Thruster signs

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[Wave Music]

Just occasionally came across this ship on Shipspotting - m/v Danio




I wonder why it has a thruster sign right on the stem of the bow?  Though from the GA side view the bow is like with no thrusters at all.

[Agent|Austin]

Dosn't look like a thruster sign to me, don't they usually have a circle around them?


Maybe a push point? It has the same symbol on the bow aswell.

[Capt. Matt]

Hard to say Austins theory seems right as there appears to be one midship aswell

[Stuart2007]

Hard to say Austins theory seems right as there appears to be one midship aswell

A push point right on the bow?  

Tug push points, thrusters etc are all normally marked near the waterline so that tug/divers/nosey yachters can see them clearly when they are down on small boats or in the water.

As it is further up the hull, my guess is it's related to cargo loading- something at the right height for people on quay to see etc.

[Agent|Austin]

After I saw the one on the bow, I got skeptical.

[IRI5HJ4CK]

Hmmm....Let me get my books, see if I can find anything...

"Brb", as they say...

[Bottman]

Hi all, beside the mssing detail within the sketch, maybe this ship has something like this..

http://www.schottel.de/deu/r_produkte/SPJ/uebersicht.htm

...just a guess...

[Ballast]

The Danio has a '3 channel' bow thruster. There are 3 channels, instead of 2 channels which is commen on seagoing vessels. The Danio has, ofcours, a channel to port and starboard and an additional running to the forward.

Here you can see a animation about it, although they show a '4 channel' bowthruster but the principal is the same.

http://veth.net/vervolg.php?pagina_id=105

This system, together with the one Bottman shows, is standard on European inland vessels.

Hard to say Austins theory seems right as there appears to be one midship aswell

The sign mid ship is the Plimsoll mark.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plimsoll_line#Load_line

[Stuart2007]

Interesting... And the symbol is purposefully different to show the type is different to a conventional thruster system?

[Traddles]

Thanks for that link Ballast. I learn something new every day. That system must make manoeuvering in tight spots almost like childs play.

[Ballast]

Interesting... And the symbol is purposefully different to show the type is different to a conventional thruster system?

I dont think it really matters which kind of thruster system is used. The symbol's purpose is to warn small boats (tugs, boatmen) for the hazard of the thruster.

There are also symbols for the bulbous bow, ship's propeller, stabilisers, tug plate etc.

[Ballast]

Thanks for that link Ballast. I learn something new every day. That system must make manoeuvering in tight spots almost like childs play.

It's really fun to manoeuver with systems like this. I worked on a barge that was fitted with a 4 channel bowthruster, with the possibilty to use 2 channels the same time. E.g. forward and portside. You can do the same things as with an Azipod, Schottel, Z drive etc. Only this system is less vulnerable, because there is nothing sticking out under the hull. That's really a must for barges and low airdraft coasters like the Danio, because they often sail on rivers where they have most of the time less than 1 meter of water below the keel.

[Wave Music]

Thanks for the explanation, Ballast.    Would be interesting to have something like that in future SS. 

[saltydog]

Seems like a good fish-Hoover..