Lyrics by to this programme about mooring operations. Why? Well, in fact, a professional mooring operation is a kind of missing link in the overall nautical chain. Today, there is little information on, or international regulations available for mooring lines, winches or ballads. Strange when you consider that a lot of incidents happen during mooring. Movement of a badly moored vessel can result in expensive damage to cranes, manifolds or other vessels. A ship breaking loose of its moorings is a nightmare to all ports. A professional mooring process can not only reduce incidents, it can also save time, money and cut down on emissions. This video focuses on the main causes of mooring accidents. 95% of the incidents with personal injury is caused by ropes and wires, being hit by a rope. 95% is due to equipment failure. 60% of all those rope incidents happen during mooring operations. So, improving mooring operations reduces accidents and personal injuries. Unprofessional people involved in mooring operations do not see the safety dangers that are actually there, that are existent, they do not know that things have to work together, but the hands have to grip into each other to make a mooring a safe operation. And good communication between the pilots, the captain and the tugboats is of the utmost importance for that. Safe mooring starts at sea, with a good preparation and precise calculation of the forces on winches, bollards and lines. All components come together in the mooring plan, sometimes made up by the terminal, but in all cases the captain is responsible for safe mooring. A professional plan is based on four rules. First, all the lines should not exceed a vertical angle of 30 degrees. Therefore, the horizontal distance from fair lead to bollard is twice the vertical distance. Second, the spring lines should be placed as parallel to the vessel as possible. Third, breast lines are most effective when connected square to the vessel. If the optimal angles cannot be realised, please remember that this will have a significant effect on the mooring system. The last rule, lines should work together. To ensure that the forces are spread over the lines, they should have the same characteristics. So one and two and three and four, same function, same specs. The terminal operator can file such a mooring plan per IMO number for the next visit of the ship or a sister ship. In all mooring plans, it's very important that the hook or bollard ashore isn't the weakest link, like probably in this situation. Let's start by taking a look at all the components in the mooring system and which of those components should be the weakest link. The break of the mooring winch should always be the weakest component. It's a safety device in the overall configuration, which should render before 60% of the minimum braking load of the line is reached. The bollard ashore or onboard should always remain the strongest component of all. It's not common practice on every merchant vessel to continuously review the mooring system and ensure that the winch break indeed is the weakest link of all the components. So it all starts with a good calculation. For that calculation, the captain needs reliable information which should be collected prior to entering port. Remember, safe mooring starts at sea. So let's start with the information on the first part of the mooring system, the winches. As we saw, the winch and especially the maximum holding capacity of the break is a crucial safety component, so vital specifications for the captain. Figures, all available on board in the winch manual. Crucial is that the maximum holding capacity of the winch break is tested on a regular basis. To ensure that the information on the maximum holding capacity is correct. A recommended rule is to adjust the mooring winch break to 60% of the minimum braking load of the mooring lines. It's a good practice to stencil results of the test on the winch and also mark the correct payout direction. Bear in mind that the results of such a test or adjustment are not very reliable if the winch is not fitted with a spring applied break, something to consider for new buildings. Mooring lines, different sorts, different specs, different prices. But Crucial is that the line is much stronger than the winch break, so the line won't break in extreme conditions. Where can one find the information about the minimum braking load of a line? How can you ensure that the line has not become weaker? When and how should we order new lines? As a rule of thumb, take the vessel's equipment number, look up the minimum braking load in MSC Circular 1175 and double it. For example, the equipment number is 3040. The minimum braking load found in this table is 500 kilo Newton. So the line should have a minimum braking load of 100 tonnes and so the winch break should be adjusted at 60%, so 60 tonnes. Each individual line has a certificate that clearly specifies its minimum braking load. But the same strength doesn't mean the same properties. Two ropes, same minimum braking load, but different properties. This one, an open structure and easy to check the quality, easy to splice. But also open for rust, sand, salt and sunlight, which may cause damage due to internal abrasion. This rope is more expensive but has a cover for a longer lifetime, a better shape stability on a winch drum, and is safer when the minimum braking load is exceeded. This test shows the difference. This is how the open structure rope reacts. The covered line reduces the snapback, so less risks for the crew. But when ordering a line, there is more to be considered. The elasticity of the mooring line should match the other mooring lines used for the same function. For example, all the breast lines should have the same elasticity. That's the only way all the forces can be equally spread over all the mooring lines. How can we maintain lines optimally, by ensuring that there are no burrs or grooves in the leads? Also avoid contact between lines and sharp edges, and ensure that there are no twists or kinks in the lines. And finally, turn the line on the drums end to end half time. Even if the lines are maintained optimally, regular visual checks are important to maintain the quality of the rope. In case of doubt about the condition, send the rope over to your manufacturer for a check.