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Marine distress system

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  Marine distress system Anne & Lynn Wheeler <lynn@garlic.com> - 2015-10-21 19:17 -0700
    Re: Marine distress system hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com - 2015-10-22 07:38 -0700
      Re: Marine distress system "78lp" <78lp@nospam.com> - 2015-10-23 05:53 +1100
    Re: Marine distress system Michael Black <et472@ncf.ca> - 2015-10-22 11:57 -0400

#153200 — Marine distress system

I was sitting at coffee shop yesterday morning, the next table had four
men and one was explaining the marine distress system. A ship signals
distress and all ships in the world receive it ... and receivers have
limited time interval to respond (cancel or acknowledge), before their
system retransmits the signal. He claimed that a sinking ship distress
transmission near australia a month ago, is still being
retransmitted. He said that it is an ancient MS/DOS based system and
almost impossible to change. He said that some ships turn off their
receiver because there is also required paper work that has to be filled
out for each signal that is received.

this doesn't go into that level of detail ...

Global Maritime Distress and Safety System
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_Maritime_Distress_Safety_System
digital selective calling
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_Selective_Calling

-- 
virtualization experience starting Jan1968, online at home since Mar1970

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#153211

On Wednesday, October 21, 2015 at 10:17:43 PM UTC-4, Anne & Lynn Wheeler wrote:

> ... He said that it is an ancient MS/DOS based system and
> almost impossible to change. ...

Diverting somewhat....at the harbor they had a tour of visiting Canadian Navy ships.  On the bridge there were two standard office metal desks, and on each desk was an IBM PC.  The screen was on, showing a vertical chart of the classic ship's telegraph--full ahead, half ahead, astern, etc.  So, instead of moving the wheel to tell the engine room what speed to give, they set it on the PC.  Kind of a disappointment.

Also, the steering wheel ('helm' or whatever you call the big wheel), was a plain austere steel wheel, no ornamentation at all.

Not what I was used to from the movies.

I don't know about ocean going ships, but when the Staten Island Ferry was powered by steam (1950 era boats), the pilot had to constantly signal the engine room in order to precisely dock the ferry in the slip.  The ship didn't simply sail into the ferry slip, but rather had to be jostled in.  There were semi-flexible wooden fencing that guided the ship in.  (Big ships are docked by tugboats).

The newer ferries have engine controls in the pilot house and allow for much more precise handling.

Years ago, they used to give tours of the SI ferry pilot house (opposite end), but unfortunately, 9/11 and some accidents stopped that practice.  They also stopped letting passengers stand right at the water's edge, which was a neat experience.

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#153227

<hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com> wrote in message 
news:db19930f-f8b6-4110-8942-1fd839e14657@googlegroups.com...
> On Wednesday, October 21, 2015 at 10:17:43 PM UTC-4, Anne & Lynn Wheeler 
> wrote:
>
>> ... He said that it is an ancient MS/DOS based system and
>> almost impossible to change. ...
>
> Diverting somewhat....at the harbor they had a tour of visiting Canadian 
> Navy ships.  On the bridge there were two standard office metal desks, and 
> on each desk was an IBM PC.  The screen was on, showing a vertical chart 
> of the classic ship's telegraph--full ahead, half ahead, astern, etc.  So, 
> instead of moving the wheel to tell the engine room what speed to give, 
> they set it on the PC.  Kind of a disappointment.
>
> Also, the steering wheel ('helm' or whatever you call the big wheel), was 
> a plain austere steel wheel, no ornamentation at all.
>
> Not what I was used to from the movies.
>
> I don't know about ocean going ships, but when the Staten Island Ferry was 
> powered by steam (1950 era boats), the pilot had to constantly signal the 
> engine room in order to precisely dock the ferry in the slip.  The ship 
> didn't simply sail into the ferry slip, but rather had to be jostled in. 
> There were semi-flexible wooden fencing that guided the ship in.  (Big 
> ships are docked by tugboats).

Not anymore, most do it all themselves now.

> The newer ferries have engine controls in the pilot house and allow for 
> much more precise handling.
>
> Years ago, they used to give tours of the SI ferry pilot house (opposite 
> end), but unfortunately, 9/11 and some accidents stopped that practice. 
> They also stopped letting passengers stand right at the water's edge, 
> which was a neat experience.
>
>
>
>

> 

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#153215

On Wed, 21 Oct 2015, Anne & Lynn Wheeler wrote:

>
> I was sitting at coffee shop yesterday morning, the next table had four
> men and one was explaining the marine distress system. A ship signals
> distress and all ships in the world receive it ... and receivers have
> limited time interval to respond (cancel or acknowledge), before their
> system retransmits the signal. He claimed that a sinking ship distress
> transmission near australia a month ago, is still being
> retransmitted. He said that it is an ancient MS/DOS based system and
> almost impossible to change. He said that some ships turn off their
> receiver because there is also required paper work that has to be filled
> out for each signal that is received.
>
So this is the system installed that caused the rules to relax, no need 
for knowing morse code, maybe no need for an actual "radioman"?

In the old days, ship to shore was something radio was used for even 
before Titanic proved the value and caused more regulations to go in 
place, there'd be a radioman, maybe an assitant, and they were there for 
regular work, but they were also required to monitor the distress 
frequency.    It seems silly that they turn it off because "it's too much 
trouble".

I actually knew someone who got the right certification and "ran away to 
sea" as a radioman.  This was in the late seventies or early eighties. I 
know he made some trips, don't know what happened after that. Almost the 
twilight of it all.

   Michael


  > this doesn't go into that 
level of detail ... > > Global Maritime Distress and Safety System
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_Maritime_Distress_Safety_System
> digital selective calling
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_Selective_Calling
>
> -- 
> virtualization experience starting Jan1968, online at home since Mar1970
>

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