Traffic Situations On A Cargo Ship | Life At Sea

Ships often encounter various traffic situations with other vessels. There are strict Rules Of The Road for ALL vessels to follow according to the International Rules and Regulations Handbook COLREGS (Collision Regulations). Since ships are not nearly as maneuverable as small craft and typically can not adjust speed as easily, most risk of collision is avoided using course changes. In this video we will take a brief overlook at two different common traffic situations, a Head-On Situation and a Crossing Situation. The Head-On situation is between our container ship and an ATB (Articulated Tug and Barge). The Crossing Situation is a night time traffic situation between our container ship and a large passenger vessel (cruise ship). In this situation we act as the giveaway vessel to the cruise ship.
#shiptraffic #maritime #lifeatsea

[@jameschen9099]

Bryan, once you have identified a potential conflict do you use the "Advance Time" function in ARPA to advance the time to TCPA to check if it satisfy your minimum separation criteria ? If it does then no need to call ? If it doesn't satisfy then you hail the target and ask their intentions ? If you are give way vessel after changing course do you go back to the "Advance Time" function once again to the new TCPA to confirm no conflict ?

[@BryanBoyle]

The advance time feature on radars is called trial maneuver. I never use it though because I find it unnecessary in most traffic situations and not that user friendly. Experience is your friend and after seeing all kinds of situations you start to learn how to handle them all without it. Remember radar is a tool and not to be solely relied on to determine risk of collision (Rule 7 of Navigation Rules). You should handle traffic first by looking out the window to see the aspects of lights at night, or using binoculars to see which way other ships are heading to determine the type of traffic situation and who’s the giveaway or stand on vessel. Risk of collision is constant bearing, decreasing range. If you look out the window and see a target, check it again a few moments later to see if it’s relative bearing is constant or changing. I know that’s a bit of a tangent, but really the last time I used trial maneuver was as a cadet or green third mate. One of the best and quickest techniques to use with RADAR is to set the target vectors to relative, then set a VRM to the CPA you want to maintain. Now the name of the game is to keep all target’s relative vector lines out of your circle which is incredibly useful when dealing with a unique traffic situation with multiple targets. If you follow the rules of the road and make early and ample course changes, there’s no need to hail other ships unless you are in doubt as to what they are doing. It’s best not to ask other vessels what their intentions are. Their intentions are supposed to be to follow the rules of the road, so when hailing other traffic, tell them what you are doing and request they do what they are supposed to be doing if they aren’t, unless you both mutually agree on a different passing plan. For example, meeting starboard to starboard in a head on situation if it’s more practical to do so. Remember Rule 2 if the other vessel is not following the rules and there continues to be risk of collision. It’s our responsibility to do whatever necessary to avoid the collision even if it mean you must depart from the rules at this point. For example, the giveway vessel is not giving way and you must take action as the stand on vessel to steer away from a risk of collision. Thanks for your question, I know I went into a lot more detail outside what you were asking but all of this is important and relevant for watch officers. I’m going to pin this comment for others that may be interested in reading this more detailed discussion of handling traffic.

[@jameschen9099]

@@BryanBoyle thanks Bryan for the detailed reply. Regards.

[@BryanBoyle]

Sure thing! I meant to ask if you are working in the industry/cadet or just curious? Figured you were based on the detail of your question

[@jameschen9099]

@@BryanBoyle I wish I got into the industry. It is a bit late now as I am well into mid-life. So just interest, curiosity and hobby.

[@chanhdo3929]

@@BryanBoyle thank you for this detailed answer!

[@coult001]

As an old salt (2nd mate VLCC in the 70's) I am at awe of all the gadgets you have at your disposal ! I only had a reflexplotter with pen and liner. Are you worried about recent possible hacking of the ECDIS?

[@BryanBoyle]

Yes that is always a concern for us. I have seen first hand certain parts of the world where our GPS has been spoofed and our position becomes unreliable on the ECDIS. That’s why proper seamanship is so important to always verify your position with other techniques such as radar ranges and bearings and to not solely rely on the GPS data!

[@coult001]

@@BryanBoyle I hope you still have a sextant on board? With all the nautical tables in the present day computer even a moon fix position should be a piece of cake!

[@treimers95]

​@BryanBoyle How would you handle relying on your local radar?If you were for example in a war zone where having your radar on could make you a target for a homing missile? I think there are still scenarios where even merchant vessels would go emissions silent like a worship does. So you couldn't rely on GPS because it was being spoofed. And yet you couldn't safely emit radar either...

[@Sajxi]

Glad to see you uploading again!

[@BryanBoyle]

Yes sorry for the long pause there! I have a bunch of stuff edited now I will be releasing for awhile. Thanks for staying subscribed and hope you enjoy it!

