N. Sea Collision

[James Curry]

The UK police have been granted permission that the master of the Solong can be detained for another 36 hours for questioning. Must be waiting on a request from the USA to extradite him, seeing he is a Russian The Stena Immaculates cargo was for the US airforce, I hope the Russian has a good lawyer.
It maybe sometime before he gets to say a wee prayer in St Basil’s Cathedral.

[Johnny Kieran]

Getting exciting now innit
Just imagine the Ruski ends up in the US.

Putin.- "Hey Donnieboy we want our man back".
Trump.- "You can have him when I get my way over Ukraine, I mean it, I really do".
Putin.- "I want him back now, or I'll nuke your tanker, and your bases in the UK".
Trump.- "Go ahead Putin, and I'll nuke your lot in Ukraine, I mean it, I really do".

I'm getting under the stairs people.

[corrientes]

Lots of Russian masters and crews around. No better nor worse than many others. They work cheaply. Doesn't make them spies. I think I read in an earlier report somewhere that although the Stena tanker was on "contract" to carry aviation fuel for the US "when required", it stated that no evidence existed that this particular cargo was one such load. For my money, there was no monkey business involved, the guy on the bridge simply fell asleep. Boom!

[James Curry]

Solong Captain has now been arrested for Gross Negligence manslaughter.

[Des Taff Jenkins]

What if it was the Chief Mate or Second or third mate who left or fell asleep on the bridge? I know the Captain is in charge at all times but it would be hard to say who is responsible until the inquiry. What time of day was it?
Des
I remember the mate on the Stockholm was the starting culprit in that collision, but he did everything by the nook.
Des

[j.sabourn]

In my era Des the master is always responsible , he is the owners representative and the only member of the crew who cannot claim compensation for loss of wages etc. The same as the managing director is responsible for the loss of a business. He may not have his licence suspended , the actual culprit will though. Especially if there has been loss of life. It sounds ridiculous in this day and age that 1 man is responsible for the illegal actions of another for 24 hours a day , but thats the way the cookie used to crumble. Unions do have a very important part to play in one’s livelihood especially if one is going to be thrown to the wolves. From going to sea as a boy and starting with the mnaoa and finishing with Numast I have always been a member for such happening , the average seafarer could never contemplate having to pay for his own legal defence . At the inquiry for the Piper Alpha and being almost the last to give evidence and having to read some of the garbage put out by the media I told them I wanted legal representation , they said I didn’t need it, I said I wanted it and got , was maybe the reason I was only on the stand for minutes where others had been for hours. JS .

[j.sabourn]

Ref. To above to give an example what to me is thumbing one’s nose at the legal bindings to the seagoing and offshore world , shortly after the PA episode think it was a Sedco rig in the North Sea caught fire and was abandoned in an orderly manner on the instructions of the OIM. The radio operator went back for some personal
possessions and was lost.The enquiry went ahead and the OIM was asked to return from America to attend , he told them to get lost and never did attend as far as I recollect. Britain is different in this aspect of the law, and Scotland differs again , I wasn’t asked to attend I received a summons delivered by hand by 2 uniformed police officers to attend from the highest official legal office of Scotland. There are laws and laws depending where one lives apparently. JS

[J Gowers]

#47 JS I think the rig you mention was the Ocean Odyssey which was later converted to become a floating launch platform for space rockets https://www.oilystuff.com/single-post/the-odyssey

[John Arton]

I saw one media outlet had a video of that tanker where all the fire monitors on deck were pumping out water so I assume that the crew had got the fire pump started before abandoning ship. Those monitors can also put out foam but it looks like that didn't have time to activate the foam supply to the fire main.
Rgds
J.A

[j.sabourn]

#48 Thanks JG think this happened even before I was called to the Inquiry for the Piper Alpha which was over 6 months after the Piper Blew so I wasn’t particularly interested in others woes ,had enough of my own. In fact was on 3 vessels for full swings between the piper and being called to the inquiry . Don’t know any advantage they got from me at the few questions they asked , in fact they were exactly the same as the statements I made to the office of the Proculator Fiscal and my story is on this site with of course the rough edges rubbed off plus the bad language etc at the time. The story I remember as being told to me was that the R/0 went back on vessel,and that was how he was lost ,there was no mention of 4 men staying on board to my knowlege , so just shows the different swan songs at any disaster. Thanks for the update and the correct name of the rig. Cheers JS…