peterb
New member
Two interesting investigation reports from the Marine Accident Investigation Branch, both accessible from http://www.maib.dft.gov.uk/reports/reports-2002.htm.
First one deals with near-miss between ferry (Pride of Cherbourg) and coaster just outside Portsmouth. One of the contributing factors was that one of the ships thought that there was local custom and usage contrary to IRPCS. As a result both ships took 'avoiding' action, resulting in what I've seen referred to as a 'pavement dance'; the sort of thing that happens when two pedestrians meet on a footpath. They ended up missing each other by 80m, with full astern, full rudder and bow thrusters as well!
Second deals with the grounding of a 66000 ton container ship (P&O Nedlloyd Magellan) which failed to make the turn going from Prince Consort buoy up into the Thorn Channel. The interesting thing about this one is that she ran aground ito the area that small boats regularly use when passing from the Western Solent into Southampton Water. It looks as if the ship was making about 12 knots when she grounded, and divers reported paint removed from the bottom over the forward 150m of the hull. Fortunately this happened in February (2001), but imagine what would have happened if it had been a busy summer's day with a stack of small boats all running just outside the channel to avoid the Moving Prohibited Zone that Southampton requires round big ships. If you had been one of them, do you think you could have avoided a 66000 ton ship ding 12 knots and running into the shallows by at least 150m?
First one deals with near-miss between ferry (Pride of Cherbourg) and coaster just outside Portsmouth. One of the contributing factors was that one of the ships thought that there was local custom and usage contrary to IRPCS. As a result both ships took 'avoiding' action, resulting in what I've seen referred to as a 'pavement dance'; the sort of thing that happens when two pedestrians meet on a footpath. They ended up missing each other by 80m, with full astern, full rudder and bow thrusters as well!
Second deals with the grounding of a 66000 ton container ship (P&O Nedlloyd Magellan) which failed to make the turn going from Prince Consort buoy up into the Thorn Channel. The interesting thing about this one is that she ran aground ito the area that small boats regularly use when passing from the Western Solent into Southampton Water. It looks as if the ship was making about 12 knots when she grounded, and divers reported paint removed from the bottom over the forward 150m of the hull. Fortunately this happened in February (2001), but imagine what would have happened if it had been a busy summer's day with a stack of small boats all running just outside the channel to avoid the Moving Prohibited Zone that Southampton requires round big ships. If you had been one of them, do you think you could have avoided a 66000 ton ship ding 12 knots and running into the shallows by at least 150m?