AMAZON NAVIGATION-- CAPT AJIT VADAKAYIL

AMAZON NAVIGATION-- CAPT AJIT VADAKAYIL

BEFORE NAVIGATING IN THE AMAZON YOU MUST FIRST DEVELOP A HEALTHY RESPECT FOR THE RIVER. LEST YOU RUE AT LEISURE LATER.

THE AMAZON RIVER IS 4000 MILES LONG JUST A HUNDRED MILES SHORTER THAN NILE --THE WORDS LONGEST RIVER. BUT IT MORE THAN MAKES UP BY ITS SHEER STRENGTH AND VOLUME--- AMAZON POURS 2000 TIMES MORE WATER THAN THE NILE . ONE BY FIFTH OF THE FRESH WATER THE WORLDS OCEANS RECEIVE IS FROM THE AMAZON.

IT FLOWS EASTWARDS FROM THE SNOW CAPPED ANDES INTO THE NORTH ALTANTIC AND IS NAVIGABLE ALMOST ITS ENTIRE LENGTH. IT DEPOSITS APPROX 70 TONS OF SEDIMENT EVERY MINUTE AT ITS DELTA WHICH IS 100 MILES WIDE AND LESS SALINE 200 MILES INTO THE OCEAN. SMALL SIZE SHIPS REACH IQUITOS IN PERU 2300 MILES UPRIVER. FROM IQUITOS TO OCEAN THE LAND FALLS ONLY 300 FEET. LARGE OCEAN LINERS REACH MANAUS 1000 MILES UPSTREAM.

THE TIDAL INFLUENCE IS FELT AS FAR AS OBIDOS. AT ATACOATIARA WHERE WE BERTHED THE RIVER FLOWS DOWN STREAM ONLY. THE MAIN RIVER IS BROWN AND BORING. BUT IT DOES HARBOUR THE PRARUCU WHICH AT 8 FEET LENGTH IS THE WORLD’S LARGEST FRESH WATER FISH. 

THE TRIBUTARIES ARE AMAZING WITH CLEAR WATER, 2 FEET LONG PIRANHAS WITH ORANGE BELLIES, ANACONDAS , MONKEYS AND OVERHANGING TREES. MOST OF THESE PIRANHAS ARE VEGETARIANS UNLESS YOU WANT TO OFFER A BLOODY FINGER.

WHEN THE RIVER IS FLOODED THE CREST IS 50 FEET ABOVE NORMAL , THE SPRING EBB TIDES IN RAINY SEASON NOV TO JUNE ARE 6 KNOTS WITH HUGE UPROOTED TREES FLOATING DOWN WHOM YOU MUST DODGE. IF CAUGHT ON THE BOWS IT REDUCES SHIPS SPEED , IF YOUR PROPELLER HITS A TREE TRUNK YOU CAN HAVE A PROBLEM.

WHEN THE COASTAL FEATURES ARE SUBMERGED LAND CANNOT NOT BE RECOGNISED EASILY. TALL GRASS WHICH GROWS OUT OF WATER CAN ADD TO THE CONFUSION. THE GPS IS THE BEST BET. THE WGS 84 CORRECTION IS NEGLIGIBLE. DURING FLOODS ALL THE SNAKES MIGRATE TO HIGH GROUND AND IF YOU LIKE TO GET BITTEN BY SNAKES WHO ARE SHORT OF PATIENCE THIS IS THE PLACE TO BE AT.

SOMETIMES IN SEPT OR MARCH YOU CAN SEE THE POROROCA OR THE SPECTACULAR TIDAL BORE LIKE WE HAVE IN THE HOOGHLY RIVER—ONLY DIFFERENCE IS THIS ONE IS ABOUT 5 METRES HIGH AND ITS CREST IS WHITE FOAM AS IT FORCES ITS WAY 400 MILES UPSTREAM AT 40 KNOTS. IT CAN BE UNNERVING IF YOU DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHAT IT IS.

