full ahead both engines!

Big day for tomorrow. I will be signing on another ship. This ship is tagged as special  purpose maintenance vessel . Another 4-point mooring ship for me. This will be going to be another chapter in my life as a merchant seaman.

What is 4-point mooring? Well, it is actually a vessel with 4 anchors on all ends and will act as a steady platform ,regarding to sea current,swell or any other elements that may be posed during the ship’s operation. 1000meters of wires at each winche act as anchor cables and a Delta Flipper anchor  at the end that contribute most of the holding power; since the cable is a wire, not anchor cables in the normal sense.
 

Laying all 4 anchor is a backbreaking task to the uninitiated and inexperienced. From my previous experiences, it is also quite perilous if safety factors are being overlooked. This is when theories and practice comes into picture and very essential in the process of laying all those anchors. Teamwork is very crucial and also one of the factors regarding the effectiveness of the layout.
 

To the unexperienced, theories are therefore needed and finding a fastest and safest way to lay  usually comes through experience. Very essential for the mate assisting the master in way of plotting the anchor positions and where to steer, as this is an ad hoc situation where planning can’t be done beforehand. Every anchoring operation is unique to itself. Even though we are anchoring at the same spot, the elements such as wind,sea and current plays an important role. The assistance of an automated plotting device such as hydropro are highly appreciated, makes it quicker and easier to make crucial decisions.

So far ,my previous record have been 1hour and 15 minutes for all 4 anchors laid and ship in position. I am looking forward to find easier and safer way to do it. Plus i hope that i will enjoy working onboard this one. To glory we steer!

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