INTERACTION:

• Interaction occurs when a ship comes too close to

another ship or too close to a river or canal bank. As
ships have increased in size (especially in breadth)
interaction has become very important to consider.
• Most vessels will at one time or another experience
some form of interaction with another vessel, perhaps
when navigating in shallow water or passing too close
to an obstruction. Interaction is the reaction of the
ship’s hull to pressure exerted on its underwater
volume.
• Interaction can result in one or more of the following
characteristics:
1. If two ships are on a passing or overtaking situation
in a river, squats of both vessels could be doubled
when both amidships are directly in line.
2. When they are directly in line each ship will develop
an angle of heel and the smaller ship will be drawn
bodily towards the larger vessel.
3. Both ships could lose steerage efficiency and
alter course without change in rudder helm.
4. The smaller ship may suddenly veer off course and
head into the adjacent river bank.
5. The smaller ship could veer into the side of the larger
ship or worse still be drawn across the bows of the
larger ship, bowled over and capsized.
• In other words there is:
1. a ship to ground Interaction,
2. a ship to ship Interaction,
3. a ship to shore Interaction.
Interaction in Narrow Channels

Ship to Ship: When passing another vessel that is moored fore

and aft, interaction between the vessels will often cause the
moored ship to ‘range on her moorings’. Also, interaction
between ships is experienced when they come very close to one
another especially in shallow waters, in a passing or
overtaking situation.
Ship to Shore: In a narrow channel such as a canal, when a
vessel is navigating close to the bank, the interaction is
experienced between the hull of the ship and sides of the bank.
The vessel may experience the Bank Cushion effect at the bow
and Bank suction effect at her stern.
Ship to ground: In shallow waters, an increase in squat may
be experienced because of the loss of water under the
vessel’s keel leading to an interaction between the ship’s
bottom and the seabed. This may even bring about the vessel
grounding. When a ship is nearing an extremely shallow depth
of water, such as a shoal, she is likely to take a sudden sheer,
first towards it and then violently away. This is called ‘smelling
the ground’. This is also a form of interaction between the ship
and ground.

INTERACTION BETWEEN TWO SHIPS

(A) On reciprocal courses, meeting end-on:
• The period of time in
which interaction is
allowed to affect both
vessels is limited
because the effect will
last only during the
period of passing. When
vessels are on reciprocal
courses, the length of time
 that the vessels are
actually abeam of each
other is short (as opposed
to an overtaking situation).
• No problems arise when
both vessels have ample
sea room. However, in
narrow channels there is
the danger of grounding or
collision as bows are
repelled and sterns
pulled towards each
other.
• When navigating in
narrow channels, the
limits for vessels
passing can often be
extremely fine. Both
vessels must reduce
speed in ample time
in order to minimise
the interaction
between ship and
ship and ship and
bank. Provided a
sensible speed is
adopted, it should
prove unnecessary
to alter the engine
speed while
passing, thus
keeping disturbance
and changing
pressures to the
minimum as the
vessels draw
 abeam.
In normal circumstances each vessel would keep to her own
starboard side of the channel. Good communications should be
established before the approach to ascertain exactly when the
manoeuvre will start. Efficient port / harbour control can very
often ease situations like this simply by applying forward
planning to shipping movements

(B) When overtaking another vessel

• When two vessels are passing too close to each other on
parallel courses, such as in an overtaking situation,
interaction may occur when the vessels are abeam,
resulting in deflection of the bows and attraction of
stern quarters, with dangerous consequences.
• Overtaking in a narrow channel
must naturally be performed at
close quarters and hence, it should
be avoided as far as possible. If
it is executed, it is important that
those in charge of both the ships
pay careful attention to what is
happening and carry out the
correct and necessary manoeuvers
on the rudder in good time. These
manoeuvres may be extremely
dangerous, as the overtaken
vessel may go out of control on
account of her reduced speed
and consequent lesser effective
rudder.
• The ship being overtaken should
reduce her speed as much as
 possible while still maintaining
steerage way. This will reduce the
time required to complete the
overtaking manoeuver, reducing
the time the overtaking vessel will
be abeam and thereby reducing the
chances of her becoming
unmanageable.
• The effect is more when there is a
large difference in size and
displacement of the two vessels.
• Most dangerous situation is
when a large vessel overtakes a
smaller vessel. The positive pressure
at the bow of the larger vessel
acting on the quarter of the smaller
vessel being overtaken may cause
that vessel to sheer towards or in
front of the overtaking vessel.
(C) When passing a Moored Vessel:

• Interaction between a Moored

vessel and a passing vessel will be
such that the moored vessel will
surge to and fro in the wash of the
passing ship.
• The speed of the passing ship
therefore must be reduced whenever
she intends to pass close by say, a river
berth.
• The surging is due to the cushioning
and suction effects existing at a
passing ship’s bow and stern. The
fore-and- aft flow of water down her
side must also be considered.
• Due to the speed of the travelling
 ship, the moored vessel cannot be
considered a fixed object as it will
attract or repel the bow or stern of
the passing ship.
• On the contrary, the moored vessel
is regarded as a floating object which
is subjected to sheering forces.
• The figures alongside show the
movements to which a moored ship
will be subjected. In (1) we see that
Ship A’s stern is repelled by Ship B’s
bow. By the time Ship B reaches (2),
Ship A’s starts surging astern. When
both the ships are abeam as in (3),
the sterns are attracted and bows
are repelled. As the ship B proceeds
to (4), the bow of Ship B is
attracted to the side of Ship B and
she surges ahead.
• Ship A must have her lines tended
during the passage of ship B. Ship B
must proceed as slowly as possible
in order to keep her wave making
to a minimum. She must also keep
well clear of the other bank so that
she does not take a violent sheer
into Ship A.