[@bas6983]

1st scenario. Why the he.. use the vhf for a very very clear situation. If he will meet me in the north sea and calls at 20nm i will not even answer him the colregs are especially designed to be used without the use of vhf. Should they be updated in certain areas? Yes but the situations are very clear.

[@mitchellbarnow1709]

Thanks for sharing this "rules of the sea" video! It's really interesting how differently things are done and why they have to be so precise.

[@1989closed]

Thanks Bryan for teaching us things about an occupation so many of us are unfamiliar with. The steady rumble of the engines is like white noise that you must get used to and be quite relaxing when going to sleep. Off ship, is it difficult to sleep without the engine hum?

[@BryanBoyle]

Thanks, glad you are learning from my videos! I do enjoy the background noise for sleeping, so I typically have some type of white noise at home like a fan. I try not to replicate the sound of a ship while on vacation though lol

[@Knightfall23]

Super interesting how much tech and data goes into ships!

[@zurabkakuria5017]

Information was very helpful. Especially this kind of information is the best for deck Cadets as well as for all who is going to be a Deck officer , thanks!!!!!!!!!!!

[@jamescooper7957]

Try navigating through NY harbor during fleet week, pushing a 120,000bbl gas barge. Traffic nightmare but one of the best learning experiences you can get.

[@Knightfall23]

What’s fleet week

[@jamescooper7957]

@@Knightfall23 It's held every May in NY harbor. U S. Naval ships as well as ships from other countries arrive throughout the week. The public can usually tour quite a few of the ships while they're visiting. Plus, sailors/Marines from around the world are crawling all over Manhattan. If I remember correctly, the Tugboat races are that week as well. If you're going as a tourist and don't have to deal with traffic management & finding an anchorage, it's pretty fun.

[@billwareagle7047]

Another amazingly informative video, the technology on these vessels are so very detailed. This video is one of your best, thanks for showing and narrating in terms everyone can comprehend. Please stay safe Bryan!

[@BryanBoyle]

Thanks again Bill! I know I can always count on you for leaving nice supportive comments. Hope all is well with you and your family

[@aliceboyle3612]

Glad you’re back Bryan with these informative videos!!

[@bruschi8148]

That was an awesome explanation! Love these videos Bryan thanks for sharing

[@BjerkeRobin]

Right... so... this is a particular little quirk I have... but you REALLY shouldn't be using the VHF for those kinds of situations (only got as far as the head on). I appreciate that the other ship hailed you and not the other way round, but calling someone up 19 miles out for THE most standard and clear cut traffic situation is just... atrocious seamanship.

[@apurva9475]

Hey Bryan absolutely love your content. Can you make a video on ETO on board?

[@ryanbean7209]

Hey Bryan! How do you determine what course to steer once you identified a contact? Ie: In the head on situation, you changed course to 305. I assume it has to do with your CPA limits, but is it just an educated guess, or is there more of an official process that comes with it?

[@BryanBoyle]

Yea it’s more of an educated guess. In this scenario since we were so far away, less of a course change was needed. Since the other vessel hailed me this far out to confirm passing arrangements, we still needed to make an apparent course change so I went with 10 degrees. The closer you are, the more of a course change you need. If he hadn’t called me that far out, I probably would have waited until we were around 10 miles and then did the 10-15 degree course change.

[@nonsense1430]

@@BryanBoyle exactly :)

[@stephenhope7319]

Very good. Rules of the road, so to speak. Interesting how much info you have onboard.

[@fnujusran]

Finally i got what I'm looking for to learn it well,so that I subscribed.Greetings Captain bryan may we could work together and i'm as AB

[@seang2012]

I expected Bryan to get on the radio and do some shit talking and play hardcore chicken.

[@BryanBoyle]

Haha maybe in the simulator with some old classmates, but I keep it professional at work!

[@nickhoffman5524]

very interesting the technology is incredible

[@fbfields984]

My how things have changed with determining cpa/course/speed/cbdr since I was discharged as an operations specialist (fancy term for radarman) in the USN.

[@gidovke]

Right at the beginning you end the VHF convo with "standing by on 16" Were you using ch16 for this message? I thought 16 should only be used for emergency contacts.

[@coult001]

I am also pleased to learn from your very good vlog that old school seamanship is still leading in all your work!

[@user-pi2fj6xs6q]

Wow, deeply helpful video sir and I appreciate you doing this for us. Hava a safe voyage officer

[@duece191]

10/10 for this! Super interesting!

[@rodrigues709]

Good class Captain... Top notch!

[@everetthymel864]

Not me in school trying to get my deck license right now trying to understand boat language

[@nathanwilliams6359]

This is kind of a stupid question but do cruise ships operate the same way on the bridge or is it different between cargo and passenger

[@minhtunguyen9060]

Very useful !! Keep doing orther video pls

[@jameswhite9300]

Brian, which academy did you go to?

