Understand The Drift Characteristics of A Disabled Ship
Understand The Drift Characteristics of A Disabled Ship
Understand The Drift Characteristics of A Disabled Ship
If propulsion has been lost, with no immediate prospect of restoring it, assess the
ship’s proximity to navigational or other hazards and plot the rate and direction of
drift on a suitably scaled chart (paper or electronic), in conjunction with the ship’s
inform the company to discuss what assistance is required, available and when
with increasing accuracy the ship’s likely drift direction and rate in the present
weather conditions.
When a sufficient number of observations have been taken to establish the drift
direction and rate, project the ship’s track forward, allowing a +/– 10° margin of
error. If any navigational hazards are found within the 20° arc of the ship’s plot,
calculate the time remaining before the ship drifts into danger.
Keep the company, any vessel requested to assist and other traffic in the vicinity
The next step is to assess how it may be possible to influence the drift direction
of the ship.
In the 1980s the Oil Companies International Marine Forum (OCIMF), the
Union (ISU) initiated research with the objective of providing Masters of disabled
tankers with information on the most likely drift behaviours of their ships. The UK
National Maritime Institute (NMI) was commissioned to carry out extensive model
testing. The results obtained were then validated by obtaining drift data from a
number of ships in service. Both the models and the ships used to validate the
ships, the research was extended to tankers in the 50,000 to 70,000 Deadweight
Tonnage (DWT) range. This additional research was carried out by NMI using
computer modelling and the results were validated using free model testing
tanker drift rates have been published. During the same time period tanker hull
to modern tanker hull forms. The results of this research showed that, despite
changes in hull form and design, there was no substantive difference in the wind
The CFD research was not intended to predict drift behaviours, however the
conclusion that similar wind and current forces are experienced by both tanker
hull types provides a reasonable basis to accept that the results of the earlier
tanker Masters with the most probable drift behaviours that may be expected
Although the research is for tankers, other ship types may exhibit similar
Tables 1 to 5 give the ship’s heading and drift directions relative to the wind and
wave direction, with the ship lying with the wind on the port and starboard sides.
In all cases the conditions are wind force 7 on the Beaufort scale and a significant
wave height of 5.2m. To get the true heading and direction of drift, apply the
relative angles shown in figure 2 and the body of the tables to the true wind and
• Placing the relative wind on the port or starboard side before momentum
and steerage are lost can alter drift direction by up to 60°. This can gain a lot
of sea room and might be the best step to positively influence drift direction
• If steerage has been lost, the rate and direction of drift can still be
influenced by:
Locking the rudder hard over to the downwind side. (During model testing,
locking the rudder hard over to the upwind side produced no meaningful
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