A ship’s propeller is a marvel of marine engineering — a seemingly simple rotating device that plays a vital role in moving massive vessels across oceans. At its core, a ship's propeller converts rotational power from the ship’s engine into thrust, propelling the vessel forward or backward through water. A ship’s propeller works by spinning its blades to accelerate water in one direction, thereby pushing the ship in the opposite direction. Though it may appear simple, its function is governed by sophisticated physics and engineering.

Transverse thrust (also known as side thrust, asymmetric thrust and paddle wheel effect) is a phenomenon associated with the rotation of ship propellers, particularly noticeable when a ship is moving at low speeds or starting from rest. It primarily affects vessels with single-screw (single propeller) configurations.

Barry discusses the implications of transverse thrust and draws on his 25 years as a ships pilot to explain some of the ways transverse thrust is used to our advantage as well as some of the downsides of this interesting maritime phenomenon.

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In the world of global trade, few symbols capture the scale and efficiency of modern logistics like the containership. These vast floating warehouses are responsible for transporting 90% of the world’s goods, and over the past four decades, they have undergone a dramatic transformation in size and capacity. From the modest vessels of the 1980s to today’s ultra-large container ships (ULCS), the evolution of ship design has reshaped global supply chains, port infrastructure, and maritime economics.

Barry shares his experiences as a cadet in the 80's to a pilot today and the changes in size he has witnessed. Can they get any bigger.......?

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https://www.captainbarrysadler.com/

We are MCA accredited and offer orals Prep, via e learning, blended learning and 121 sessions via Teams as well as many other courses and educational support.

On March 10, 2025, a significant maritime collision occurred in the North Sea, approximately 12 miles off the coast of East Yorkshire, England. The Portuguese-flagged container ship MV Solong collided with the US-flagged oil tanker MV Stena Immaculate, which was anchored at the time. The impact led to both vessels catching fire and resulted in the presumed death of one crew member from the Solong.

Whilst the incident is being investigated it highlights the possibility that the OOW was not keeping a lookout - they may have been 'disconnected' from the safe operation of the vessel. Barry discusses the worrying trend in lookout related collisions.

Come and Visit our Website

https://www.captainbarrysadler.com/

We are MCA accredited and offer orals Prep, via e learning, blended learning and 121 sessions via Teams as well as many other courses and educational support.