Carnival Sunrise leaves Norfolk on Monday - freqs to check

[n4jri]

Last night, the Carnival Sunrise arrived at Half-Moone terminal about 11pm. Norfolk will be the originating point for her cruise, and departure is Monday 4/29.

The ship docked there without the assistance of tugs, and that op took place on 457.525 [88.5] (input 467.750). Everybody had a thick accent, which surprised me--I was expecting at least a local harbor pilot.

There was also simplex activity on 457.550, open carrier with what sounded like a similar accent.

Once the action's going on, there could be multiple onboard freqs 457.525-457.61875 & 467.75-467.825. (repeaters split 10.225 MHz) If using non-US UHF radios, add 467.525-467.575 as well. (you may also hear some Navy ships on these bands)

Nauticus uses 462.000 [d664] and 463.950 [d664], but I don't know whether these would be used at Half-Moone.

If anybody's in the area, I'd like to present the following stevedore freqs for checking. It's hard to monitor these with open squelch, and some of the channels may not get used unless there's a personnel-intensive op like loading a cruise ship. This could be a rare opportunity to grab some squelch codes.

CERES Marine Terminals
469.925 [d051] - heard this briefly last night

not confirmed are 452.975, 463.225, 464.9625, and 469.575

CP&O, LLC
468.2375 [d754]
462.0125 [d734]
453.000 [possibly d664]

not heard or confirmed are 452.500, 457.500, 458.000, 467.0125, 462.1125, 467.1125, 463.2375

Most of these frequencies are fairly interference-prone, so I'd love to find out more squelch codes.

Happy Hunting

73/Allen (N4JRI)

 

[ecps92]

Nice report.

Good to see the ole Triumph is still Analog

As to Pilots, once on-board you will hear them on the VHF Maine Only announcing their intentions, the Captain and Crew will run the UHF, so that explains the accents

Most of my info for the Triumph is from 2009 when she was a regular at Boston

Last night, the Carnival Sunrise arrived at Half-Moone terminal about 11pm. Norfolk will be the originating point for her cruise, and departure is Monday 4/29.

The ship docked there without the assistance of tugs, and that op took place on 457.525 [88.5] (input 467.750). Everybody had a thick accent, which surprised me--I was expecting at least a local harbor pilot.

There was also simplex activity on 457.550, open carrier with what sounded like a similar accent.

Once the action's going on, there could be multiple onboard freqs 457.525-457.61875 & 467.75-467.825. (repeaters split 10.225 MHz) If using non-US UHF radios, add 467.525-467.575 as well. (you may also hear some Navy ships on these bands)

Nauticus uses 462.000 [d664] and 463.950 [d664], but I don't know whether these would be used at Half-Moone.

If anybody's in the area, I'd like to present the following stevedore freqs for checking. It's hard to monitor these with open squelch, and some of the channels may not get used unless there's a personnel-intensive op like loading a cruise ship. This could be a rare opportunity to grab some squelch codes.

CERES Marine Terminals
469.925 [d051] - heard this briefly last night

not confirmed are 452.975, 463.225, 464.9625, and 469.575

CP&O, LLC
468.2375 [d754]
462.0125 [d734]
453.000 [possibly d664]

not heard or confirmed are 452.500, 457.500, 458.000, 467.0125, 462.1125, 467.1125, 463.2375

Most of these frequencies are fairly interference-prone, so I'd love to find out more squelch codes.

Happy Hunting

73/Allen (N4JRI)

 

[n4jri]

So I take it that the pilot is only to guide it to the pier, but the ship's captain is in charge of the actual docking? Now that you mention it, I was alerted to this arrival when I heard a her hail a McAllister tug in normal American English. (evidently to pass each other in the channel near Sewells Point) But on docking, the accented voice was clearly giving all the orders.

I'd forgotten that Carnival was returning this year. Should add some color to the port watching

73/Allen (N4JRI)

 

[ecps92]

Role of the Pilot​

As reflected in an official statement adopted by the Trustees of the American Pilots' Association in 1997: Navigation of a ship in United States pilotage waters is a shared responsibility between the pilot and the master/bridge crew. The compulsory state pilot directs the navigation of the ship, subject to the master's overall command of the ship and the ultimate responsibility for its safety. The master has the right, and in fact the duty, to intervene or to displace the pilot in circumstances where the pilot is manifestly incompetent or incapacitated or the vessel is in immediate danger (in extremis) due to the pilot's actions. With that limited exception, international law requires the master and/or the officer in charge of the watch to "cooperate closely with the pilot and maintain an accurate check on the ship's position and movement."

State-licensed pilots are expected to act in the public interest and to maintain a professional judgment that is independent of any desires that do not comport with the needs of maritime safety. In addition, licensing and regulatory authorities, state and federal, require compulsory pilots to take all reasonable actions to prevent ships under their navigational control from engaging in unsafe operations. Because of these duties, a compulsory state pilot is not a member of the bridge "team." Nevertheless, a pilot is expected to develop and maintain a cooperative, mutually supportive working relationship with the master and the bridge crew in recognition of the respective responsibility of each for safe navigation.

