radar watch. 4) Establish plain language communication as soon as possible(obtain identity, position , course , speed & ETA ) 5) Obtain radio bearing of distress transmitter ( if possible ) 6) Post extra look outs at high vantage points. 7) Obtain target definition. SUBSEQUENT ACTION 1) Contact rescue co-ordination centre (RCC) via coast radio station. 2) Order navigator to plot position & establish course to Rendezvous & update eta. 3) Relay distress message on other frequencies. 4) Update distress information, i.e. weather at distress site number of casualties , total number of person at scene, number and type of survival craft. 5) Bridge team at alert status& manual steering engaged.

VESSEL PREPARATION 1) Sound the general emergency alarm. Once crew mustered brief them about the impending operation. 2) Engine room to be informed to change to diesel from heavy fuel. 3) Rig pilot ladder, guest warps. 4) Prepare rescue boat, gangway at ship side. 5) Lifebuoys , heaving lines to be ready.

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6) Deck lights to be switch on. 7) Display wind sock. 8) Medical & catering party to be ready. 9) The ships fire fighting equipments to be ready. 10) Prepare ship hospital. 11) All entries to be made in log book

Establish a co-ordinator surface search (CSS).Display international code flags “FR” by day or a distinctive signal by night.Select a suitable search pattern appropriate to the conditions.Maintain & control inter ship communication.Estimate drift rate & hence total drift.Establish search pattern track space for the prevailing conditions.Commence search pattern & maintain relevant communication.

2 . What were the obligations of other vessels in receipt of the MAYDAY RELAY :-

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As per “regulation 33 of solas V” vessel in the vicinity of distress vessel after receiving distress or distress relay signal are bound to acknowledge it and proceed with maximum possible speed to their assistance.

After receiving MAY-DAY RELAY call other ship in vicinity should respond to that call. And they should

Acknowledge receipt of distress relay call. As there was no radio communication between distress vessel

again then all vessel should maintain good radio watch for any further information from vessel in distress.

Inform nearest cost station. Inform Rescue Co-Ordination centre.

Collect the following information from the vessel relaying the message if possible:

Name and call sign/ IMO number of vessel in distress Position of vessel in distress. Nature of distress. Number of person onboard and number of casualty, if any. Type of assistance require. Any other information which can help in rescue operation.

After receiving above information the vessel receiving call should proceed to assist vessel in distress with full speed and she should pass this information to other vessel in vicinity and to the nearest cost station and MRCC. Also make other preparation as,

Inform all crew and prepare for rescue Informed engine room and keep engine ready for manoeuvring. Pressurized ships fire main. Prepare rescue boat. Prepare medical squad.

Other preparation relating bridge are; Brief and advise watch officer and lookouts

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Up-to-date weather information for the route and distress position.

Call designated communication officer Make sure binocular available. Consider using search or deck lights during hours of

darkness.

vessel responding to May-Day relay should make radio contact with vessel in distress or vessel sending May-Day RELAY signal and inform her

Name/ call sign. Present position /speed and ETA on scene. Type of vessel. Rescue equipments onboard. Medical facility onboard.

3. PROBLEM IN RESCUE BY SURVIVAL CRAFT :-

As in our scenario vessel PROBITAS is tanker in ballast condition and she is not even gas free vessel. This can be hazardous when vessel will go for render assistance to vessel on fire. And she will be more affected

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by wind which is about force 7 as she is in ballast condition in our scenario. That mean when the engine is stop she start rolling heavily due to strong wind & heavy seas and also the drift will be high.The M.V.ROSA TUCKANO is selected to help in rescue because of bow and astern thrusters. M.V.ROSA TUCKANO is RO/RO vessel. So this ship must having high free board same like PROBITAS. So she will be having problem in maintaining her position.

Factor which are making rescue more difficult are low visibility due to night force 7 wind speed Swell due to rough sea. Vessel can not manoeuvre very close due to sea condition which

can make contact in two vessels. RO.RO vessel can not open her lower opening (e.g. gangway

opening) due sea condition and safe stability due to sea shipping into decks

Even launching a LTA is difficult due to wind force. Rescuing vessels are unable to launch their rescue craft. If too many survivor and rescue boat is small than many trips, all

which is impossible in force 7 wind.

4. REASON TO REJECT OTHER VESSEL PARTICIPATING IN SAR :-

Following factor are mane things while deciding which ship to proceed to SAR.

a) Soonest ETA of vessel to distress position will be called. b) COMMUNICATION, vessel with better communication facilities

will be called.

