# Bridge Automation



## Ian Lawson (Apr 30, 2017)

Some time ago I travelled on the 'Hurtigruten' (coastal mail ship) around Norway. Wasn't long before I requested permission to look around the bridge which was granted. The experience left me a little shaken. In the middle of a conversation I had with one OOW the ship altered course on its own which alarmed me but the 'Cool' OOW advised that all the course covering all the ports were in 'memory' and no need to worry. Also concerned the way the OOW did not look in the radar or do any navigation I could detect. Answer, no need. If a target get with the selected range ring an alarm will go off. So why are you here I asked. Answer. 'These crazy local fishermen have no regard for the Rules of the Road'. 'I then have to step in and over ride the computer as stupidity it is something we cannot program.(K)(K)(K)


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## George Bis (Mar 8, 2014)

How things change. Iron Mike was "the future" in my/our time!
I can remember meeting a 2M from an Israeli ship who told me that he kept watch on his own with a buzer which he switched off every two min. 
If the buzer buzzed for eight min. It then sounded in the Captains cabin. In 1968 that was quite something.


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## vasco (Dec 27, 2007)

George Bis said:


> How things change. Iron Mike was "the future" in my/our time!
> I can remember meeting a 2M from an Israeli ship who told me that he kept watch on his own with a buzer which he switched off every two min.
> If the buzer buzzed for eight min. It then sounded in the Captains cabin. In 1968 that was quite something.


Back with a vengeance now. If you are lucky you get a system that resets when you operate a radar etc, otherwise it's timed to go off when you are mid-stream having a pee.


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## George Bis (Mar 8, 2014)

Things are tough all over.
Not sure how I would get on with the new gismos. I can see the practicalities however.


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## Ian6 (Feb 1, 2006)

Like the 1st post here my wife and I also took a Hurtigruten round trip a few years ago. Similarly impressed/awed by the bridge automation. When we first boarded the ship in Bergen we noticed that the trip included several calls at minor ports scheduled as '15 minutes duration'. My memories of 1950/60's it usually took longer than that to get alongside, let alone do anything useful. True enough now the mooring ropes lived on the self-tensioning winches operated by remote control. The gangways appeared automatically through the opening side doors, one was a conveyor belt, another large enough for cars to drive on or off. In 15 minutes they discharged a few passengers, unloaded some boxes then reversed the operation and we were off. 
They are ferries making 3o+ calls in a fortnight so the only really large passenger numbers are the terminal ports and some major calls. It was a world apart from cargo ship and passenger ship experience. 
Ian


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## Ian Lawson (Apr 30, 2017)

Much the same as I remember it Ian6.


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