News & Views - The TMI-BITS DLC Newsletter

September 2004 Issue 04/2004

Too Few Degree Students!

– by Capt.P.Srivastava

We have noticed that the number of students that go on to enrol for the Degree Programme after completion of their diplomas and getting their Second Mates certificates is surprisingly small. This is rather strange given that a Degree from BITS, PILANI would go a long way in future career prospects and development. There might be some students who feel that the workload is too much, and we would once again like to clarify this misconception. Having already completed the Diploma semesters, the remaining Degree Programme:

• does not involve tedious work associated with the Cadet Record Book.
• has no daily work done report to be completed.
• has smaller modules and require only two tasks per module and only one test at the end of each semester.
• the syllabus covered in D, E and F semesters is virtually the same as that required for Mates and Masters examinations, and so will double up as a preparation for those examinations.
• there is no issue of constraints of sea time.
• the student, now being a certified officer will find time and finance management that much easier.
• and last but not the least, remember, the new entrants under the IGNOU programme will automatically receive their IGNOU degrees, and so in order to stay ahead and not be at a disadvantage careerwise, our diploma holders must go on to acquire their BS (NS) degree from BITS Pilani.

We therefore strongly recommend that in the interest of good career prospects and a bright future, students who complete their diplomas should go on to enrol for the Degree Programme. Remember, the option of getting a Degree from BITS, PILANI, is available only to our students, and will place them way ahead of their peers in terms of career prospects.

We hope we see a significant increase in the number of students in the degree programme!

Completion of Technical Journals :

Although at the time of enrolling for the programme, students are thoroughly briefed on all aspects including how to complete their technical journals, we find that a number of students seem to have misconceptions regarding what is expected of them. They assume that if they do not complete their journals on board as per instructions, they have the option to simply complete them ashore at our office. Please note, we only permit students to complete the few pending CRB Tasks, including those that were not accepted. The journals for each month must be completed on board, and cannot be completed ashore. Please be guided accordingly.

Furthermore, students are strongly advised to ensure completion of all pending work before enrolling for their functions courses, to avoid problems.

A Very Informative Site! :

We recently came across a very informative website containing very exhaustive information about examinations, notes and other relevant data pertaining to the Merchant Navy. It has links to almost all possible information that may be required by Merchant Navy Officers. The site is www.kaizad.tk and we recommend all students browse through it whenever you get the opportunity!

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Keep in Touch :

Talking about examinations, please remember that the Tolani Maritime Institute expects you to keep in touch with us when you are doing your functions and thereafter. This will keep us informed as to improvements that need to be made to the programme. Tell us about the difficulties you have. We have already offered our students that if they need help in orals, all they have to do is to just sit with us.

Alumni of Tolani Maritime Institute :

All our diploma graduates are our alumni and we would love to keep in touch with you. In fact, if we are informed of your further employment and address changes we can send you this news letter to keep you updated with our progress.

Communication from students :

We have seen some improvement in communications received from our students in the recent past but we still come across students who do not attend to the programme for months together and suddenly wake up with pleas for help. We certainly can not help those who do not help themselves first. If you have any problems, write to us, that’s why we are here!

Nautical Jargon :

Every profession has its own jargon and ours is no exception. For us, it's bulkhead, deck and overhead and not wall, floor, and ceiling. Here are interesting details I found on the web about some of the origins of the nautical parlance.

Aloft : The old High German word for 'air' was 'luft', which was combined with the French term 'a', meaning 'go to'. thus 'a - luft' became 'aloft' in old English. It means 'to go into the air', or 'climb the mast'

Avast : Contraction of two French words, 'Haud Vast', meaning to 'hold fast'. In other words, hang on and stop what you're doing.

Batten Down : Make fast, secure, or shut. Originally, deck hatches did not have hinged, attached covers. Hatch covers were separate pieces which were laid over the hatch opening, then made fast with battens (pieces of timber).

Coxswain : A coxswain or cockswain was at first the swain (boy servant) in charge of the small cock or cockboat that was kept aboard for the ship's captain and which was used to row him to and from the ship. The term has been in use in England dating back to at least 1463. With the passage of time, the coxswain became the helmsman of any boat, regardless of size.

Crow's Nest : The raven, or crow, was an essential part of the Vikings' navigation equipment. These land-lubbing birds were carried on aboard to help the ship's navigator determine where the closest land lay when weather prevented sighting the shore. In cases of poor visibility, a crow was released and the navigator plotted a course corresponding to the bird's flight path because the crow invariably headed towards land. The Norsemen carried the birds in a cage secured to the top of the mast. Later on, as ships grew and the lookout stood his watch in a tub located high on the main mast, the name "crow's nest" was given to this tub. While today's Navy still uses lookouts in addition to radars, etc., the crow's nest is a thing of the past.

