When the Ship’s Gangway couldn’t reach the jetty

On tankers, during the SIRE 1.0 regime (in the days when I was sailing):

There was a debate around who should bear the responsibility for providing safe access—the ship or the terminal?

Earlier, the laws regulated that the responsibility was on the ships. But SIRE laid down that ships should carry a gangway of 10 mtrs, while it remained doubtful whether this was the maximum or the minimum prescribed!

So, it once happened in New York, USA, that my ship had only a 10-mtr gangway, which couldn't reach the terminal (Bayonne Terminal, just close to the Statue of Liberty).

As an alternative, the basket had to be used. But the baskets were forbidden for use—at least by the Indian administration; the reasons were then not known exactly.

Our owners were Japanese. I complained to the owners through the Master about the use of the basket. The Japanese owners—the master shipbuilders they are, renowned all over for their shipbuilding yards of great quality—accepted my plea.

I had submitted a hand-made sketch to explain the situation. 🙂

I don't know why they accepted the plea, but they gave us a hired launch to use, so we could reach the jetty from the ship's overside gangway.

That's how we worked. The owners spent money, as a matter of fact, to do it.

I felt thankful to them.

Much later, the reason for not allowing the use of baskets was revealed elsewhere by an M-Notice of the Indian Administration (DG Shipping): the cranes were not designed for man-handling; they were hose-handling cranes.

Maybe, I think, the Japanese already knew the reason. They are master shipbuilders, after all.

🙂