The "quiet service": Navigating ships safely through Hampton Roads waters

Back to the Sunrise / former Triump, I would take a peek at the other analog frequencies posted/shared in the past as they are likely still in use.

So I take it that the pilot is only to guide it to the pier, but the ship's captain is in charge of the actual docking? Now that you mention it, I was alerted to this arrival when I heard a her hail a McAllister tug in normal American English. (evidently to pass each other in the channel near Sewells Point) But on docking, the accented voice was clearly giving all the orders.

I'd forgotten that Carnival was returning this year. Should add some color to the port watching

73/Allen (N4JRI)

 

[n4jri]

Got another chance on Tuesday 5/22 when the Sunrise returned

457.525 [88.5] - primary channel for docking/undocking, etc. (inp 467.75)
457.550 [118.8] - purpose not clear...but strong signal. Wasn't positive of this freq, but it went away when the ship disappeared)
467.800 [141.3] mention of a guest cabin, but weaker audio.

Nauticus freqs didn't appear involved. The local stevedore was CP&O, but nothing heard on their freqs or Ceres, and saw no radios.

On Wednesday the USNS Lawrence H. Gianella docked there in the morning for an event scheduled that evening. Did not find anything I could ID to her, but heard some traffic on 462.6375 [74.4] that may have been involved with the Wisconsin or the planned event.

Blount cruise ship Grande Caribe was at Waterside using 156.150 (Ch-3) for onboard ops.

Also found that 461.2125 [d315] was local, and not the American Constitution.

73/Allen (N4JRI)



Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[ecps92]

In reference to the Sunshine - based on the Docking Channel, 467.8000 would be the input to 457.5750, try that next time

VHF Ch.03 is not Authorized for the US and is a Duplex Pair, not simplex.
https://wiki.radioreference.com/index.php/Marine_VHF_Band_Plans
I have seen small ships with a VHF Repeater, so next time also see if you get 160.7500 with activity

Got another chance on Tuesday 5/22 when the Sunrise returned

457.525 [88.5] - primary channel for docking/undocking, etc. (inp 467.75)
457.550 [118.8] - purpose not clear...but strong signal. Wasn't positive of this freq, but it went away when the ship disappeared)
467.800 [141.3] mention of a guest cabin, but weaker audio.

Nauticus freqs didn't appear involved. The local stevedore was CP&O, but nothing heard on their freqs or Ceres, and saw no radios.

On Wednesday the USNS Lawrence H. Gianella docked there in the morning for an event scheduled that evening. Did not find anything I could ID to her, but heard some traffic on 462.6375 [74.4] that may have been involved with the Wisconsin or the planned event.

Blount cruise ship Grande Caribe was at Waterside using 156.150 (Ch-3) for onboard ops.

Also found that 461.2125 [d315] was local, and not the American Constitution.

73/Allen (N4JRI)



Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[n4jri]

In reference to the Sunshine - based on the Docking Channel, 467.8000 would be the input to 457.5750, try that next time

VHF Ch.03 is not Authorized for the US and is a Duplex Pair, not simplex.
https://wiki.radioreference.com/index.php/Marine_VHF_Band_Plans
I have seen small ships with a VHF Repeater, so next time also see if you get 160.7500 with activity

I was getting plenty traffic on 457.575, but nothing with that PL, and not related to that ship AFAIK. I was there at least 90min, and the TRX-1 was recording all things marine, VHF and UHF. If they have a 'leaky coax' system onboard, there's a chance that I'm just hearing handhelds and the hull is shielding the output. But I was so close to the ship that I could converse with the forward line handlers on the dock. Traffic on 467.800 [141.3] was in accented English. The more passengers disembarked, the less traffic I heard.

There was more traffic in foreign language & accents in that band, but all that was still going on long after the Carnival ship disappeared. The 3 freqs I found all disappeared with the ship.

In contrast the repeater for sailing ops on 457.525 is nice and clear, and the input is weaker, even though handhelds are on the bridge and at the line stations.

Will try to check if I was scanning 160.75, but have had no luck on B freqs down here. Have generally locked out those that consistently carry rail traffic. This was a Blount ship, so considerably smaller than the American vessels. The guy at the gangway gave me a brochure, and I asked him if that was him I was hearing on Ch-3. He pulled out his radio and checked the display to make sure.

There is plenty simplex down here on Ch-3A. Have found 3 or 4 tugs using it as a working channel. (Consistent use) Local tugs also on 9, 63, 64, 76, 81 & 83, all A side. Coal ships on Ch-75 & 17, and what appear to be some local pleasure boaters on 17. All very close to USCG & Marine Police sites. CG appears to use 83A mostly to talk to CG aux in small planes. Have heard planes call them on 83 & 23 and it can take multiple calls to raise them.

Vessels down here may have better discipline than deer hunters, but they're dying for quiet working channels wherever they can find them, and I'm wondering if there's any coordination other than common practice or gentlemen's agreements.

73/Allen (N4JRI)

 

[n4jri]

Oops...also coal ships on Ch-17 now and then


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk