passengers " were " savouring " the " midnight " snack " on " the " main " deck ," other " ones " were " chatting " or " were " taking " a " walk " on " the " deck ," though " very " sleepy " and " so " close " to " retiring .
All " the " ofBicers ," however ," were " on " the " command " bridge " at " dock " 8 ," awake " and " vigilant ." There " were " the " secondZinZcommand ," the " Birst " ofBicer ," the " helmsman ," an " observer " and " even " Captain " Jim ," as " James " Ferguson ," the " master " of " the " ship ," was " called ." Captain " Jim " was ," of " course ," not " always " on " the " bridge ," having " other " commitments " on " board ," including " Billing " up " an " extraordinary " amount " of " travelZ related " paperZworks ," keeping " them " up " to " date ," and " what " was " not " always " pleasant ," dining " with " some " passengers " or " entertaining " others ." That " night " Captain " Jim ," instead " of " being " in " his " cabin " to " rest ," was " sitting " on " a " comfortable " black " leather " armchair " in " his " spot " on " the " bridge .
The " bridge " was " a " long " room ," with " a " long " bow " window " allowing " visibility " over " the " ship " bow ;" the " window " tilted " forward " allowing " a " good " view " perpendicular " to " the " front " and " on " the " sides " when " the " ship " was " mooring ." Coming " out " of " the " side " extensions ," you " could " completely " see " the " sides " of " the " ship " as " far " as " the " stern .
In " the " centre " of " the " bridge ," about " Bive " meters " from " the " windowed " bulkhead " there " was " a " console ," a " long " UZshaped " structure " enlarged ," about " a " meter " high ;" next " to " this ," from " the " ceiling " down " a " second " structure " lower ," but " straightforward ." In " the " long " UZshaped " section ," and " in " that " which " came " down " from " above ," there " were " the " typical " instruments " on " board ," with " little " lights " and " various " buttons ," magnetic " compass " and " gyrocompass ," slide " and " joystick " that " resembled " those " of " video " games ;" on " the " console " bridge " there " were " equipment " and " also " several " monitors " of " various " sizes ," including " one " echo " sounder " and " one " radar ," and " other " screens " showing " the " topography " and " morphology " of " the " coast " and " depth " through " digital " nautical " charts " and ," in " particular ," the " display " of " the " global " navigation " satellite " system " or " GNSS ." Leaning " forward " there " was " also " a " helm " similar " to " those " of " the " sailing " vessels ," but " much " smaller ," not " larger " than " a " forearm ." However ," the " helmsman " Bob " Brozman " did " not " use " it ," because " navigation " was " entrusted " to " autopilot ," which " followed " the " route " laid " down " in " passage " planning ," managed " by " SatNav ," which " encompassed " the " route ," the " various " landings " to " come ," the " narrow " passages " and " changes " in " route " provided " during " the " entire " trip .
You " would " say " that " steer " that " ship " was " a " piece " of " cake !" However ," the " presence " of " satellite " technology " did " not " exclude " the " use " of " traditional " celestial " navigation ," using " the " visible " astral " bodies :" stars ," planets ," sun " and " moon ." The " ofBicers " on " board ," therefore ," had " to " be " well " trained " in " this " ancient " technique " of " navigation ," and " in " fact ," sometimes ," they " used " it ," just " to " have " conBirmation " of " what " the " satellite " screen " displayed ." Indeed ," the " celestial " navigation " is " still " the " most " reliable " method " among " those " used " by " sailors ," despite " the " satellite " methodology ." Trust " is " good ," but "…" better " check ." So " the " celestial " navigation " is " an " excellent " alternative " methodology " when " you "