cruise ships flags

[PilotWolf]

I see them frequently flying below the bow of passenger ships moored where small craft such as launches come and go frequently during the day. These small craft are entering and departing a basin and must go under the mooring lines of cruise ships. The flags and bow lines could not ever be used for tugs because there are no tugs in the port. None.

We are obviously referring to different bow lines and you sir are doubling down on "fire wires" which are ridiculous for cruise ships; simply not relevant and incorrect. Let us end this discussion.

Listen to the CATAIN! They are messsenger lines to pass the tow line with in an emergency- unless you can throw a 4" line to a tug by hand?

It's pure conicidence that cruise ships are popular LEISURE boating areas And if they cannot see a SHIP alongside in. a port thesy have no right to be on the water.

Just for the record although not an MM I AM a Captain of commercial vessels with both UK and USA licenses. I have been working as a Captain and Mate on various ships and boats for over 13 years since returning to the sea after condsiderring a career change ashore. I started on commercial fishing boats at the age of 14 as a weekend job. Doesn't compare to a 'MM career but is a good few years experience considering I'm over 50 now

PW.

 

[PilotWolf]

I can't zoom in enough to see what that is hanging there, I think it's probably a rat shield that has fallen of the bow line, but if you need a red flag to warn you not or sail in front of this Carnival ship.... And they hang them I spent 6 1/2 years sailing past here and their ship were in 2-3 times a week.

PW

 

[peggyt1243]

The photos at the link is not a "fire wire". It is a red warning flag for small craft to be aware of the bulbous bow below the water and the large overhang above the water.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&sou...aw2i6r9G_rWydkLwMSP7Bhbj&ust=1571439463889472

 

[PilotWolf]

The photos at the link is not a "fire wire". It is a red warning flag for small craft to be aware of the bulbous bow below the water and the large overhang above the water.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&sou...aw2i6r9G_rWydkLwMSP7Bhbj&ust=1571439463889472

You have NO idea what you're talking about. You have been to,d you are WRONG by at least 2 very experienced captains who actually work in the industry. The picture you link to is a fire wire pure and simple.

Who would need a warning not to sail under the bow in the picture I posted or the one you posted?

Beginning to think you are nothing but a troll.

PW

 

[mattbaker]

The red flag you see off the bow is a sign that firewire is present. Mostly, big ships have these flags. A firewire is useful to pull the ship away from the harbor in case something goes wrong like a fire on the ship. It ensures that other ships on the harbor don't get burned out, etc.

 

[peggyt1243]

Below is the answer to the question as answered by a pilot in the UK with a you tube channel called Casual Navigation. This channel has 186,000 followers.


Highlighted reply
Casual Navigation
1 hour ago
It is usually to draw attention to the bulbous bow so small boats don't run over it
**************************************************************************************

Now to "pilotwolf" and cuppateatime, who is the uninformed troll here. It is not a firewire.


Tovey Churchill

 

[peggyt1243]

Peggyt12435 hours ago
@Casual Navigation Can you confirm that it is NOT a "fire wire"?


REPLY



Casual Navigation
27 minutes ago
It is unusual to have a firewire hanging over the bow. When I have used them, we hung them out of one of the offshore leads so that tugs could get easy access if needed. You don't want the bulb getting in the way of that.

 

[Portland Billy]

At last some sense.
A messenger for a fire wire would hang from an offshore fairlead or Panama lead -Not from over the bulbous bow.
In my time as master (tankers) we only ever hung the actual fire wire from the fairlead to just above the water to facilitate rapid connection if required. Never used a messenger.
I''ve never seen a fire wiren deployed on a passenger or dry cargo vessel.
This light line and red flag are a warning to passing vessels of the protrusion.

 

[peggyt1243]

Thank you Portland Billy. Thank you very, very much.

 

[Kukri]

Just to expand on Portland Billy’s explanation:

I haven’t commanded a cruise ship or a tanker but I have managed both. Tankers (all sorts of tankers) have to meet different regulations to those applying to dry cargo and passenger ships.

