Page 635 - The ROV Manual - A User Guide for Remotely Operated Vehicles 2nd edition

• Run and stow all cables and wires away from travel spaces. A tripping hazard will repeatedly catch personnel off guard, possibly causing serious injury or death.
• The mission equipment should never interfere with the boat’s operational equipment. Blocking access to engine compartments, anchor lockers, dock lines, and any boat safety equipment is a danger to both the vessel and the mission.
• Set up all equipment with consideration to the order in which it will be needed. Completely stow equipment when not in use.
• The figure-8 flaking of cables has shown repeatedly to be a very efficient method of mechanical tether management and is usually preferred to the use of a tether reel. A tidy workspace is a safe and efficient workspace.
• To satisfactorily view computer screens and video monitors, a location away from sunlight is needed, such as an enclosed cabin or a tarp over the monitors. Also, a comfortable temperature- controlled area will assist in eliminating the physical need to end the operation due to discomfort.
• A power source separate from the vessel’s generator is preferred. Assure that the exhaust from the generator and/or the vessel’s exhaust does not vent near the enclosed work area.
22.3.4 Division of responsibility
The captain of the boat is responsible for the vessel’s safe and efficient operation. The equipment operator is normally responsible for the mission. The captain of the boat is the final authority regarding all operations aboard the vessel. It is proper protocol to gain permission before deploying any equipment that will affect the operation of the vessel. It is also proper protocol to keep the ves- sel operator completely informed of all of the team’s intentions and planned tasks.
The mission specialist and ROV team are guests aboard a vessel of opportunity. Work along with the crew within the vessel management structure in order to get the maximum out of the equipment and to achieve the mission objectives.
Before accepting a demanding assignment aboard a vessel of opportunity, qualify the captain and crew for the mission at hand. Such tasks as station-keeping in a difficult sea state or maintain- ing a survey line during a side scan search are paramount to completing the mission. Many of the operational problems can be solved before leaving the dock by screening the boat crew to ensure they are properly qualified. A fishing boat crew may be the best crew for hauling in a large catch, but maintaining a tight-tolerance survey demands another skill set.
22.3.5 Boat handling
Many failed operations can be traced directly to a simple matter of boat handling. Unless the equip- ment can be deployed consistently onto the location of the target, the mission, in all likelihood, will fail. Also, without the deployment platform maintained in a steady and stable state over the top of the work site, the entire operation may become a complete waste of time and resources.
22.3.5.1 Side scan sonar operations
To perform a proper side scan sonar survey of an area, survey lines must be followed and tow fish altitudes must be maintained within fairly tight tolerance to achieve area coverage with a high
22.3 Putting it all together 635