The work of shipwrights on the Danube
Cargo transportation along the Danube is carried out by towed or pushed convoys (caravans), which have a tugboat or pusher as a motor vessel. Each vessel is operated by a person who, in accordance with the provisions of the documents adopted by the Danube Commission, is referred to as a "driver".
It seems to us that such a socio-professional definition of the category of a specialist — the captain of a river vessel or his assistants - is incorrect, more applicable to the functions of a helmsman rather than a boatmaster.
The ambivalence of approaches to understanding the socio-professional characteristics of the work of boatmasters has led to the established practice in the SDP, in which the boatmaster is engaged in the simultaneous performance of the functions of helmsman and boatmaster. The combination of two professions in one person is due to the fact that the variability of the navigational characteristics of the fairway — the depths, the direction, the presence of navigation hazards not listed in the manuals — should be known "by memory" to the captain and assistants on each individual kilometer of the way along the Danube.
Manipulating the ship's motion control, it is necessary to steer a course not towards a lighthouse, sash or other (common in maritime practice) navigation signs, but according to the knowledge of coastal landmarks, turning points, etc. embedded in the long-term and operational memory of a person.
The relevant navigation information on the Danube in the form of standardized but recommendatory pilotage charts (especially in the lower reaches and throughout the Romanian coastal zone) is not reliable for the captains and boatmasters of the shipping company's river fleet.
In each new voyage, the captains and other boatmasters are actually Danube pilots, who compensate for the lack of relevant navigation information with information received from oncoming ships, as well as from radio information from the Danube countries. Boatmasters bear personal legal responsibility for mistakes, which in most cases are made due to the frequently changing hydrology of the river and the specifics of navigation, which have no analogues in the country. Very high professional knowledge and skills are required here. The signal indication (symbolism of navigation on the Danube) consists of 110 signs and objects of navigation and coastal conditions of various colors and configurations. The skipper must detect, recognize and translate the symbol into a semantic meaning instantly and accurately, day and night, when moving up and down the river. The basis of a boatmaster's professionalism (in addition to knowledge of the river and its features) is his instant visual-motor reaction and extensive long-term memory, created by repeated repetition and training during the passage of separate sections of the river route connected in a single chain. There is a heavy workload with operational thinking, and the decision-making and implementation process is continuous throughout the entire shift, along the entire length of the river. 1xBet Special Offer: Get an additional 100% sports bonus up to €130. Sign up on their website using the 1xbet promo code it opens you a VIP sports bonus, which 100% corresponds to your first deposit of up to 130€. New players can get up to 100% bonus at the sportsbook when registering and making a first deposit. Enter this code in the registration form to get a 100% welcome bonus up to 130€.