The “idea” of the “fire wire”, also called an “emergency towing off wire”, is that, in the unfortunate event of a fire, a harbour tug can use it to make fast and try to take the ship clear of the berth without assistance from the ship’s crew. It is therefore turned up on a pair of bollards and led overboard on the seaward side, where it is hung off on a light line with a spliced eye reasonably near to the tanker’s waterline. Since the tanker’s freeboard will be changing (that’s what she’s in port for!) the fire wire needs tending along with the warps. The rules are set out in general in the OCIMF guide for tankers and the SIGTTO guide for gas carriers and port authorities may add to them. Big oil ports usually do. Gas carriers usually rig two; one forward, one aft. The lines are rigged to lie on the flat side of the hull. It would be a bit daft to leave the loop dangling over the bow bulb because a tug couldn’t get it without ripping her underwater gear off on the bulb. By definition, you don’t rig or use a messenger. The gear must be ready to use.

NB: Points will be deducted for ripping out the chiksans or hoses, unless it’s a really spectacular fire.

Although I used to have litters of kittens about fire risk on our cruise ships and no doubt bored my colleagues afloat rigid about fire risk on board, we certainly never rigged a fire wire. I can’t say we never had a fire on board; we did, but they were very little ones and swiftly put out. On a passenger ship with a serious fire, the first thing is to get the passengers out of harm’s way, in an organised manner, and count them. If the ship is alongside, the gangway is pretty good for that. The next thing, if alongside, is to stop the shore fire brigades from doing a “Normandie”...

 

[Uricanejack]

Hmmm, Buggered if I know what the flag is for. just hanging it out to dry?
Never been on a Cruise Ship. I wouldn’t know what kind of strange practices they have.

Used to rig and tend fire wires, back in my day, admittedly quite a few decades ago.

Fire Wire,
A wire with an eye at both ends.
Usually rigged with.
The inboard end on the off shore set of bits on the main deck opposite to the springs.
Just aft of the focsle and just forward of the aft accommodation. Where the ships side is flat as per Kikuri.

Most of the wire was flaked on deck, then out the fair lead,
The outboard eye, lowerd to about 1 to 2 meters abouve the water. Usually dictated by port.

Prior to lowering. We would tie a light control line to the wire with a rolling hitch. The other end secured on on bits.
The purpose of this light control line, often an old heaving line. Was to stop the weight of the wire hanging over the side to cause the wire to pay out.
This line is or was a sacrificial life line.

All a harbour tug had to do. Pull up, secure to the hanging eye. The sacrificial line would break allowing the wire flaked on deck to pay out.
You would still have to release all the rest of the ships lines. In order to pull the ship clear.
Preferably by letting slack go from ship to be released by terminal staff from bits.
Many oil terminals had or have quick release mechanism. Which would not require ships crew to release ships lines or an axe could be used. The wires ussualy had a braidline snotter.
This would leave lines trailing in water. Even if ME could be started. Lines in water are a big problem for obvious reasons.

Some ports required us to take shore wires, which would require action by ships crew. To be released. Not a job I would want to do in a hurry.

I have seen them used. Not for a fire. Ship started ranging and breaking lines during storm force winds at an exposed terminal.
Ordered off the dock in a hurry. We had actually ordered tugs to help secure more lines.
PS emergency stop cargo and disconnect, before tugs even called. We would shut down if we heard thunder or saw lightning. Certainly if ship started moving.
Always some one standing by Manifold JIK.

The only red flag we used. Was the Bravo Flagg. It was up the mast. All round red at night. No relationship to fire wires. I recall or the bulb on the bow,

 

[PilotWolf]

There is a big jetty in the picture! I posted! As I said that looks like a rat shield but the picture is too low dif

Never saw them take a tug though.

Maybe a port requirement? But used them when I worked there, fore and aft.

PW