Bridge (nautical)

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
"flying bridge" redirects here. For the civil engineering feature, see flying arch.
Port Everglades, Florida
Research Vessel Sikuliaq, docked in Ketchikan, Alaska
Wheelhouse on a tugboat, topped with a flying bridge

A bridge, also known as a pilothouse or wheelhouse, is a room or platform of a

able seaman acting as a lookout. During critical maneuvers the captain will be on the bridge, often supported by an officer of the watch, an able seaman on the wheel and sometimes a pilot
, if required.

History and etymology

Second World War with central binnacle
and the voice tubes to belowdecks

There are many terms for parts of a ship with functions similar to a bridge. Depending upon the design and layout of a ship, some of these terms may be interchangeable.

Traditionally,

mainmast, where the ship's wheel was located (as it was close to the rudder). A wheelhouse was a small enclosure around the ship's wheel on the quarter deck of sailing ships. On modern ships the wheelhouse or pilothouse refers to the bridge of smaller motor vessels, such as tugs.[1]

With the arrival of

screw propeller superseded the paddle wheel, the term "bridge" survived.[1]

Traditionally, commands would be passed from the senior officer on the bridge to stations dispersed throughout the ship, where physical control of the ship was exercised, as technology did not exist for the remote control of steering or machinery.

pilot, who was traditionally the ship's navigating officer, could issue commands from shelter.[1]

ferrous
interference of the hulk of the ship.

Many ships still have a flying bridge, a platform atop the pilot house, open to weather, containing a binnacle and voice tubes to allow the conning officer to direct the ship from a higher position during fair weather conditions.[1]

Larger warships may have navigation bridge, which is used for the actual conning of the ship, and a separate admiral's bridge can be provided in flagships, where the admiral can exercise control over the squadron of ships without interfering with the captain's command of the vessel. In older warships, a heavily armored conning tower was often provided, where the vital command staff could be located under protection to ensure that the ship could be commanded under fire.[2]

On a submarine, the bridge is the highest point on the conning tower, to provide for better visual navigation when on the surface.[3] They became standard on United States Navy submarines after 1917, greatly improving the function of the vessels while at the surface.[4]

Configuration

RMS Queen Mary 2
, showing bridge with enclosed bridge wings that permit a view along both sides of the vessel

Modern advances in remote control equipment have seen progressive transfer of the actual control of the ship to the bridge. The wheel and throttles can be operated directly from the bridge, controlling often-unmanned machinery spaces. Aboard modern warships, navigational command comes from the bridge, whereas electronically directed weapon systems are usually controlled from an interior compartment.[2]

On a commercial vessel, the bridge will contain the

telegraph) controls, a wheel/autopilot system, a magnetic compass (for redundancy and cross check capability) and light/sound signalling devices.[5]

Navigation station

Navigation station on a ship

The navigation station of a ship may be located on the bridge or in a separate chart room, nearby. It includes a table sized for

fathometer, a compass, a marine chronometer, two-way radios, and radiotelephone, etc.[7]

Flying bridge

A flying bridge, also known as "monkey island",

officer of the watch.[11]

Prior to World War II, virtually every

automatic cannons on their flying bridges.[13]

Flying bridges were almost always the highest bridge on the ship.[10] They were usually above the flag bridge.[3]

Since the 1980s, large pleasure craft may have a flying bridge

tender.[15] On the smallest surface vessels, such as a sport fishing boat, the flying bridge may have controls permitting the ship to be piloted from the flying bridge, but will lack the full range of controls of the pilot house. On larger small vessels, the flying bridge may actually be enclosed, in which case it is more properly called an "upper pilot house" or "upper bridge".[3]

Flag bridge

Warships that were also flagships (had a flag officer onboard) sometimes contained a flag bridge. Also known as the "admiral's bridge", these were a bridge below the main bridge on a command warship where a high-ranking officer such as an admiral could conduct fleet operations, plan strategy, and conduct large battles.[3]

Bridge wing

The bridge wing of the MS Amera while in use

Some flying bridges have "bridge wings", open areas which thrust outward from the flying bridge over the sides of the vessel by approximately 10 to 15 feet (3.0 to 4.6 m) to allow an officer to see the side of their ship while docking or working with smaller vessels.

stern thruster, rudder and engines.[17]

See also

References

  1. ^
    ISBN 9781844862108
    .
  2. ^
    ISBN 9780852969786
  3. ^ a b c d e Lenfestey, Tom. The Sailor's Illustrated Dictionary. New York: Lyons Press, 2001, p. 173.
  4. ^ Friedman, Norman. U.S. Submarines Through 1945: An Illustrated Design History. Annapolis, Md.: Naval Institute Press, 1995, p. 35.
  5. ^ Macneil, Iain (2015). 21st Century Seamanship. Edinburgh: Witherby Publishing Group.
  6. ISSN 0098-3519
    . Retrieved 2018-01-06.
  7. ISBN 9781574090604
    .
  8. ^ Bhattacharjee, Shilavadra (June 7, 2019). "What is Monkey Island on Ships?". Marine Insight. Retrieved 22 February 2023.
  9. ISBN 9781000544015
    . Retrieved 23 February 2023.
  10. ^ a b Curley, Stephen J. The Ship That Would Not Die: USS Queens, SS Excambion, and USTS Texas Clipper. College Station, Tex.: Texas A&M University Press, 2011, p. 81.
  11. ^ a b c d e Thompson, Mark L. Queen of the Lakes. Detroit: Wayne State University Press, 1994, p. 123.
  12. ^ Jones. H.G. The Sonarman's War: A Memoir of Submarine Chasing and Mine Sweeping in World War II. Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland & Co., 2010, p. 29.
  13. ^ Friedman, Norman. U.S. Amphibious Ships and Craft: An Illustrated Design History. Annapolis, Md.: Naval Institute Press, 2002, p. 39, 60.
  14. ^ "Flybridge". mBoat.eu. 2020-06-19.
  15. ^ "Pilothouse Motoryacht". Boating. May 2006. p. 66. Retrieved 19 May 2013.
  16. ISBN 9780115525759
  17. ISBN 9781136366574
    .

External links

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