The Role of Intuition in Operational Decision Making

Intuition success builds with experience.

In all our operations, decisions are constantly being made. In most situations, there is time to analyze what is coming up, weight the alternatives and decide on a course of action. For example, a tankerman gets ready to top off his tanks. He knows that the product flowing presently at 2,000 bbls an hour and he has been watching the flow into his tanks. Some quick calculations will help him decide when to slow down the flow rate. A rational decision has been made.

But often times, your decision making process may be rushed, critical and possibly full of doubt. Your tow is down bound on the Mississippi River in high water with a critical bridge coming up. The tow is lined up properly but something does not look right. A quick go/no go decision must be made; both decisions have consequences. What do you do?

When working under pressure, our brains will switch to an intuitive decision making style that is easier and more natural than the rational, analytical approaches. Intuition is unconsciously used when there is no time to weigh out each consequence. Our intuition becomes more accurate by our level of experience in the situation and is sharpened by our level of situational awareness. With an emphasis on accurate situational awareness, a wheelman's intuition helps him see the most important factors and the most likely outcomes of their actions.

So what makes intuition work?

Your intuition is developed throughout the years by gaining information and storing it in your long term memory. Years on the water as a Wheelman or a Tankerman bring more and more operational information into our memories. This information that we may not actively remember will be used to help make a decision on an un-conscious level. You are not aware that your brain is using your stored memories to help make a quick decision, but it is happening all the time.

Take for example owning a dog as a kid; you learned how to react to dogs in different situations during your time around them. Later on in life you come across an aggressive dog. Without thinking, you know how to react to that dog. Your stored knowledge comes to the forefront and helps you shape you reaction to that dog. You did not have stop and think "how do I react to this dog?"  No, it was there intuitively.

Your situational awareness depends on you constantly gathering information and using it to make decisions. We may not be fully aware of some of this information we are gathering. Your peripheral vision may see something wrong with a navigation situation and may not register in your conscious mind. In this case, your intuition can kick in to say something is not right and needs more analysis. 

Intuition will develop over time and with that comes greater trust in your immediate "hunches" you will have. It may not always give the right answer in a critical situation but it is an important tool your brain will use to get to the answer you need.

 

 

Summertime Fun Done Right  

Summer can be a great time for the family to get out and have some fun.  Swimming, boating, fishing are all great ways to have outdoor fun with the family.  There are a few things to remember regarding water safety to keep your fun from turning into a horrific tragedy.  Here is an online program to help teach water safety to children. http://www.bobber.info/

Water safety is a must! 

• All family members should learn how to swim.  There are programs for all ages of children and adults through several organizations.
• Use the buddy system.  Nobody should swim alone.
• Never leave young children unattended near water.  Drowning is the leading injury related death among children between the ages of 1 and 4.      
• Lifejackets are encouraged for young children or children that are not strong swimmers, but do not rely on them
• When boating wear a lifejacket!  Most boating fatalities are from drowning.
• While at the beach watch for rip tides and strong currents.  Rip tides normally occur at 1-2 feet per second, but can occur up to 8 ft/sec (faster than an Olympic swimmer). 

Know what to do in an emergency!

• If a child is missing, check the water first!
• Know when to call 911
• If you own a pool keep life saving devices close by.
• Take a first aid/cpr class
• Understand what drowning looks like.  It is not the frantic scenario that you observe in movies.  Most times the person can't scream for help. Here are some actual signs that a person may be drowning:
  • o    Head tilted back
  • o    May look like they are climbing a ladder
  • o    Eyes glassy that may be looking up.
  • o    Body is usually upright.
  • o    Drowning is normally quiet; children playing in the water are noisy.  If they are too quiet simply ask if they are okay.  If they don't answer, something may be wrong.

Keeping you Afloat   

Of course nobody intends on entering the water at any time.  However it is important that you are prepared in the event you become a man overboard.  Per the Personal Safety Manual, all employees must wear a personal flotation device whenever:

• On a barge
• In a skiff
• Boarding or leaving a barge
• Boarding or leaving a boat when a suitable gangway is not available
• Or any other time when exposed to the water.

PFD's must be inspected prior to use and worn properly.  If it has a zipper and snaps, then it must be zipped and snapped.  It should be worn snug to the body.   An improper fitting life vest may provide no flotation in the event you fall overboard.

Company safety policies must be followed by any visitors; including inspectors, shore tankerman, dockmen, maintenance contractors, office staff, etc.

Best Practices 
 

Every boat has good ideas.

Good ideas need to be shared, refined and become "Best Practices".A "Best Practice" is defined as a method or technique which shows results superior to those achieved with other means, and that is used as a benchmark.  In addition, a "Best Practice" can evolve to become better as improvements are discovered.

This column is dedicated to sharing the best practices developed while operating your tow. Each issue we will outline a "Best Practice" sent in by the fleet.  Share your Best Practice by sending to Gordie

This week's "Best Practice" is sent by the crew of the M/V SPINDLETOP.

Barge winches are subject to fouled wires and "rat's nests". Without careful tightening, it is easy for the wire ride up on each other uncontrolled spooling of wire rope on the drum.

We have had this problem with 100 foot barge wires...too much wire is rolled up on the drum. Our boat has changed to 75 foot wires.  We still get a 4 par coupling wire and there is a cost savings by using 25 ft less wire.

