April WNS

[TonyJones]

WNS README FIRST PLEASE
The purpose of What Now Skip is to give forum members the opportunity of learning from each other's experiences and opinions. To that end, awkward boating scenarios are presented for forum members to discuss. WNS is not a test with replies measured against predetermined ‘correct’ answer. In fact, in most cases, there is usually more than just one solution to the posed scenario. Selected posts will appear in the next issue of the magazine along with the author’s preferred solution.
However, please read the scenario carefully as some of the information given may imply certain possibilities or restrictions on possible courses of action – without spelling them out specifically.
The author always tries to describe the situation as fully as possible but ambiguities sometimes arise. If you are unclear as to any particular aspect or require clarification of an issue – just ask.

SCENARIO
Our skipper is crossing a 10 mile wide piece of water that runs East-West between the mainland and an offshore island. He is crossing from North to South in a twin diesel 45ft flybridge cruiser and making 28kt. The area is busy with commercial shipping passing in both directions – most of it in a 5 mile wide deep water channel. There is no official traffic separation scheme. The weather is fine and the sea calm.
He has planned his passage to cross well clear ahead of two vessels approaching from his port side. One is a general cargo vessel making about 12kt, the other a fast container ship overtaking the other on its port side and doing perhaps 24kt. See diagram at http://ybw.com/ybw/images/what-now-diagram.jpg
About a third of the way across the deep water channel, at a point when the container ship is on a relative bearing of 290deg (70deg off the port bow), his starboard engine overheat alarm operates. He immediately throttles back that engine and the boat comes off the plane and speed reduces to 9kt. The container ship is at a range of about 1 mile and on a constant bearing so clearly he is on a collision course. The cargo vessel will pass clear astern of him.
What considerations apply and how should the skipper manoeuvre to avoid confusion and possible collision?

 

[mjf]

The first thing to accept is that prehaps neither vessel has actually seen you. (Gen cargo has cranes that make vis difficult and with the 1 mile off container ship you will be in his 'blind spot' maybe.

The Wx is fine and calm sea however so you have choices.

I would sound 1 short blast and alter to stbd and at the same time further reduce my speed. Then monitor the situation when heading +/- 270 degrees as per two ships in the frame.

At the same time call ship by name on VHF and explain the situation and why you have altered orginal intention. cc VTS if there is same.

if situation demands consider a round turn to Stbd or indeed increase at best speed back from where I came. ie get some sea room asap


Yachts do this to me all the time........

 

[MapisM]

I'd keep a 85° or so course for a few minutes, asking crew to take pics and clips of both vessels, while they follow their route on my stbd side.

 

[Nick_H]

You haven't been able to maintain a constant course and speed, so should no longer consider yourself the stand on vessel. Turning to port is not advised, so I'd turn to starboard and do a complete circle to then pass behind both of the commercial vessels. Alternatively you could just stop, and try to contact the cargo vessel by his co-ordinates (as you probably wont be able to read the name), and let him know you are waiting for him to pass in front of you.

 

[SeaDave]

In my very limited experience I would probably go full astern for 10 minutes and wait until I could see no converging ships.

Then panic and phone someone.

I really must get some training. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[mikemcgregor]

Agree about turning to starboard on a course that takes you out of harms way. Consider the fact that you may have sailed through a load of muck which has blocked the raw water intake on one engine and may well cause the other to overheat at any time. Call closest boat up and inform him of situation. Keep a sharp lookout to see if both ships alter course in any way.

 

[wp1234]

Really bad planning I would say crossing ahead of container ship at a mile, why on earth would you do that when it was much easier and less fraught to keep well out of the way in the first place and pass round their respective sterns.

Only one choice make a very broad and obvious alteration of course to stabd , brace yourself for the cargo ship wash ,give yourself a bl**dy good talking to and brush up on your risk assessment procedure.

 

[acbruce]

From your diagram but not the text it is clear that you have not yet passed in front of the coaster. Having experienced one unexplained engine failure it cannot make sense to attempt to pass in front of any ship. So turn 180 to starboard and stand well clear of both vessels. I agree with WP1234 that your plan of passing in front of the large high-speed container vessel was unneccessarily risky to start with. Better to have passed ahead of coaster and then turned for stern of container ship. However with one engine down and a risk that whatever killed that one is waiting to do the same to the other engine, RETREAT.

 

[acbruce]

I should study the diagram more. Actually have just noticed on the diagram that the ships are only 1/4 of a mile apart so not pass between! You should have been going round the back of both!

 

[tcm]

Your other engine could go awol in a minute, so in current position seems not too bad place to be and would be improved by going north via starboard (or any) turn and get further out of their way.

If you have AIS you would be able to id ships name and callem up. But i expect you haven't got AIS and just got loads of rope and manky boat instead. Might consider a white flare, but maybe not bother.

Mainly though, now we aren't on a whippy 28knot boat the thing is - don't be in their path whilst our boat is evidently having a fit and has turned itself into a target.