[@tonyjoe1753]

Excellent !

[@kenlynch6332]

⛴ ⛴ ⛴ ⛴ ⛴

[@bryanharris7479]

Excellent video.

[@beyzaalacagoz3271]

hey,thanks for this video.Also can you make a video like these but in a high traffic area?

[@dvaemtp]

Hello from Tennessee. Not involved in the shipping industry but interested in the shipping industry. Enjoy your videos! Stay safe and keep up the good work!

[@vincentwesolowski459]

Greetings Bryan, I have recently discovered your channel and thank you for posting. Having been in the USN as a Electricians Mate 3rd Class (1968,69&70) I find life at sea a real pleasure. I enjoy being on, in or under the sea. I understand that the merchant shipping industry carries what I would call a skeleton crew. Sometimes when I see rust or patchwork paint jobs on machinery I kind of cringe. Oh, if my chief ever saw anything like this I don’t think I would see liberty for the rest of the year. So, here is my question: with an extremely limited number of crew members how are maintenance issues prioritized? When you come into port is there any kind of maintenance crew that comes on board to help with any issues? How often is a ship given a total maintenance go over? In the USN we had preventative maintenance duties. I really don’t think with the size of your crew you would be able to keep up with a PM program. How do you keep up with your PM program? Thank you for your time. Take care and stay healthy. Vince Wesolowski

[@ericbunnell2302]

Thanks for making your videos. Just newly subscribed still going thru your past uploads. Finding them extremely interesting. Thanks again!!

[@ОлегАлексеенко-й9г]

Hello I'm OS Welder .I going to chief second i just want to say thanking for your video it's big work 😉

[@nicjansen230]

Funny how sport changes the rules: you keep clear at least 10 times your length, while sailing vessels in a regatta keep clear less than a 10th of their length :P On a 6 meter long sailboat, it's common to steer within 0,6 meters (2 feet) of others. Of course collisions are a lot more frequent. Most collisions are minor, but even the worst case isn't that bad compared to a container ship collision What doesn't change is how you have to make your intentions clear early, so this is often what happens when sailboats cross: the one on port tack changes course early, otherwise the one on starboard tack starts hailing "starboard", then the bow of the port tack sailboat will aim straight at the stern of the other following it till the last moment before steering straight again, leaving just a few centimeters/inches between them

[@ABCD-hl7om]

Great content! Please keep uploading informative stuff like that! Thank you

[@iliadfastness5646]

You mentioned using binoculars in a reply. Is there any preference for certain brands? Are 7×50s the nautical standard?

[@davidschick6951]

I'd love to hear about the different flags that various ships fly, flags of convenience, flags of registry, etc. if you have time. Thanks for posting!

[@masaharumorimoto4761]

Always enjoyable! I like your calm presentation, thanks for the interesting information about merchant ships :)

[@johnjablonski2155]

iI really enjoy the way you explain things. I like your videos.

[@nickjohnson410]

I like how the other guy asked if you wanted to meet port to port or starboard to starboard... Never assume other people know the rules or follow them.

[@cat6457]

I found this video absolutely fascinating. Thank you so much for taking the time to make the video and such a great narration for someone like me who has no knowledge of these things. Thank you thank you

[@TheFlatlander440]

Ah yes, the old Andrea Doria/Stockholm scenario. Port to port pass is the rule for all vessels and ships.

[@pruittiii]

@Bryan Boyle - Great video. I have always dreamed of a voyage on a container ship.

[@seawanderer]

What is that coloured lines in radar function?and how to activated it? Thank you

[@MichaelCasey1988]

I was thinking of joining the Merchant Marines and go deck like my father. How long did it take you to get to where you're at now with navigation

[@maxwellmartin8059]

@ maritime school.. this is awesome channel

[@alexk.official7315]

Appreciate the videos mate and the descriptions too.

[@jghartman4482]

WOW. That's some cool info Thanks.

[@igorpshenichnikov519]

Wow, you’re one good looking seaman!

[@spencerbass7142]

That is very neat. Wasn’t the barge in the crotch?

[@anasimoes6610]

Nice thank you 😊👏👏👍

[@mentalizatelo]

What a pleasure to be on a ship with all that technology!

[@westernstar4964]

Enjoyed this presentation .

[@seven_hundred-seven_hundred]

Very nice. Thank you.

[@eugeniustheodidactus8890]

How far out can you paint another ship with radar?

[@fernandofilipovic9224]

With Short Pulse from 0.125 to 1.5 NM, with Medium Pulse from 1.5 to 3 NM and with Long Pulse from 3 to 64 NM

[@eugeniustheodidactus8890]

@@fernandofilipovic9224 Thank you!

