Bart⚓️
@bartgonnissen.bsky.social
Senior Maritime Pilot | Master Mariner - unlimited | Master's degree Nautical Science | Forensic Medicine | Glass blower |
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Belgium: Where a heavy piece of metal, over a busy road, is held by 2 ratchet straps. One of these days, the straps, due to UV light, moisture, and dust, will break, and the piece will fall down, hopefully not killing anyone. @stadantwerpen.bsky.social @wegenenverkeer.bsky.social
November 27, 2025 at 3:47 PM
Belgium: Where a heavy piece of metal, over a busy road, is held by 2 ratchet straps. One of these days, the straps, due to UV light, moisture, and dust, will break, and the piece will fall down, hopefully not killing anyone. @stadantwerpen.bsky.social @wegenenverkeer.bsky.social
13/x Decca offered relatively accurate navigation, with position fixes typically within a few hundred meters. Decca was widely used in maritime navigation during the 20th century. Several other hyperbolic radio navigation systems were developed
November 26, 2025 at 8:58 AM
13/x Decca offered relatively accurate navigation, with position fixes typically within a few hundred meters. Decca was widely used in maritime navigation during the 20th century. Several other hyperbolic radio navigation systems were developed
12/x Navigators determined their location by reading the phase difference from two or more of the patterns from the displays. They could then look at the chart to find where the two closest charted hyperbolas crossed.
November 26, 2025 at 8:58 AM
12/x Navigators determined their location by reading the phase difference from two or more of the patterns from the displays. They could then look at the chart to find where the two closest charted hyperbolas crossed.
11/x Now you can plot those LOP on a chart for different phase differences for each master and secondary. You would get a pattern on hyperbolic lines on the chart. Do this for the red, green and purple and you would get a whole lattice pattern on your chart.
November 26, 2025 at 8:58 AM
11/x Now you can plot those LOP on a chart for different phase differences for each master and secondary. You would get a pattern on hyperbolic lines on the chart. Do this for the red, green and purple and you would get a whole lattice pattern on your chart.
10/x But if the observer moves, there would develop a relative phase difference between the 2 signals. All positions on earth that have the same relative phase difference, can be connected by a hyperbolic line, or a hyperbolic line of position (LOP).
November 26, 2025 at 8:58 AM
10/x But if the observer moves, there would develop a relative phase difference between the 2 signals. All positions on earth that have the same relative phase difference, can be connected by a hyperbolic line, or a hyperbolic line of position (LOP).
9/x Each chain would transmit on a continuous wave signal and the master and the secondaries would have their phase locked. So if an observer is equidistant from a master and 1 secondary, they would be in phase
November 26, 2025 at 8:58 AM
9/x Each chain would transmit on a continuous wave signal and the master and the secondaries would have their phase locked. So if an observer is equidistant from a master and 1 secondary, they would be in phase
8/x Each chain consisted of a master station and two or three secondary stations (Red, Green and Purple). The master would be in the middle of an ideally equilateral triangle with the slaves at the vertices.
November 26, 2025 at 8:58 AM
8/x Each chain consisted of a master station and two or three secondary stations (Red, Green and Purple). The master would be in the middle of an ideally equilateral triangle with the slaves at the vertices.
6/x So a second QM chain of radio transmitters was installed with the master transmitter in Antwerp and 2 slave transmitters in Ghent and Bruges. The river pilots were given a battery powered, portable QM2 receiver, suitable to be carried on board by the pilot.
November 26, 2025 at 8:58 AM
6/x So a second QM chain of radio transmitters was installed with the master transmitter in Antwerp and 2 slave transmitters in Ghent and Bruges. The river pilots were given a battery powered, portable QM2 receiver, suitable to be carried on board by the pilot.
5/x The next big test was when the allies needed to open up the Port of Antwerp and the Scheldt estuary in the autumn of 1944. The supply lines needed to keep going in the foggy and low visibility conditions of that season.
November 26, 2025 at 8:58 AM
5/x The next big test was when the allies needed to open up the Port of Antwerp and the Scheldt estuary in the autumn of 1944. The supply lines needed to keep going in the foggy and low visibility conditions of that season.
4/x The chain started transmitting permanently early on 5th June to cover the minesweeping. The leading units of the minesweeping flotillas were able to maintain steady courses over the ground, in spite of the effects of wind and directional changes of tides and currents.
November 26, 2025 at 8:58 AM
4/x The chain started transmitting permanently early on 5th June to cover the minesweeping. The leading units of the minesweeping flotillas were able to maintain steady courses over the ground, in spite of the effects of wind and directional changes of tides and currents.
2/x Let's talk about DECCA. It's called DECCA because it was developed and run by the DECCA Record Company during WW2. It was based on a phase shift in radio frequencies of different transmitters in a chain. (explanation at the end). The first real test was D-Day, June 1944.
November 26, 2025 at 8:58 AM
2/x Let's talk about DECCA. It's called DECCA because it was developed and run by the DECCA Record Company during WW2. It was based on a phase shift in radio frequencies of different transmitters in a chain. (explanation at the end). The first real test was D-Day, June 1944.
1/x So with the introduction of GPS and other GNSS, navigation became easier than before. But what did they use before GNSS? Some might immediately mention astronavigation with the sextant, but there was something else. Something quite precise. I'm talking about DECCA and LORANC
November 26, 2025 at 8:58 AM
1/x So with the introduction of GPS and other GNSS, navigation became easier than before. But what did they use before GNSS? Some might immediately mention astronavigation with the sextant, but there was something else. Something quite precise. I'm talking about DECCA and LORANC
Firefighters onboard MV ONE Henry Hudson have performer a near complete (80%) flooding of cargo hold #3 in which the burning containers were contained. Crews are piercing any containers with hot spots to cool. The scene has been turned over to the salvage company.
