Point of Interest – Bridge Tour
Greetings, once again!
Today is May 2nd, 2023, and we’ve been invited to tour the ship’s bridge! Feel free to skip this blog if you have no interest.
We enter the bridge through the passage of mementos!
We meet First Officer James Brooker. He takes us over to the starboard wing controls. Most port operations are performed from here. He explains how the engines work – there are two propellers with fixed pitch, fixed position. Each has a two-part rudder that can provide 70 degrees of thrust vectoring to either side. Bow side thrusters assist the main propellers when coming sideways into port.
He explains tender operations are also managed from here since it has a clear view of the gangway, the tenders coming and going, and usually the landing point.
There is a digital display that provides ship speed and heading, wind speed, depth under keel and rudder position. The digital display is a bit slower than an analog display, but is still the preferred tool since ships don’t move fast enough for the delay to be an issue.
But in the event of a drastic power failure, a bank of analog displays providing the same information is overhead to the left of the digital display!
Brooker points out their waving hand and smiley face they use when leaving a port. Everyone needs to have fun!
The ship’s main cockpit is all glass, meaning all digital.
He demonstrates how the ship management functions work. This is the electrical power management display. Three of the four main generators are online during normal operations. Only one is needed when in port to provide electrical power through the ship.
The ship makes its own potable water with a condenser system.
Wastewater is sanitized and can be stored and routed where needed as a dynamic ballast system to offset fuel usage. When not needed for ballast it can be dumped overboard.
The swimming pools and hot tubs are managed from the bridge, too!
The center console is the heart of normal sailing operations as well as handling emergencies! A typical steering yoke is available, but course can be programmed and changed electronically. The 1st navigator sits on the left and monitors a radar looking up to 12 km out, while the 2nd navigator sits on the right and monitors a radar looking 25 km out.
The center display is a detailed map of the coastline showing the international water line and open sea waste line, as well as the ship’s charted track and actual track. When Engineering is ready to release approved waste into the ocean they check with the Bridge to ensure the ship is in a location that allows the waste dump. (Waste is mostly food products that the fish can consume safely, and treated wastewater.)
The Captain’s chair is behind me in this view.
The Captain is not present, but his binoculars are clearly marked!
First Officer Brooker discusses why the ship’s radar does not detect whales, then explains the communications console. He points to the terminal off screen to the right.
This is the station reserved for the Pilot who comes aboard to guide the ship in and out of port. This gives the Pilot the ability to look for the landmarks he or she knows without messing up the normal navigational radar displays.
Finally, Brooker draws our attention to the nautical flag locker. If communications are not operable they can display messages via flags. There are a couple of flags that are used regularly, and these warn other boats when this ship is performing hazardous operations such as bunkering (fueling).
First Officer Brooker gave us the absolute best bridge tour that I ever recall attending! The bridge of the Sojourn is clean, well planned, and operating quietly! Carry on!
