Seacare Authority Code of Practice Approval 2017
ANCHORING, DOCKING AND MOORINGANCHORING, DOCKING AND MOORING
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ANCHORING, DOCKING AND MOORING
GENERAL PROVISIONS
All anchoring, docking and mooring work must be supervised by an officer, who is in constant communication with the bridge.
The windlass, anchors, chains, mooring lines and wires should be carefully maintained and regularly inspected for damage and defects.
Appropriate personal protective equipment should be provided to all seafarers. involved in these operations.
Seafarers should be aware that it is usual for capstans, winches, or windlasses to be designed so as to stall or walk back before exceeding the safe working load of the weakest part of the system. Seafarers should not tamper with such arrangements or settings.
ANCHORING
Any anchor or chain showing defects should be withdrawn from service and repaired and tested by a suitable shore workshop.
Except on cases of an emergency the anchor should not be dropped from the hawse pipe but should be walked back to a suitable position and let go from that position.
Anchors may be let go at inappropriate moments due to the wrong message being received on a portable transceiver. All instructions should be "identified" by some means, e.g. by including the name of the vessel in the instruction.
Seafarers engaged in operating the brake, and others in the vicinity should wear goggles (or a full-face shield) and safety helmets for protection from dust and debris thrown from the chain.
Seafarers engaged in stowing an anchor chain into the locker should stand in a protected position and should keep in constant communication with the windlass operator.
Anchors housed and not required should be properly secured to guard against accidents or damage should the windlass brake be released inadvertently.
CHARACTERISTICS OF MAN-MADE FIBRE ROPES USED FOR MOORING OR TOWING
Man-made fibre ropes have advantages over natural fibre ropes in terms of strength, durability and resistance to rot etc. However, wear, damage and excessive exposure to sunlight can greatly diminish the strength of man-made ropes which should therefore be handled with care.
The following features should be taken into account when man-made ropes are used in port operations: