Article

Danish Butter Cookies...


by Marine Pilot Luis Vale, Portugal - published on 17 July 2019 1648 -

photo and article by Luis Vale, Portugal

It is a known fact that next to the most important equipment on a ship’s bridge (the coffee machine) there will always be a tin of cookies to help the watchkeepers go through the 4 hours watch with their stomachs comforted. Not always known is that these tins of delicious “Danish Butter Cookies” can also give a help navigating the ship…

Back in 1996 we were approaching Hormuz Strait, outbound from the Arabian Gulf, having loaded a full cargo of crude oil at the Iranian Kharg Island terminal. The traffic separation scheme north of Musandam Peninsula demands a large alteration of course, which can be tricky for a 22 meter draft, 342 meters long vessel with heavy traffic nearby. For this reason, the Captain was also on the bridge with the 2nd Officer (at that time, me).

At some distance on our starboard bow, there was a salvage tug approximately with the same heading and speed. She was delaying the course change and soon we would need to start going to starboard and had no acceptable room. Before deciding to slow our speed to increase the distance we tried to call her on the VHF asking if she would alter course before us or proceed with that course. After calling the tugboat a couple of times by her name, with no answer whatsoever and approaching the defined position to alter course, I headed for the phone to call the engineers in order to let them know that I would soon be decreasing the engine revolutions so as to alter course.

Before I could pick up the handset, the Captain impassively told me to wait a moment. He approached the “Danish Butter Cookies” tin, removed the lid and went outside on the bridge wing. Using the sun and the polished interior of the lid as a mirror, he began to flash the bridge of the tug. Almost immediately a voice sounded on the VHF, with the tugboat watchkeeper apologizing after realizing that there was this huge, huge vessel approaching on her port quarter. She instantly altered course to starboard and allowed us also to alter without decreasing the speed...

So, next time you join a ship, check if the “Danish Butter Cookies” are a part of the standard navigational equipment…

Join the conversation...

Login or register to write comments and join the discussion!
Daniel Trinca USA
on 25 April 2021, 12:37 UTC

It should be as part of inventory among toothpicks and toiled papers.
I would say without this a vessel cannot sail.
0

Read more...

Article The use of helmets... or “Why Do Pilots Not Wear Helmets?”

by Marine Pilot Luis Vale, Portugal - published on 20 August 2019

photo and article by Luis Vale, Portugal

1

Article Pilots and ship´s Captains

by Marine Pilot Luis Vale, Portugal - published on 23 August 2019

Lately there has been a considerable increase in opinions of seagoing ship´s masters complaining about pilotage services, expressed whether as LinkedIn articles and comments or in some reputable industry magazines.

1

Article Shiphandling at shipyards, never a dull moment...

by Marine Pilot Luis Vale, Portugal - published on 20 September 2019

Drydocking or undocking is always a difficult task, particularly with a “dead” vessel (no power/propulsion) and the wind blowing on the ship's side.

0

Video The Pilot Of Belfast Harbour - N Irish Coastal Scenery

published on 20 June 2022

What a great pleasure to meet these guys at the harbour - they could not have been more helpful and forthright about their work. At first glance, the glide of these orange powerboats up and down Belfast Lough seems an almost effortless task, but close up this is a very skilled trade and constant management of risk 24/7 in high and low seas, jumping from ship to boat to land taking safe control of the great volume of steel vessel coming in and out of this busy port. Though a hub of...

1

Video A Day With Lough Foyle Pilots

published on 25 July 2022

July 21st 2022, a thrilling day for me when I met up with the Foyle Pilots and was given a tour and a trip out on pilot vessel Foyle Leader 2. I was in the company of Coxswain Tommy McDaid and several other pilots, I was taken out past tall ship Grace O'Malley then we collected the pilot from a cement carrier called Cemluna, then back to Greencastle, it was a fantastic experience. Many thanks to Tommy and the crew for making this happen. www.nightskyhunter.com

0

Video Maastricht MAERSK inbound Bremerhaven

published on 5 August 2020

Feel free to share!
#pilot #sea #shipspotting #lifeatsea #sailor #bremerhaven #ship #container #containership #tug #seaman #seamanslife #maritime #passengership #navigator #mariner #mastermarina #shipstagramm #captain #dockingpilot #vessel #northsea #port #shipping #navigation #cruise #maersk #cargoship #shipping #merchantnavy

0

Video Bristol Pilots LLP - Video

published on 18 September 2019

What does a Bristol Pilot do? This is a short film we made for Bristol Pilots LLP to show what it is these guys do - from climbing up the side of oil tankers in the middle of the night, to bringing in huge ships through a lock with inches to spare either side - the Bristol Pilots do an amazing job.

0

Video PSA Marine - Straits Piloting and Navigational Audit

published on 4 July 2019

In Singapore, only PSA Marine's Straits Pilots met the high standard certification criteria set by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) and have been awarded with the Straits Pilot Certificate. Hence, only PSA Marine's Straits Pilots are certified to provide Voluntary Pilotage Services in the Straits of Malacca and Singapore.
Only PSA Marine can provide a seamless transit to/from the rendezvous point and any destinations in Singapore.
Since 2001, PSA Marine has been providing...

1

Video Singapore’s First Hybrid Electric boat underway

published on 29 April 2021

15 mtr pilot boat classed under BV with the notation Electric Hybrid and Zero-Emission (“ZE”) mode. This notation provides operational and environmental benefits. It helps to ensure the systems operate safely and efficiently, as well as reduce fuel consumption, local air emissions and noise when in proximity to centers of population.

0

Article The difficulty of finding marine pilot-specific information on the Internet

by Marine-Pilots.com - published on 4 November 2019

Who is a pilot and how do I find information about this great job on the Internet?

2