Conn : To conn means to control, or direct by rudder and engine order telegraph, the movements of a ship. When someone has the conn, it indicates that person is the one and only person who can give orders to the wheel and engine order telegraph at any one time. The exact derivation of the word conn is not known. Do not confuse this with a similar sounding “con” which means “to cheat” or to “swindle”.

Derrick : Named after Thomas Derrick, a famous executioner at the time of Queen Elizabeth. He was an ingenious hangman who devised a beam with a topping lift and pulleys for his hangings, instead of the old-fashioned rope over the beam method.

Fathom : Fathom was originally a land measuring term derived from the Ango-Saxon word "faetm" meaning to embrace. In those days, most measurements were based on average size of parts of the body, such as the hand (horses are still measured this way) or the foot (that's why 12 inches are so named). A fathom is the average distance from fingertip to fingertip of the outstretched arms of a man — about six feet. Since a man stretches out his arms to embrace his sweetheart, Britain's Parliament declared that distance be called a "fathom" and it be a unit of measure. A fathom remains six feet. The word was also used to describe taking the measure or "to fathom" something. Today, of course, when one is trying to figure something out, they are trying to "fathom" it.

Golden Rivet : In the olden days of riveted ships, the mythical last rivet which completes a ship. Generally found in the depths of the engine spaces, a manoeuvre used to get a female guest to bend over. "And if you look 'way down there, you can see the golden rivet!"

Hawser : Middle English in origin. -'Halse', and Old Norse, 'Hals', meaning 'neck'. This is a thick, large rope (about the size of a man's neck') used for towing or securing a ship to its anchor, or tied to a pier. This is also the origin of the word, 'hawsepipe', which refers to the hole in the bow area where the ship's anchor chain runs out.

Horse Latitudes : Towards the southern climates (Tropic of Cancer) near the Equator, which was roughly about a month's sail from England and Europe. Because of the doldrums (Lack of wind) in the area, ships were often becalmed for many days or weeks at a time, causing a water shortage. Livestock, especially horses, died first, or were simply killed and thrown overboard to save water. Their carcasses were often sighted by other ships sailing in this area, and so the region acquired that name.

Jacob's Ladder : Jacob's Ladder is a portable ladder made of rope or metal and used primarily as an aid in boarding a ship. Originally, the Jacob's Ladder was a network of line leading to the skysail on wooden ships. The name alludes to the biblical Jacob, reputed to have dreamed that he climbed a ladder to the sky. Anyone who has ever tried climbing a Jacob's Ladder can appreciate the allusion. It does seem that the climb is long enough to take one into the next world.

Mate : The word Mate comes from the word meat, and originally meant people who shared food. Later it came to be known as a companion. Mate was also the title of an officer (Chief Officer) aboard merchant ships. The Mate oversaw the sailors, ensuring that the Captain's orders were carried out. He also was responsible for stowing cargo and organizing the crew's work.

Monkey Fist :
(a) The complex knot surrounding (sometimes taking the place of) the weight on the end of a heaving line.

(b) A rounded knob at the end of a light throwing line which the Boatswain's Mates (or other linehandlers) would use to heave the first line across to another ship or pier. The Monkey's Fist had a lead weight in the center to give it extra momentum when the bosun's mate aimed it at some unwary seaman in the target area.

Moor : From the Dutch word 'marren', meaning to tie or fasten.

Starboard & Port : The Vikings called the side of their ship its “board”, and they placed the steering oar, called the "star" on the right side of the ship, thus that side became known as the "star board." It's been that way ever since. And, because the oar was in the right side, the ship was tied to the dock at the left side. This was known as the loading side or "lar board". Later, it was decided that "larboard" and "starboard" were too similar, especially when trying to be heard over the roar of a heavy sea, so the phrase became the "side at which you tied up to in port" or the "port" side.

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Our Progress

The student strength of the Institute as on 15 Aug ’04 was as follows :

744 students have been awarded Diploma in Nautical Sciences as on 15 Aug ’04.

The following students have passed the Diploma in Nautical Sciences (Phase 1 of BS Programme) since we published our last issue of ‘ News & Views’ , obtaining grades as stated:

04 cadets have obtained more than 75% marks (Excellent Grade), and remaining 32 obtained more than 60% (Good Grade).

Well Done!

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