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 "