From: Capt. Scott Bryars

USCG Navigation General

BOTH INTERNATIONAL & INLAND Which vessel is "underway" within the meaning of the Rules?

a. A vessel at anchor with the engine turning
b. A vessel tied to an offshore mooring buoy
c. A vessel aground with the engine turning
d. A vessel drifting with the engine stopped

INLAND ONLY Maneuvering signals shall be sounded on inland waters by __________.

a. all vessels when meeting, crossing, or overtaking and in sight of one another
b. all vessels meeting or crossing at a distance within half a mile of each other and not in sight of one another
c. power-driven vessels overtaking and in sight of one another
d. power-driven vessels crossing at a distance within half a mile of each other and NOT in sight of one another

BOTH INTERNATIONAL & INLAND At night, a barge being towed astern must display __________.

a. red and green sidelights only
b. a white stern light only
c. sidelights and a stern light
d. one all-round white light

BOTH INTERNATIONAL & INLAND Your vessel is NOT making way, but is not in any way disabled. Another vessel is approaching you on your starboard beam. Which statement is TRUE?

a. Your vessel is obligated to stay out of the way.
b. The other vessel must give way, since your vessel is stopped.
c. You should be showing the lights or shapes for a vessel not under command.
d. You should be showing the lights or shapes for a vessel restricted in her ability to maneuver.

BOTH INTERNATIONAL & INLAND You are the stand-on vessel in a crossing situation. If you think the give-way vessel is NOT taking sufficient action to avoid collision, you should sound __________.

a. one short blast and maintain course
b. two short blasts, alter to port, and pass astern
c. the danger signal
d. no signal and maneuver at will 

San Jacinto College Maritime Youth Career Camp

First session begins JULY 15 through July 19 at the Central Campus

Looking to get your 14 year out of the house this summer? Why not send them to San Jacinto College's Maritime Youth Camp?

This camp, offers local students, ages 14 to 17, an opportunity to learn about careers in the maritime industry including a life at sea, working on tugboats, towboat and ships, in addition to land based maritime-related careers in logistics at the Port of Houston and Maritime Administration careers in the offices of shipping companies worldwide.

Daily field trips will include experiences in the ship simulator at the Texas Maritime Academy at Texas A&M University Galveston, a boat tour of the Houston Ship Channel and more.

Higman Marine Services is a proud local sponsor of the camp! 

Here are the dates and locations....

July 15 to July 19......San Jacinto College, Central Campus

July 29 to Aug 2.......San Jacinto College, South Campus

Aug 12 to Aug 16....San Jacinto College, North Campus

Best of all, the camp is FREE!

For more information: http://cpd.sanjac.edu/maritime  

To register, call 281-974-2200 or email stacy.moser@sjcd.edu.

 

Stern Shots  

USCG rescue practice taken by Capt Harley Smith on the M/V DECATUR

Tankerman Ronnie Carter on the M/V GUADALUPE shines up the brass on the whistle.

Is Capt Dwight napping or checking up on last nights scores?

Nautical Trivia 

The Most Famous Mississippi River Pilot

 Most of us know of the great American writer Samuel Clemens who adopted the pen name "Mark Twain". Clemens took his famous pen name from his days working as a Mississippi River pilot. It is a river term which in those days meant 12-feet of water measured with a sounding lead pitched ahead of the steam boat by the "leadsman".

Clemens got his start working the river in 1857, at the age of 20 during a trip from St. Louis to New Orleans on the river steamboat, "Paul Jones".

On the "Paul Jones", Clemens helped the boat's pilot, Horace Bixby steer the boat. Bixby had a bad back and could not stand his long watch at the wheel without considerable pain. By helping Bixby, Clemens started to learn to steer and decided that the life of a river pilot was for him. Horace Bixby agreed for the price of $500 to take Sam on as a Steersman.  Clemens was able to borrow $100 from his brother at the end of the first trip and the rest was paid out of his wages after he became a pilot. 

It was expensive to train as a Steersman in the mid 1800's.  $500 in 1858, due to inflation, is worth $14,286 in today's dollars!

The Steersman apprenticeship took seventeen months, covering every bend, crossing, island and shoal on the eleven hundred miles between New Orleans and St. Louis.

As the apprenticeship progressed, Bixby made Sam get a small book to record his pilotage notes. "My boy," he said, "you must get a little memorandum book, and every time I tell you a thing put it down right away. There is only one way to be a pilot and that is to get this entire river by heart. You have to know it like A B C."

In the spring of 1859, Sam went to the District Steamboat Inspector's office in St. Louis where he was tested and received his Pilot's License:

"The inspectors for the district of St. Louis certify that Samuel Clemens, having been duly examined, touching his qualifications as a PILOT of a Steam Boat, is suitable and a safe person to be entrusted with the powers and duties of Pilot of Steam Boats and do license him to act as such for one year to this date on the following rivers, to wit on the Mississippi River to and from St. Louis and a New Orleans."

I always assumed that Clemens had a long career as a river pilot, but his life on the river was cut short by the political troubles of the times. In the last week of January, 1860 Louisiana seceded from the Union.  The steam boat that Clemens was piloting at the time was held up in New Orleans.

 

In April of 1861, when the Civil War caused the suspension of civilian river traffic on the Mississippi, Sam's career as a steam boat pilot came to an abrupt end. 

Have a great and safe week!