[@jillfrussell]

Thank you (!!) for showing the correct way to prioritize radar / ARPA data over AIS for collision avoidance.

[@BryanBoyle]

Yes it’s frustrating to see some Mariners use the RADAR and only have the AIS data selected, essentially not using the RADAR’s ARPA at all..

[@runechristiansen9364]

Bryan Boyle, just a tip, if the gray background outside the PPI is annoying, you can turn adjust to a black background, which I find a lot better at night times. Right click the "brill" at lower left corner, and turn down the bar called "charecter" amount 10-20% , it can be done on all color palettes.

[@BryanBoyle]

Thank you, I will look into adjusting that setting next time I’m onboard. Just gotta get the other watch officers onboard as everyone likes their own settings for their watch!

[@noodlepipkin]

This is GREAT. I have no idea what the abbreviations mean but I have a tiny bit of 16 year old physics knowledge and 44 years of being a nerd to just enjoy this delight of a video. I come from a land-locked country and used to be an Underwriter so I have always had an odd thing for the boats. 😂! Has being on the ship got you into reading more historical stuff about when people first started sailing round the world?

[@BryanBoyle]

Thanks! Yes I definitely have greater interest in the days of ships under sail power. Although life as a Mariner at sea is still tough, it’s nothing compared to the hardships of a sailor at that time. I do think a lot of the romance of going to sea has fallen and would love to have experienced it at least once the way things were done back then!

[@emilyrose8689]

In this video you mentioned the cruise ship seeing the aspect change of your mast and side lights, which I definitely understand. However, cruise ships are often at light spectacularly lit up, does this make it difficult to distinguish their lights and determine what they're doing? I get that you have other way of identifying what they're doing (ecdis, ais, radar, etc.) but I'm thinking if for some reason all those options were unavailable except for visual identification.

[@BryanBoyle]

Yes you are absolutely correct! Cruise ship navigation lights are often washed out from all of their other deck lights onboard which can make it very difficult to see their aspect to the naked eye from a distance. You can usually still pick up their aspect though with a good pair of binoculars

[@emilyrose8689]

@@BryanBoyle oh that’s cool. That’s something we haven’t covered in my mart classes. I assume it will eventually be but I had to drop out temporarily maybe permanently unless I can find a way to find the rest of my education. Unfortunately no one in my family could qualify for a loan to help me.

[@Sw3Gon]

Very informative video, thanks! Question: Do you usually avoid making decisions on course alteration solely on AIS data when the approaching vessel has right of way, or would you recommend waiting until you have a radar signature solid enough to plot the target with ARPA? From my experience the AIS data usually is quite accurate, but then again some say you should never make navigational decisions based on second or third hand information.

[@BryanBoyle]

First and foremost you should be using visual data to make decisions, and AIS or ARPA to assist. I do not rely solely on AIS data because it’s only as accurate as the information the other vessel is broadcasting. If they have a poor GPS feed or gyro feed etc, our AIS receiver won’t know and will use whatever is being transmitted from them to display on the ECDIS or AIS display. It’s best to use a combination of AIS and radar data to confirm accuracy. What drives me crazy is when I see people using just the AIS target data on the radar screen. Kind of defeats the purpose of the RADAR and I’ve even seen some captains not allow the AIS overlay on the radar screen for that reason

[@seaph2022]

nice lesson mate 👍👍

[@terraforte7515]

very nice video all the best from Greece

[@dirks1982]

That was interesting, thank you! I actually never thought about what the rules are, when two ships meet 😅 What would be ‚close‘ in terms of large vessels passing each other at sea?

[@BryanBoyle]

Anything less than a mile is considered close but sometimes unavoidable at sea. We may need to pass other ships at half a mile or less if absolutely necessary and always do so in hand steering. If you want to see really close, check out my Texas Chicken video where ships pass each other in the channel close enough you could throw a ball to the other ship!

[@dscott130]

Love this!

[@charlieo4489]

Nice Video.

[@krutand1691]

awesome!

[@hunebedbouwer5755]

Little unprofessional to call the other on the VHF in such a clear head-on situation...

[@Sender76]

top

[@naidoo15]

I’m not sure what it is with people and talking on a radio, as you said a textbook head on situation so what’s the point in radio talking. 20 miles away and he’s calling people up 🤦 shit like this infuriates me, how will people survive in busy areas..

[@BryanBoyle]

I agree that an ample course change with respect to the rules in itself should be the main form in communicating to the other vessel your intentions. Sometimes radio communication with other foreign ships with language barriers can cause more confusion! I can’t really penalize this guy for standing a proper watch though and keeping ahead of the game, but I do agree with what you’re saying