(by Domenico Palesse)
The chests of drawers in the route
cabin preserve maps of every corner of the world.
On the shelves, which are especially designed for the Italian
Navy's Amerigo Vespucci tall ship, books and manuals allow to
trace the best possible voyage. Here, amid compasses and rulers,
it is possible to breathe the magic of nautical art and the
route to be followed by the "most beatiful ship in the world" is
decided to reach the ports that are part of its world tour.
The so-called 'team of precision navigation' is led by Gabriele
Demurtas, the officer in charge of the path the Amerigo
Vespucci's follows on its 'voyage'.
He designs maps, calculates routes and schedules the itinerary
that follows the path of the explorer and cartographer after
whom the ship is proudly named.
The 'canvas' on which he operates is a nautical map through
which he can establish the route to reach the next destination.
"We follow three main principles - ease, speed and security",
said Demurtas.
"Whether it's Mumbai or Singapore, Darwin or Tokyo, each route
has its characteristics and peculiarities.
"Each area must be studied in detail, from the depth to the
obstacles in the sea, also taking winds and wave motions into
account.
"For this reason, 'pilot charts' also end up on the table of the
route cabin, or maps dedicated to the intensity and direction of
winds for each month of the year.
"We work on routes well in advance so we are ready for
anything", added the officer.
"We also update the commander every day in our daily briefings".
However, unexpected events can occur, he explained.
"After Tokyo, we ran into some typhoons and we had to avoid
them, calculating different routes from those previously
designed so we could navigate safely".
In addition to helms, compasses, coordinates and digital maps,
the bow and stern bridges play a fundamental role for the
training vessel, in particular when it approaches a port.
They provide a "complete view of the path we are following",
stressed Demurtas.
"We can make changes and coordinate all the necessary
manoeuvres.
"Beside the navigator is the commander, while two people watch
over gyrocompasses and another is the map operator", he
explained.
Such detailed team work coordinates every single movement of a
101-meter-long ship with a 93-year-old history.
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