Marine equipment
Every ship or boat needs a comprehensive line up of navigational aid equipment which helps them to travel without losing direction and hope. Marine Mooring Equipment has changed over time. This article briefly looks into various navigational tools that have help men to explore the unknown.
From marine radar to autopilot, the oceans have become our safe home.
Times have changed, oceans have become another home yet unclear and mysterious. From early explorers who conquered the huge waves in search of mankind, the way humans navigate through oceans and sea has changed. From simple traditional equipment like the Marine Anchor, quadrant, stopwatch, and marine compasses, the navigation system has come a long way. Gone are the days when mariners use to look up the sky and decide the course and destination.
Transversing oceans and seas in the most undesirable conditions of the sea has always been a challenge. With the advancement of technology marine navigation has changed its face. Oceans have become highways for international trade operations. Traveling in boats or ships that aren’t well equipped to face the waves are dangerous. Major accidents in the deep waters have occurred due to the lack of reliable Marine Deck Machinery.
A nautical chart is one of the main instruments of navigation. A chart is a graphical representation of Marine Pump and coastal areas around it. It can show water depths, seabed features, detailed coastal and other important data. The latest technology data storage cards are capable of showing 3D images of different sections of bed which can be conveniently viewed at any angle.
Celestial navigation systems were used to measure the height of any object in the sky. They were also used for calculating the angular distance between two objects. Examples of these units are back staff, the staff of the Cross and quadrants. The timer is also used by sailors to measure the height of the bodies above the horizon.
A calendar is considered as an important asset to add to marine navigation systems. They are used in marine chronometer which is used for determining the prime meridian or longitudinal line. Another device that was used in the mid 18th century is the Sextant. Sextant is a popular navigation tool that is still being used. Sextant is integrated into the telescope and the angular extent and determine the latitude and longitude.
Sextant allows celestial objects to be measured relative to the horizon, rather than relative to the instrument. This allows for excellent precision. Unlike backstaff, backstaff helps to measure the altitude of a celestial body, particularly the sun or the moon, sextant allows direct observations of stars. This permits the use of the sextant at night when a backstaff is difficult to use.
Sextant doesn’t depend upon electricity or GPS, unlike the modern navigation equipment. Therefore, sextants are still used in all boats. For these reasons, it is considered an eminently practical back-up navigation tool for ships.The weather vane was used in olden days on all ships. Weather vanes indicated the direction of the wind for the sailors to help them maneuver better over the waves. Weather vanes are no more in use on any ship or boat these days.