Report on Nautical charts and pilot charts

Task 1 (Nautical charts and Pilot charts)

Introduction of Nautical charts and pilot charts

Nautical charts are used to graphically represent the sea area, distance between ports, sailing directions, celestial and adjacent coastal regions. As an officer, it is necessary to have adequate information about chart reading and understanding to overcome the issues and challenges. The understanding of nautical charts may affect the ship operation and safety. Nautical charts and pilot charts are considered as essential tools for the marine navigation, commercial ships, and vessels (Riggingdoctor. com, 2016). Pilot charts are used by navigators to understand the direction, strength of prevailing winds, shoals, position of rocks, temperature, storm paths and other information (Kartverket. no, 2020).

Type of information of Nautical charts and pilot charts

Depending on the scale of nautical charts, one can measure the depths of water, natural features of seabed, navigational hazards, heights of lands (topographic map), and location of natural navigation. Pilot charts mainly cover five regions of the oceans around the world. The main region of the pilot chart is North Atlantic that covers northeast coast of South America and the other parts of pilot charts are Central North Atlantic (South to Guyana) and Northern North Atlantic (Labrador and North). The pilot chart prevails strength and directions of wind. Nautical charts are based on the hydrographic surveys and are issued by the power of the national hydrographic offices. On the nautical charts, the top side of chart shows north and magnetic north show compass points. The nautical charts are labeled with the depth and navigational information (Neale, 2020).

Examples of how to use the information of Nautical charts and pilot charts

Nautical charts are used to navigate information and they offers a wealth of clue that help in determining the position of user. The important consideration is to know about the usage as it can be helpful in knowing location, landmarks, seamarks, and dead reckoning. Instead of using GPS in different locations the best alternative is to use nautical charts if the internet services stuck during navigation. All the need of officers is to have up to date charts and a compass. The method is helpful if the boat is sailing and face no electricity and GPS services (Kartverket. no, 2020).

1.      The nautical charts provide positional clues that include large bay, mouth of river, and large smokestacks. The charts tell about near location and close port. The coastal landmarks are helpful to recognize the location and information (Riggingdoctor. com, 2016).

2.      Nautical charts aids to navigate landmarks of water and it is designed to identify markings, distance, colors, sounds, shapes, and other navigational information. The aids to navigation include daymarks, lighthouses, and buoys.

3.      Clues are used to find the seamarks and to learn about the underwater information. The bottom off a river are often broad, shallow, deep cut channels, and submerged delta (Neale, 2020). 

4.      The pirates never use chart plotters and depth finders. The charts are used to plot the potion, latitude, and longitudes. Typically, the longitude coordinates locate on the bottom and top edges while on the other hand latitude is located on the left and right edges. The users use unlocking of navigational clues that are scattered across the chart. 

Pilot charts provide broader view of the entire water body. The charts do not provide information about the obstruction and depths but provide information about the weather. Pilot charts are related to the weather and nautical charts are related to water. The pilot charts are organized on the basis of month and region (Kartverket. no, 2020). Consider the following example, force 4 wind are blowing from the North East 67% of the time. The wind is not blowing from the North East then it is blowing from East. Consider the chart, the winds tend to be in direction Force 3 and 4 for the first month of year as January.

Consequences of failing to understand the charts

The nautical charts are considered as foundation for the safe navigation. The navigation is used to locate the narrow channels and positions. If the travelers are not able to understand the navigational charts and in case of lost in water, it become difficult for them to locate their exact position and how to come back on the regions. If they cannot understand the information on the charts, they are not able to get information about latitude, longitude, topographical locations, magnetic information’s, radio beacons, warning notices, water depth, and information about the shoals and reefs. In such cases, the possibilities of losing the destination become higher and risk of survival reduces (Riggingdoctor. com, 2016).

Conclusion of Nautical charts and pilot charts

Considering the information on the charts it is important to plan a cruise and select the route on the basis of information on the charts. If the user follows planned route along the wind the pilot charts denote the average currents and strength. The pilot charts and nautical charts are important to find locations and to have safe voyage. 