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c) TYPE OF VESSEL AND CARGO E.g. loaded tanker will not be advised to rescue a vessel on fire.

d) FACILITIES , E.g. passenger ship having better facilities and doctors onboard.

e) MANEOUVERING CHARACTERISTIC e.g. small vessel with bow and astern thrusters are very helpful in SAR.

f) MASTER’S EXPIRIENCE , if master or other officer has experience of SAR operation that will be very helpful and the person with experience know better to deal with such situation.

In our case PROBITAS was appointed as on-scene co-ordinator by MRCC, even though she is tanker & not in gas free condition , but may be she has early ETA good communication equipment with radio officer. Because she was the only vessel in area who has picked up distress call. Only three vessels were called for SAR operation, because it can be hazardous calling many ships at the scene especially when weather is force 7 wind. Following factor must have decided for calling ships for SAR operation.

o Vessel which can make earliest ETA.o Having better communication facilities.o Having better hospital and doctor facilities.o High manoeuvrable vesselo Advance rescue facilities.o Advance navigation equipments.o Type of cargo onboard.o Any commercial pressure. (This can be last option to reject

vessel.)o Any draft restriction in relation to depth of water available.o Number of crew onboard.o Experience of master in any SAR operation.o Any language barrier.

5. Search pattern for the incident, as vessel is not on fire :-

As datum is unknown following method of search can be use.

PARALLEL TRACK SEARCH:-

7DATUM

S MILES

S MILES

S MILES

S MILES

S MILES

S MILES

DATUM

This is used when large area is to be search and the survivor location is unknown.

Most effective over water. Usually used when a large search area is divided into sub-area for

assignment to individual search facilities on-scene at the same time.

The commence search point is in one corner of the sub-area. Search legs are parallel to each other. Multiple vessels may be used.

CREEPING LINE SEARCH :-

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Normally used only if there is an OSC present to give direction to and pride communication with the participating craft.

The air-craft does most of the searching, while the ship steam along a course at a speed as directed by the OSC so that the aircraft can use it as a navigational checkpoint.

The aircraft, as it pass over the ship; can easily make correction to stay on track of its search pattern.

Gives a higher probability of detection than can normally be attained by an aircraft searching alone.

Ship speed varies according to the speed of the aircraft and the size of the pattern.

6. Additional items that might have been beneficial moving towards the distress :-

Post extra lookout for early detection of survival craft.

Keep ready portable radio for communicating with survivor.

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ship

Air craft

Containers for dropping written messages.

Signalling equipment to be kept ready.

Maintain continous watch on international frequencies.

Camera for photo graphing.

Maintain active radar plots on vessel in general vicinity.

Any equipment which may assist in rescue operation.

Prepare a line on each side to bring survival craft alongside.

Double the watches on bridge.

7.CHANGES TO RESCUE OPREATION IF I WOULD BE A MASTER OF M.V. PROBITAS :-

As Master of Probitas I would expect to know the distress position of Adria. When Adria made contact with Probitas the radio operator of Adria was extremely nervous and was not able to communicate properly, but the only thing he confirm is, that he had sent an Inmarsat-C alert to Norway. I would have contacted to Norway MRCC and get information about distress vessel such as position, nature of distress ets.

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Once the distress position and nature has been know then this information would be transmitted to all other vessel in the vicinity and a lot of time would have saved by other vessels assisting in search and rescue operation.

The helicopter had been despatched from Cadiz with ETA about 1 hour. Helicopter arrived and returned back to refuel, a lot of time has lost in waiting for helicopter rescue. I would have ordered to Rosa Tuckano to commence with surface rescue to save time instead of waiting for helicopter to arrive it would also help in rescue operation giving advantage by picking up survivors who are left behind or unable rescue by assisting vessel.

Difficulties faced by Rosa Tuckano while carrying out bow to bow contact with Adria due to heavy weather and the first priority to pass lifejackets to casualties who were not wearing. A heaving line contact was made to pass a messenger between two vessels. I would have advice to Rosa Tuckano to use Line Throwing Apparatus for passing messengers and through which the lifejackets would have passed to the casualties in Adria. They would have also used Line Throwing Apparatus towards the life raft and could have brought the raft close to own vessel in such rough weather with heavy swell.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

IAMSAR

SEAMANSHIP TECHNIQUES ………………… David. J. House

NAVIGATION FOR MASTER ………………… David. J. House

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