ALL TYPES ON INSECTS INVADE YOUR SHIP. SOME OF THEM ARE GOOD IN SELF DEFENCE. FOR EXAMPLE THERE IS A LARGE COCKROACH ABOUT 4 INCHES LONG WHICH IF YOU TRY TO TRAMPLE WILL SEND A SHARP QUILL THROUGH YOUR SAFETY SHOE SOLE INTO YOUR LEG. 

AND THERE IS THIS WORLD RECORD HOLDING 18 INCH HERMAPHRODITIC LEECH WITH A 6 INCH HYPODERMIC NEEDLE.  IMAGINE IT CAN HOLD 3 TIMES ITS OWN WEIGHT IN ONE FEEDING. IT BREATHES THROUGH ITS SKIN. AND ITS SALIVA CONTAINS ANTICOAGULANTS WHICH CAN BLEED YOU TO DEATH.

SOME BEETLES ARE ALLERGY CAUSING AND CAN SLAM SHUT YOUR EPIGLOTIS. I REMEMBER ONCE SAVING MY MATE’S LIFE WITH AN INSTANT SHOT OF CHLOR PHENERAMINE MALEATE INJECTION. BETTER TO HAVE ANTI MALARIA TABLETS. KEEP YOUR ACCOMODATION AND EVEN CARGO TANKS SHUT.

CLOUDS OF FIREFLIES AT NIGHT CAN BE SUCH A WONDERFUL SIGHT. OR DOZENS OF GREEN PARROTS DURING DAY. LIGHTNING IN THE SKY LOOKS LIKE ARTILLERY FIRE.

AT MANAUS RIO NEGRO HAS ITS CONFLUENCE WITH AMAZON AND STAINS IT WITH BLACK INKY ORGANIC MATTER. MALARIA , TYPHOID, HEPATITIS AND CHOLERA GERMS ARE WAITING TO TAKE YOU ON IN THIS NECK OF THE WOODS.

BUSINESS:

ENOUGH OF LORE. LETS GET TO BUSINESS. CROSS BARRANORTE OR THE NORTH BAR AT HIGH WATER ON A RISING TIDE. THE BOTTOM HERE IS SOFT MUD. BE CAREFUL IF THE SHIP IS POUNDING DUE TO SWELL IN WHICH CASE ALLOWANCES FOR UKC HAS TO BE MADE. THE TIDE SETS HERE IN A SW/ NE DIRECTION. FROM THE BA ADMIRALTY TIDE TABLE CALCULATIONS FOR SECONDARY PORT BARRANORTE YOU MUST SUBTRACT 2HRS 36 MIN FOR HW AND 3HRS 20 MIN FOR LW. THE DEEPEST PART OF BAR HAS SHIFTED TO 4 MILES SOUTHWARDS OF THE LIGHT SHIP . IT TAKES 2 HOURS TO CROSS THE BAR.

AFTER CROSSING THE BAR INWARDS YOU REACH A BOTTLENECK CALLED CURUA CHANNEL. SUBTRACT ONE HOUR FROM BARRANORTE BA ATT TIMES TO GET CURUA CHANNEL TIDAL TIMES. THE BUOYS THERE ARE OUT OF POSITION MOST OF THE TIME. SO BEFORE ARRIVAL ASK THE AGENTS TO SEND YOU THE LATEST BUOY POSITION. IN THIS L ( LIMA SHAPED BEND ) KEEP TO THE GREEN BUOY SIDE OFF BUOYS 6 8 AND 10 AT 25 TO 75 RATIO. THIS IS BECAUSE THE RED BUOY SIDE IS GETTING SILTED EASTWARD INTO THE CHANNEL . THE RED BUOYS 5 7 AND 9 CAN BE TRUSTED AS THEY ARE DEEP ANCHORED IN SILT AND CANNOT BE KNOCKED OVER.

THE THUMB RULE IS KEEP TO THE OUTER SIDE OF RIVER BENDS WHICH ARE ARE SCOURED DEEPER. THE SAME IS THE CASE WITH CURUA CHANNEL.

