Standardisation of the Command Language during Manoeuvring under (Tug-)Assistance (PDF)

Master's Thesis from the year 2020 in the subject Nautical Science, grade: Distinction, University of Plymouth (MLA College), language: English, abstract: The topic of the dissertation is the supplementation of the existing IMO SMCPs with the commands necessary for manoeuvring under tug assistance. For this purpose a number of English language commands have been developed which allow safe manoeuvring of tug assisted vessels in all ports and countries.

The dissertation shows the most important international and national (for Germany) legal provisions according to which the captain of the vessel to be piloted and the Bridgeteam have to be informed at all times about the commands given by the pilot to the assisting tugboats or their captains via VHF radio communication.

Finally, the conclusion elaborates on the need for a common command language and demonstrates the need for the insertion of these commands in the appropriate place in the SMCPs.

The Maritime Safety Committee of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) decided in 1973 to use the English language in shipping for communication. In 1977 the Standard Marine Navigational Vocabulary (SMNV - IMO Resolution A380.(10)) was developed and adopted, and in 1985 amended.

After a period of application, the IMO Standard Marine Communication Phrases - SMCPs -were implemented in international law with the adoption of IMO Resolution A1.918(22) by the 22nd Assembly in November 2001. Today, the SMCPs are used in the shipping industry and are the basis for the training of nautical officers in accordance with the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW).

According to the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea - SOLAS, a common language shall be used on ships to which the Code applies. This is particularly true about the master's responsibility and authority to make decisions, e.g. with regard to manoeuvring with tugs.

As there are no uniform commands for manoeuvring under tug assistance in the SMCPs, these commands are given in the respective national language or in a non-uniform working language. This circumstance prevents the master from being able to understand the communication between pilots and the assisting tugboat captain at any time and, if necessary, from intervening accordingly.