What Goes Wrong?
Human error
Some might argue that most accidents at sea are due to human
error of some sort. The captain of the
Titanic should have slowed down when he knew there was ice
about. The Herald of Free Enterprise should not have left its
berth with its bow door still open. Navigational errors A common human error is not knowing exactly where the ship is.
This was a particular problem in the days before electronic aids,
such as radar and satellite navigation. Finding the exact position
of a ship could be done only if the sun or stars could be seen for
long enough to measure their angle above the horizon. With this
information, and knowing the exact time, the ship`s position could
be found. If the weather was bad, the navigators had to rely on
`dead reckoning` to find their position, sometimes for days on end.
They knew the course from their compass, but had to estimate their
speed and allow for any currents that would cause them to drift off
course. This was just not precise enough when the shore was close.
Many ships have been wrecked because their navigators thought they
were well away from land. 
 Navigation equipment on a ship`s bridge |
Radar and other electronic aids such as satellite navigation
systems have made this sort of error less likely. However,
accidents still occur if the equipment is not used correctly. For
instance, errors can be made in taking readings or positions may
not be correctly marked on charts. Too much reliance on electronics
can also be a problem. If the equipment is poorly maintained and
fails, navigators can get lost if they cannot fall back
on
older skills.
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