YOU MUST KNOW WHICH SIDE THE CURRENT/ WIND WILL SET YOU. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO PASS ANOTHER SHIP AT CURUA CHANNEL. HERE IT IS ONE SHIP AT A TIME AS THERE IS NO SEA ROOM AT THE L BEND, THE ACTUAL USABLE CHANNEL BEING ONLY 2,5 CABLES WIDE. THE BUOYS ARE ONE MILE APART. YOU CAN TRUST GPS POSITIONS IN THE CURUA CHANNEL. TREE TRUNKS AND WEED CLUMPS AT NIGHT CAN DISORIENT YOU ON RADAR.

AGENT CAN ALSO FAX YOU THE LOCAL TIDE TABLE PAGES . THE PASSAGE FROM BARRA NORTE TO FAZENDINHA OR MACAPA PILOT STATION IS NON COMPULSORY PILOTAGE. IF YOU WANT A PILOT BECAUSE YOU DO NOT HAVE PROPER CHARTS YOU CAN EMBARK A PILOT AT SALINOUPOULIS OR ESPADARTE PILOT STATIONS WHICH IS 170 MILES FROM BARRA NORTE. 

THE PILOTS IN THE AMAZON CAN BE TRUSTED. THEY VERY RARELY LOOK AT THE CHART. THEY USE RADAR VRM MARKER TO SET CLEARING DISTANCES. FROM MACAPA ONWARDS IT IS COMPULSORY PILOTAGE UPRIVER. SHIP HAS TO ANCHOR AT MACAPA TO CLEAR THE PORT AUTHORITIES. THE HARBOUR MASTER ALSO HAS A VISIT. IF YOU HAVE ANY DAMAGE ON YOUR BOWS HE WILL HOLD A PROPER ENQUIRY.

AT MACAPA WHEN DROPPING OUTWARD PILOT WITH TIDE FROM BEHIND , FULLY LOADED , LITTLE SEAROOM AND SMALL CRAFT AROUND---- BE CAREFUL. IF YOU HAVE TO WAIT , STEM THE TIDE SO THAT YOU CAN ANCHOR IF REQD . AFTER MACAPA INBOUND EVEN THE LARGE SCALE BRAZILIAN CHARTS ARE OF NO USE. ON PASSAGE FROM MACAPA TO ITACOATIARA TWICE WE FOUND OUR SHIP NAVIGATING HALF MILE DEEP INSIDE LAND . 

WHEN YOU WANT TO PASS ANOTHER SHIP IN THE RIVER BETTER CLARIFY ON VHF IN ADVANCE IF IT IS GOING TO BE RED TO RED OR GREEN TO GREEN.

WHEN YOU FINALLY COME OUT OF THE RIVER, AND HEAD INTO THE ATLANTIC OCEAN WILL BE A BIT TAKEN ABACK BY THE  LIMITED UKC INDICATED BY THE ECHOSOUNDER MACHINE , AND CLEAR CUM DISCOLOURED WATER SWIRLS ALONG THE SHIP SIDE.  NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT, AS THIS HUGE MASS OF MUDDY WATER ORGINATES FROM THE SUBTERRANEAN UNDERWATER AMAZON RIVER .  THIS IS WHY THE WATER SALINITY IS VERY LOW AT THE MOUTH OF THE AMAZON,  EVEN IF YOUR SHIP IS TWO HUNDRED MILES AWAY INTO THE ALTANTIC OCEAN , WITHOUT SOLITON WAVE FORMATION-- MUCH AGAINST THE PROPERTIES OF WATER .

( IN BLACK SEA TOO THERE IS AN UNDERWATER STREAM FLOWING INTO BLACK SEA, WHILE THE SURFACE CURRENT IS OUTWARDS.)

 

KEEP THE ENGINE ROOM SEA SUCTIONS ON HIGH. USE BOWTHRUSTERS WITH CAUTION ESPECIALLY IF VSL IS ON LIGHT DRAFT. YOU MUST HAVE A RELIABLE ECHO SOUNDER. THIS WAY YOU CAN REDUCE SQUAT WHEN REQUIRED.

CAPT AJIT VADAKAYIL

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