Task 2 (IMO Standard Marine Communication phrases (IMO SMCP)

Introduction of (IMO Standard Marine Communication phrases (IMO SMCP)

IMO Standard Marine Communication phrases (IMO SMCP) is a set of phrases that are supported by the international community and they are used at sea and are developed by the International Maritime Organization (IMO). The IMO Maritime safety committee of twenty seventh session are used for the navigational purposes and the language of the communication is mainly English. SMCP are established as standardized safety language with particular purpose and importance is safe operation of the ships. It is considered as a common communication tool to prevent misunderstandings that can cause accidents. It is mean of communication on board ship and has ability to contribute for the effective communication and teamwork for safe operations. The aim of present work is to consider IMO Standard Marine Communication phrases (IMO SMCP) and how they are used to communicate between the ships, vessels and other marine vehicles during voyage. The present work considers the ways of usages, communication methods, examples of dialogues between ship officers, and reflections on the consequences of failing to communicate properly in the marine.

Usage for Communication of (IMO Standard Marine Communication phrases (IMO SMCP)

The effective communication is important for marines that engage extremists to have communication with their support elements and they are used to ensure defense. The communication between marines is important to operate and perform preventive maintenance of software and hardware systems. The effective communication is the key factor that help in creating and maintaining the safe environment around the vessel. It will safe voyages and maintain miles of pleasant sailing and amicable crew. IMO Standard Marine Communication phrases (IMO SMCP) were developed to cover the safety related fields with verbal shore to ship, on board communication and ship to ship communication. The charts are used to communicate between the ships, coast stations, and VTS centers. The aim is to reduce the round problem language barriers at sea and prevent the misunderstanding that result accidents.  The SMCP are developed on basic knowledge of the English language. The simplified version is designed to reduce grammatical, idiomatic and lexical errors related to verbal communication. The common communication features of IMO Standard Marine Communication phrases (IMO SMCP) are as follows,

1.      Avoiding synonyms

2.      Avoiding the contract forms

3.      Provide fully working answers “Yes/no” or other alternative answers to the sentence questions.

4.      Providing one phrase and one event

5.      Designing the structure of phrases with the principles as identical invariable plus variables. It is necessary to indicate that SMCP are designed to send the message without errors.

The charts are used to have communication between the ships by using different means. IMO Standard Marine Communication phrases (IMO SMCP) includes limited number of technical terms and phrases require modifications. The general terms of Marine communication are listed below,

 IMO strongly recommend the usage of SMCP and preference of safety in the marine voyage. Combined methods use appropriate ways with the efficient safety language. The good marine officers are traditionally English competent, and they focus on educationalist to have fluent and native English speakers to reduce their eloquence to the SMCP levels. The marine officers encounter being less conversant with this medium and vast majority of seafarers have different educational background and they appreciate sort of Maritime English communication survival kit in the form of SMCP. The marine officers, shore based maritime personal, VTS staff officers, and pilots are trained to use SMCP and encounter less difficulties in communication when coping with organization, performing navigational duties, and safety relation situations when applying the phrases.   

Example of dialogue of (IMO Standard Marine Communication phrases (IMO SMCP)

The IMO Standard Marine Communication phrases (IMO SMCP) are developed to cover the most important safety related fields of ship to ship, shore to ship, and on-board communication. The main objective is to reduce the problem associated with the language barriers at the sea and to avoid the possibilities that cause accidents. The examples associated with the use of SMCP are listed below,

1.      To describe the abandoned and unmanned ship floating and SMCP provides correct phrase as “Unlit derelict vessels with drift in vicinity (position, time, and data)”.

2.      In case of being stuck in ice and to request assistance and help the officer is required to say “I am fast in ice, I require assistance”.

3.      In case of damage of vessel by ice, the officer is required to say, “I have developed problems of stability, heavy icing and request ice breaker assistance”.

4.      In case ship is sinking the officer will inform others by saying “I am sinking, please proceed to my assistance. What is your ETA at our distress position?”