What Is The Purpose Of Cruise Guides?

If you are into the cruising business, then you must be aware of the cruising guides that experienced owners and crew members of recreational vessels often consult. Well, cruising in the middle of the sea is no joke and must be taken seriously. You never know when some unforeseen problems might occur and put the safety of passengers at risk. God forbid, if such a situation occurs, the crew must have in-depth information about the potential problems and the required solutions to fix them. For instance, if the ship is hit by a storm, then the crew must be able to handle the situation and make sure of the safety of the passengers at any cost.

Although most of the cruise ships are able to outrun the storms, if a hurricane or storm is detected along the cruise route, the captain and the crew chart a new path and make modifications to the itinerary to keep the passenger safe. In order to be able to do so, they are well-versed with the cruising guides that give information about specific paths, navigational hazards, and other obstacles that the ship might encounter. These guides contain detailed navigational information about various cruise destinations including intercoastal Waterway of the U.S. Eastern Seaboard, Abaco, Hawaiian Islands, the Leeward Islands of the Caribbean, the Windward Islands of the Caribbean, Trinidad, Tobago, and Barbados among others. Cruise guides also include a lot of other information regarding hotels, restaurants, sporting events, and other attractions that passengers can look for in case there are any changes in the itinerary. The main reason why cruise guides are considered as important is that they prepare the crew and passengers to meet and overcome any sort of challenges that are thrown in their way and also to help them make quick decisions in case of emergencies. With many nautical cruising guides available online, you can look for the one that serves your requirements and gives you enough information about the place you are visiting.  

What Are International Maritime Signal Flags?

Have you ever wondered why certain ships are dressed overall with different colored flags? Well, those are not just any flags. They are called international maritime signal flags and are widely used at seas for communication between ships. They can be used individually as well as in combination with other flags to convey various messages. For instance, consider the Zulu flag, which has the appearance of a diagonally quartered square and is filled with four different colors—yellow, blue, red, and black. It is also known as the Z flag and represents the letter Z in the English alphabet. When it is used alone, it means “I require a tug” but when used near fish vessels, it means “I am shooting nets”. Many a time, it is also used in combination with number flags to convey time; where the first two letters denote hours and the last two letters denote minutes. Apart from this, there are 25 letter flags such as Sierra, Alfa, and Mike that are also used to convey important information. 

These are usually built on sturdy white canvas with the use of strong and dark colors to make sure they do not fade away while the ship is at sea. Considering the fact that only certain colors are readily distinguishable at the sea, the signal flags are made by using just 5 colors— Red, Blue, Yellow, Black, and White. Of all the patterns and colors that are used for these maritime signal flags, interestingly, the Zulu flag is the only flag in the set that uses four different colors. It also happens to have special significance in Japan because of the Battle of Tsushima, which was an important naval battle, fought during the Russo-Japanese War. These flags are incredibly useful to the sailors who have depended on these signals for communication for multiple decades now.   

Chronometer - An Essential Tool In Marine

Always known for showing Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), chronometer is an instrument that is kept on ships to keep an accurate time.

The chief use of a chronometer on the ship is for the purpose of Astro-Navigation. In this, natural element Sun is mainly used. The sun’s altitude alters rather quickly. If an error of even four seconds is made then you are talking about an error of one nautical mile in the observed position.

For keeping a ship’s routine in check, accurate time is of utmost importance. This is where chronometer comes in, which helps in maintaining ship’s routine with its immaculate accuracy. As of now, it is the GPS system that is employed for both the purposes. But still, if a need arise for an alternative method, then a chronometer always come to the rescue. The codeof federal regulations have some guidelines for marine to follow. Those guidelines also stress on keeping the ship’s routine always in check.

Types

There is the spring tension chronometer and the electronic quartz crystal chronometer. The former uses a balance wheel and for regulation, a spiral spring instead of a pendulum.

The latter is a clock that constitutes of an electric oscillator. In this, a quartz crystal is present that regulates the oscillator to maintain the correct time. This oscillator is known for producing a signal with super accurate frequency which translates into quartz clocking magnitude a lot more precise than the mechanical clocks