climbing the jacob's ladder

Piloting and the unstoppable  wheel of technology. The dehumanizing process:  "There used to be people …"  When the wheel was invented, (over 3500 years BC according to archeological records) , it undoubtedly changed the  way humans used to move big, heavy stuff.  Surely, the new invention also reduced the amount of time and hands (manpower) previously required to perform such a task. Now those idling "extra hands"  could dedicate the "extra time" that was made available,  to take care of other issues important for the community.    The wheel was such an incredible invention, a masterpiece of human wit,  that has survived up until the present, almost unchanged.  We normally take from granted the fact that the tires of our vehicles are just the evolved version of those prehistoric wheels. Technological advance has always been the motor behind the modernization of civilization. We don't need to time travel back in order to recall the turning points in hi

Pilots: a burden or a necessity? Reality vs Ideal. Captain Ricardo Caballero Vega Panama Canal Pilot We all know, for being part of the shipping industry, what is the role of pilots. They act as advisors to the Captains when ships navigate in restricted waters. Their knowledge on currents, tides, depths, and resources, plus their ship handling skills are paramount to the safety of the ship, its cargo, the environment, the integrity of port facilities, and more. Having a pilot aboard is a relief for the Captain, is having the most valuable resource while in confined waters, it is having the expert.  But this isn't always the case according to a some deep sea ships' Captains.  I can understand that our presence in the bridge could be unsettling for some of the crewmembers, but not for the "Big Man". Most of the time we are treated with so much deference that we feel at home ( at times even better, something I never tell my wife). Normally, once I step aboard a ship the

FOR WHOM DID THE HORNS BLOW?    Captain Ricardo E Caballero Vega      Panama Canal Pilot  A ship's whistle is one of the oldest devices used by mariners to alert of a specific situation. To be exact, for communicating passing intentions (one short blast means "let's meet port to port", two "starboard to starboard", and so on). But before ships were equipped with modern whistles or horns, these were  already an integral part of some lighthouses and sea buoys to aid mariners navigate. It is a fact that sound travels more efficiently across fog and heavy rain. Sound is more effective than light when navigating in reduced visibility. With all the technological advances, such as the AIS, the whistle of a ship is rarely used these days.  Rule 35 of the International Regulations for preventing collisions at sea (COLREGs) prescribes the sound signals given by ships in or near an area of restricted visibility.   However, the ship's whistle is sometimes used unoff