The geographical location and meteorological environment of the berth are the main reasons for the ship's cable breakage. Generally speaking, the berth is located in the area with turbulent River and sea current, or at the intersection of river and sea. The ports affected by strong surge and the ports disturbed by strong wind are all areas prone to cable breakage accidents. The strong wind blowing in typhoon season, flood season, large tide, flood surge, rapid rise and fall, the water flow rushing down the outside of the wharf, the torrent before and after the low tide and other adverse weather will lead to the fracture of the ship's cable.
On the ship side, the cable is worn and aging, the strength is insufficient, the stress on the rope is uneven, there are problems in the position of the rope, the mooring equipment is incomplete or the fairlead device is faulty, etc. The negligence of the personnel on duty, the inadequate safety patrol of the whole ship, and the failure to timely adjust the mooring line according to the tide fluctuation and loading and unloading conditions will lead to the risk of cable breakage.
How to prevent cable breakage?
Before entering the port, master the meteorological conditions, characteristics of wind and surge and nearby water surface traffic conditions in advance, and then arrange and implement countermeasures accordingly. If the port is easy to be affected by strong wind, prepare for wind protection and add cables reasonably; In case of large surge in port flow, or cable wear easily caused by large tidal range and large change of ship draft during loading and unloading, various measures to prevent cable friction shall be taken. In addition, the ship shall make relevant emergency plans.
In the process of loading and unloading goods, avoid excessive inclination of the ship caused by unilateral loading and unloading, resulting in uneven stress on the front and rear mooring lines. The personnel on duty shall strengthen patrol inspection around the ship, and timely adjust the tightness of the cable according to the tide fluctuation and loading and unloading conditions to ensure balanced stress on the cable.
What about floating out of the berth?
In case the ship drifts out of the berth in strong wind, do not panic. Do not force the hard winch silk to return the ship. Try to use the brake to maintain the original drifting state. Try to twist it in and close it when the gust of strong wind passes. At the same time, broadcast the emergency preparedness of the whole ship, prepare the main engine and side thruster, drop the inboard anchor as appropriate, report to the Hong Kong side and apply for tugboat help.
What if the cable is broken?
In case of cable breakage, don't panic, deal with it immediately according to the emergency plan, and take effective measures such as standby, adding cable and anchoring to control the ship's position. Report to VTS in a timely manner, notify the wharf and surrounding ships to avoid secondary accidents. If loading and unloading is in progress, the operation shall be stopped immediately. If necessary, apply for tugboat to assist in berthing.
