Instruments, Tools (i.e. bow thrusters) and Thinking at the Margin

The more the merrier

2 bow thrusters, 1 aft thruster and 2 swing-up azimuthing thrusters.

If you have the equipment, use it.

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First, my on board experience is quite null…
When I was in the Italian Navy I mostly heard: clean this! move that! And so on.
Anyway, about tugs propellers, I am curious if anybody was on board of a Voith Schneider Propeller equipped boat.
Sure the system is complex and bulky but it seems to offer greater handling.

only the azimuth thrusters in use. Idling in the field at the time??

Yes sir, “Green DP” can keep the position of the Vessel in moderate weather on just the azimuth thrusters. In good north sea weather we tend to keep just the forward azimuth and aft thruster running.

Saving a lot of fuel while waiting on the rig to get ready for AH.

I once spent a summer as mate of an Isle of Wight car ferry which was fitted with two Voith rotors aft and one forward. It was a wonder to drive. The company had chosen to use an old fashioned control system which was a post with three wheels on it. The horizontal one on the top offered heading control. The one on the side gave ahead and astern control and the one on the front gave sideways control. The linkspan in Portsmouth had to be approached at an angle due to its position and the one on the island was at the end of a channel several hundred metres long. But neither was any problem due to the wonderful propulsion system.

In the North Sea Edda have two ships with Voith main propulsion and conventional bow thrusters. One of the captains said that his granny could drive the ship.

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I’ve seen the Pile of Shite ferries, how do you tell which end is forward and which one is aft?

You don’t, they are double ended.

If you absolutely want to now, look at the bow wave and the wake.
The end with the wave is forward, the wake is astern.

PS> At night, look at the lanterns. They change, depending on which way she is going.

The way the lifeboats are numbered.

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