Singapore Accident

This always reminds me of program on TV Name That Tune where the contestants had to name the tune in as less notes as possible. There were always those trying to curry favour with the owners, and can just imagine them saying I'll do it with 7, and then the next saying I''ll do it with 6, then 5 and then so forth. I was called to rejoin a ship with 1 seaman, and told them to stick it. Already told the story, ship sailed with someone else and had a fire. He obviously didnt mind sailing like that. Good companys man. Cheers John Sabourn.

They break the rules on taking over the watch. In the Preliminary, nothing in these rules shall interfere with the keeping of a proper lookout. Some vessels this is now impossible due to crew numbers. Although probably class glancing at Radar screen when one can as keeping a proper lookout. Cheers John Sabourn

(Rob # 20 -Would there be an Official Inquiry if there was no loss of life ?)

• No, but there would be a Formal Investigation into the collision by the BoT which would obviously have been recorded.
  
  Gulliver

gulliver, .... many thanks for that info. yes it was off devon, as we called into Falmouth for inspection before proceeding to hull where we paid off the first week in July. I still have it in my mind that we were at fault as we hit her forward of the bridge on the port side, putting a good sized hole in her hold.
tks anyway, guess will never know the total outcome.
regards stan

I never understand comments that there was no-one on the bridge etc. Many times I have been on deck looked up at the Bridge and can see no-one, but I know it is manned. So how some one on another ship can tell I don't know. I'm not trying to defend the crap standards of watchkeeping, I just don't know how you can tell.

Well Andy it is like this, when a ship is overtaking and on a collision course as well, look through the binocculars and see all the way though the wheel house and Chart room. The bridge wings empty, not a soul in sight, call them on VHF radio and no one answers, where are they?????
On auto and turned in the most probable answer. I have experienced it many times.
Cheers Brian,

Even the best binoculars cannot always tell if there is a man at the wheel.

I found vhf calls a waste of precious time when dealing with morons.

Leaning on the whistle and an aldis nearly always got the best results with rogue overtakers

on undermanning there must be some coercion,cooperation, collusion and or corruption between wretched owners and flag states

when an owner is big enough like one scandinavian owner this could happen.

The imo is supposed to sort out this sort of thing. It is an obvious safety hazard. The unions are either corrupt as well or too wimpish.

Bit of a sweeping statement there Brian. If there seems to be nobody in the wheelhouse then they are most probably
in the chartroom.

And there is nothing heroic or macho about standing on when the other guy is supposed to give way.
If it looks like he is leaving it too late or not al all , take your own steps to keep clear.
The smaller ship in the video should never have allowed the situation to get so far.

Hi John,
Most ships these days do not have a seperate Chart room as they did many years ago, it is all in the wheel house, Chart table etc etc. Even on the VLCCs I was on, built in the late 60s, no chart room, all in the wheelhouse..

I have never said it is heroic and macho to stand on when a give way vessel is closing in. Where did you get that daft information from ??? are you keeping a good look out ???

If you read my previous posts , post No. 8. on this subject you will read that I have always told the other ship of my intentions to get out of the way. usually by taking a round turn out of it and getting out of the way fast.

Maybe you never experienced these cowboys, I saw many like that, especially arouind the southern North Sea and Dover Straits areas.
Cheers
Brian.

I found this MAIB study from 2004 quite interesting

http://www.maritimeconsultant.com/Br...chstanding.pdf

Don't the powers that be ever heed the warning signs , I suppose the dollar is more important than the fellow