Cruise Talk: Sea Princess On Saturday

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Topic: Sea Princess On Saturday

Patsy
First Class Passenger
Member # 5611

posted 08-06-2007 05:40 AM

I went down for the very late arrival then back for the sailing. I still can't get over the fast turnaround. Anyway, we noticed about the time the pilot flag went up so did something else. I had to use the digital zoom when she passed us to get a closer shot but does anyone have any idea what the black thing to the right of the red ensign is? We thought at first when she was in the dock it was swinging from the crane.

Posts: 2023 | From: Hythe, Hants | Registered: Apr 2005 | IP: Logged

cruiseshipluver
First Class Passenger
Member # 5104

posted 08-06-2007 01:47 PM

The black 'thing' is kind of like a repeater...for flags. I see it with all the vessels that fly the red ensign from the stern. Then when they get in Southampton because the red ensign is being flown on the at sea station on the mast, they do not fly another one on the starboard yard, instead they put up the 'black thing.' I have seen it done on QM2 and Oceana when in Southampton from pictures.

cruiseshipluver

Posts: 1797 | From: Barbados--cruiseship capital of the Southern Caribbean | Registered: Oct 2004 | IP: Logged

PamM
First Class Passenger
Member # 2127

posted 08-06-2007 05:49 PM

Rule 28, Vessels Constrained by their Draft, of the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea 1972 (black cylinder daytime, three red lights vertically nighttime).

"A vessel constrained by draft may exhibit three all-round red lights in a vertical line where best seen by night, or a black cylinder dayshape by day."

Tides? Cowes Week?
Or not the right answer?

Pam

Posts: 12176 | From: Cambridge, UK | Registered: Jun 2001 | IP: Logged

cruiseshipluver
First Class Passenger
Member # 5104

posted 08-06-2007 09:23 PM

quote:
Originally posted by PamM:
Rule 28, Vessels Constrained by their Draft, of the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea 1972 (black cylinder daytime, three red lights vertically nighttime).
"A vessel constrained by draft may exhibit three all-round red lights in a vertical line where best seen by night, or a black cylinder dayshape by day."
Tides? Cowes Week?
Or not the right answer?
Pam

Thanks Pam, you enlightened me on that, I thought it had to do with the flag situation that I was refering to...If it has to do with draught constraints then it must be tides then...
cruiseshipluver

Posts: 1797 | From: Barbados--cruiseship capital of the Southern Caribbean | Registered: Oct 2004 | IP: Logged

OceanVoyager
First Class Passenger
Member # 5585

posted 08-07-2007 06:46 AM

quote:
Originally posted by Patsy:
Does anyone have any idea what the black thing to the right of the red ensign is? We thought at first when she was in the dock it was swinging from the crane.

Hi Patsy, dependent on whether its a black drum or ball, denotes which direction the vessel is leaving the Solent, be it via the Needles or Nab.
Strange its still used as only smaller vessels go via the Needles due to shifting sandbanks between the IOW and Hurst Castle.
Hope you an all other UK CT'ers are finally enjoying summer now its here.
Time for me to dust down the camera then!!
Andrew

Posts: 627 | From: Hythe, Southampton, UK | Registered: Apr 2005 | IP: Logged

Patsy
First Class Passenger
Member # 5611

posted 08-07-2007 06:58 PM

I've never seen it before and since my dad found his monocular last year, he's always looking at the mast for any sign of the pilot flag and has never seen that either (the black thing, not the pilot flag). I quite like the idea of it being the 21st century version of walking the plank.

Oh yes, Andrew. Sunburn on last Tuesday's sunburn. Lovely! Pity about the rain and thunder today.

Posts: 2023 | From: Hythe, Hants | Registered: Apr 2005 | IP: Logged

Norfolk Boy
First Class Passenger
Member # 5387

posted 08-12-2007 10:05 AM

Pam is correct. The cylinder indicates that a vessel is constrained by her draught and therefore should not be impeded by other vessels. The same signal made at night is 3 red lights in a vertical line.
Most of the larger cruise ships (70,000 + GT) use this on arrival and departure from Southampton, although it does sometimes depend on the pilot.
It has nothing to do with the Needles or Nab channels. None of the larger ships have used the Needles route since dredging was stopped there in 1996 and it became too shallow. A black ball that was mentioned is hoisted right forward when a vessel is at anchor.

Posts: 28 | From: Miami | Registered: Jan 2005 | IP: Logged

Patsy
First Class Passenger
Member # 5611

posted 08-12-2007 06:13 PM

Thanks Norfolk Boy for the clarification. Though I have to admit I still have never seen it before and I've been going down regularly for the past two years. I checked old tapes and there's nothing flying from any of the masts. There wasn't anything last Saturday or Thursday when I was there either. Very strange if they ought to have it.

Posts: 2023 | From: Hythe, Hants | Registered: Apr 2005 | IP: Logged

cruiseshipluver
First Class Passenger
Member # 5104

posted 08-12-2007 07:13 PM

Well I have seen it flying on the QM2 and the Oceana before in So'ton. Now that I know it's proper meaning it is good. I wonder what the other shapes that you see flying from masts mean? Like I have seen black Diamonds, balls and squares flying all at once from the same line. I seen it on warships before, what do they mean.
cruiseshipluver

Posts: 1797 | From: Barbados--cruiseship capital of the Southern Caribbean | Registered: Oct 2004 | IP: Logged

Ernst
First Class Passenger
Member # 5369

posted 08-12-2007 07:48 PM

See e.g. this (poetic

) overview on navigational lights.

[ 08-12-2007: Message edited by: Ernst ]

Posts: 9746 | From: Eindhoven | Registered: Jan 2005 | IP: Logged

Patsy
First Class Passenger
Member # 5611

posted 08-13-2007 08:05 AM

Rewatching the video last night from the 4th I noticed Arcadia didn't have one. So why didn't they both have it flying? I'm getting more confused than ever.

Posts: 2023 | From: Hythe, Hants | Registered: Apr 2005 | IP: Logged

Eric
First Class Passenger
Member # 2724

posted 08-13-2007 10:36 AM

Cruiseshipluver, Black balls on warships signify mine sweeping, normally one on each side of the mast if sweeping a channel with 2 hawsers. Way back in mid 50's I was on SAS Windhoek doing the seatrials with sweeps out in the channel to Needles when a speed boat who obviously had no idea what we were doing made to cross our wires going from Cowes to Lymington. We all had to stand & wave like hell untill he got the message & veered away, the paravane would have turned him into matchwood! Eric

Posts: 421 | From: UK | Registered: Jan 2002 | IP: Logged

OceanVoyager
First Class Passenger
Member # 5585

posted 08-13-2007 02:33 PM

quote:
Originally posted by Norfolk Boy:
Pam is correct.
It has nothing to do with the Needles or Nab channels.

I stand corrected then!

Apologies if I've confused anyone, I was told this by an old Master Mariner that I once worked with, so it must have been an old wives tale.

The night time 3 vertical red lights is far easier to see for a vessel constrained by draught, as is just looking at the size of the vessel!

Andrew

Posts: 627 | From: Hythe, Southampton, UK | Registered: Apr 2005 | IP: Logged

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