November 25, 2025 at 4:12 PM
Firefighters onboard MV ONE Henry Hudson have performer a near complete (80%) flooding of cargo hold #3 in which the burning containers were contained. Crews are piercing any containers with hot spots to cool. The scene has been turned over to the salvage company.
Toch spijtig die tendentieuze titels. Loodsen staken niet. De loodsdienst naar de Wandelaar zal niet uitgevoerd worden omdat we van de wetgevende autoriteit niet mogen beloodsen aangezien centrale Zeebrugge de dienst neerlegt.
November 24, 2025 at 2:59 PM
Toch spijtig die tendentieuze titels. Loodsen staken niet. De loodsdienst naar de Wandelaar zal niet uitgevoerd worden omdat we van de wetgevende autoriteit niet mogen beloodsen aangezien centrale Zeebrugge de dienst neerlegt.
Sped up PPU video of my arrival with CMA CGM St.Germain (400m) ULCS at Port of Antwerp-Bruges. For the die-hards, you can see the full video with explanation on YouTube youtu.be/QwaE2k66GYY
November 23, 2025 at 12:50 PM
Sped up PPU video of my arrival with CMA CGM St.Germain (400m) ULCS at Port of Antwerp-Bruges. For the die-hards, you can see the full video with explanation on YouTube youtu.be/QwaE2k66GYY
🚨 UPDATE: Container ship ONE Henry Hudson has been towed out to anchorage outside of the breakwater. The fire onboard has been substantially contained. Fire crews and ship crew members are continuing fire suppression efforts.
November 22, 2025 at 8:08 PM
🚨 UPDATE: Container ship ONE Henry Hudson has been towed out to anchorage outside of the breakwater. The fire onboard has been substantially contained. Fire crews and ship crew members are continuing fire suppression efforts.
This is the Pilot Card. For me, at the moment, very important : windage area: 16,681m² (179,552.79 ft²). With force 7 on the beam, that's about 177 tonnes-force created by the wind.
November 22, 2025 at 2:57 PM
This is the Pilot Card. For me, at the moment, very important : windage area: 16,681m² (179,552.79 ft²). With force 7 on the beam, that's about 177 tonnes-force created by the wind.
I'm inbound with CMA CGM St Germain. Length 400m, breadth 61.30m. Gross Tonnage 237,742. Max container capacity 23,876 TEU. It's wind forces 7 at the moment.
November 22, 2025 at 2:50 PM
I'm inbound with CMA CGM St Germain. Length 400m, breadth 61.30m. Gross Tonnage 237,742. Max container capacity 23,876 TEU. It's wind forces 7 at the moment.
This is why you might see a fireboat not spraying water on the fire itself but on the "boundaries" around the fire. This is called "boundary cooling" and prevents the fire from spreading to adjacent spaces.
November 22, 2025 at 6:27 AM
This is why you might see a fireboat not spraying water on the fire itself but on the "boundaries" around the fire. This is called "boundary cooling" and prevents the fire from spreading to adjacent spaces.
25/x What about the EDG? It took 70 seconds for it to start. Regulations say it should be 45sec, but even then, an EDG can not run a ME of a ship. (a damper limit switch didn't indicate it was open for the EDG to start)
November 19, 2025 at 1:47 PM
25/x What about the EDG? It took 70 seconds for it to start. Regulations say it should be 45sec, but even then, an EDG can not run a ME of a ship. (a damper limit switch didn't indicate it was open for the EDG to start)
24/x Why didn't breakers HR1, LR1 and transformer TR2 kick in automatically after tripping? Because they were set on manual. There is no regulation that requires them to be set on automatic. If they had been, critical systems might have become available earlier.
November 19, 2025 at 1:47 PM
24/x Why didn't breakers HR1, LR1 and transformer TR2 kick in automatically after tripping? Because they were set on manual. There is no regulation that requires them to be set on automatic. If they had been, critical systems might have become available earlier.
22/x An FLP is used for what the name says: to flush your fuel lines when switching over from one type of fuel to another (e.g. MGO to low sulphur fuel), not as a service pump to a DG. A FLP does not start automatically after a black-out (contrary to a service pump)
November 19, 2025 at 1:47 PM
22/x An FLP is used for what the name says: to flush your fuel lines when switching over from one type of fuel to another (e.g. MGO to low sulphur fuel), not as a service pump to a DG. A FLP does not start automatically after a black-out (contrary to a service pump)
19/x During construction of Dali, these labeling bands were placed on to the ferrule. This made the ferrule thicker and as such, could not be fully inserted in the terminal block and wire 381 was just sitting on top of the clamp, creating a bad connection, and a black-out.
November 19, 2025 at 1:47 PM
19/x During construction of Dali, these labeling bands were placed on to the ferrule. This made the ferrule thicker and as such, could not be fully inserted in the terminal block and wire 381 was just sitting on top of the clamp, creating a bad connection, and a black-out.
18/x The part of the wire called the "ferrule" is inserted in a terminal block with a clamp inside. This secures the wire. The labeling band, with the number on, should be away from the ferrule so the ferrule can completely be inserted in the terminal block
November 19, 2025 at 1:47 PM
18/x The part of the wire called the "ferrule" is inserted in a terminal block with a clamp inside. This secures the wire. The labeling band, with the number on, should be away from the ferrule so the ferrule can completely be inserted in the terminal block
17/x Think of your fuse box at home. Wires going in to the fuses. It's the same on a ship, but many, many more wires. They need to be labeled and that's what's done with a small band, with a number on, around the wire .
November 19, 2025 at 1:47 PM
17/x Think of your fuse box at home. Wires going in to the fuses. It's the same on a ship, but many, many more wires. They need to be labeled and that's what's done with a small band, with a number on, around the wire .