You had right of way but didn't maintain course and speed, so forget that. Also note how they're made of steel and don't risk death on impact and don't have to fix the damage and might not even notice the impact or get nicked especialy since they're professional and have been on the very same run 1000 times without mishap and might also be lifeboatmen in their spare time etc and NONE of this applies to you and your plastic boat. Hence bollox to anyone who relies on standing on except to something else with same worries as you, and even then, what's the point if you can do 28 knots (usually)? Backing off always easier.

Also some ship skippers have a policy of *never* giving way to small boats, even sailing boats, cos it's much simpler, and as mjf sed, they might not be abe to see you anyway, and there's a matter of minutes to play with. Hence run away wil work, and everything else is a maybe and depends on that other engine which i am sure was warmed up for about twenty minutes and checked carefully, oh yes, yet it still let go. And that being the case how can you be sure that the diagram is correct hm? You can't be sure, just like you couldn't be sure of the engine servicing and wonderful maintenance pah, so just get the hell out, pronto.

Also, bit late now, but it was a slightly cr*p idea to try nip in front of arg quite freaky-looking fast 24knot container ship which would have taken only a minute or so to pass ahead, and *especially* to pull the stunt when there was also another ship behind it to cut off the escape north/south. So pack in all your smartass calcs right now before summink else oops goes wrong, turn around away from scene of the accident, and remember not to do this sort of caper ever again.

But just you watch - the solution won't be a simple "turn around and go back" cos no diagram needed for that. It'll be a clever calcky thing. But supposing the coastal steamer is actualy accelerating hm? No reason to think it will maintain steady speed - we didn't, did we? Maybe he fancies a race with the container ship hm? Or sumink else. Hence get out of there and back up to 9 knots away from the accident, rather than 9knots towards it.

 

[BlueSkyNick]

Simple - turn to starboard and slow down, so that you are out of the way and both ship skippers can see you have taken a deliberate action to avoid collision.

 

[strakeryrius]

The question is what considerations apply and how should you manoevre to avoid a collision.

The primary immediate concern has to be averting the risk of collision. I would do an immediate 180 turn away to starboard, and head back North out of the busy channel. This is the key thing to do, as once in safer waters a lot more options are open to you.

After completing the turn and checking that neither of the other vessels had changed course or speed, I would turn off the starboard engine and throttle back on the port too. This will reduce boat speed down to 3-4 knots, but still get me out of the busy channel in 15 - 20 mins, while reducing the chances that it will also overheat leaving me dead in the water.

I would then have to assess if there are any other vessels with which I may be at risk of collision at my reduced speed on the new heading.

Next consideration is comms. Assuming I don't have AIS I have the option to put out my own PanPan or call the CG and get them to do it. The latter kills two birds with one stone, as they will be able to call both vessels with which I am at risk of a collision and advise them accordingly. It also means that they are apprised of my stricken condition and ready to send or organise assistance if I do later need a tow.

I then ask the most experienced crew member to keep her on a steady heading and a good lookout while I lift the hatch and check the starboard engine - all the usual; strainers, belts etc. This will be easier at our new lower speed and in the calm conditions.

The results of my check will allow me to decide if I can fix this myself at sea once we are out of the channel. If it looks serious it will then allow me to decide whether we will try to press on back across the shipping lane once the ships have passed or abort the trip and return to home port to get a repair.

I would then call the CG again to advise them of my decision.

 

[benjenbav]

[ QUOTE ]
bollox to anyone who relies on standing on

[/ QUOTE ]

Yeah but, the backstory is that things aren't going well off the water. Deloittes are coming in on Monday to close down the factory. Wifey's been on a sex strike since you cut off her Amex Black Card and the only way to get some money to the kids is a big payout on the life policies. So, stand on skipper and brace for impact.

 

[jfm]

I'd stop the duff engine immedaitely. The fault is coolant related probly and it is crazy to knacker and engine when it may be fixable simply. Then/at same time I'd just turn 180deg to starboard and head away northwards from the collision/path of ships.

Then skip would then be heading north, away from trouble, at say 6 knots. That's just fine. If ships haven't seen him that's ok. If they have they'll wonder why he did that but beyond curiosity they wont be bothered and will steam merrily along. No need to worry about "confusion"

Next I'd motor another 1.6miles or so to get out pf the shipping lane completely, if there's any chance of more steel traffic. I might then have a quick look for an obvious fault and if it's easy fix it, if not just go home

I don't buy the theory that t'other engione is likely to/could stop too. This is coolant related probably, not fuel, so the two engines are independent. (I am of course leaving out the fact this is the wierd WNS boat where daft things happen and which can't even drive in a straight line on one engine plus rudders (and b/t if you must). I'm referring just to a normal boat)

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

Before setting off, any sensible skipper would have been asking himself whether this 5m wide channel could be construed as a narrow channel within the definition of the Col Regs and considering the size of ships using it and, as such, a cautious skipper would not have put himself in a potential crossing situation with a large vessel in this channel in the first place. But, anyway, here he is
To my mind, the skipper's decision is easy. If the diagram is to be believed, then if he stops dead in the water, then both ships will pass ahead of him so IMHO, thats the safest thing to do. Also stopping dead means that the other engine, which is still functioning, can be held in reserve to take any last minute avoidance measures, should they be necessary. It also means that the functioning engine is 'saved' for getting out of the deep channel after the ships have past. Uppermost in the skippers mind should be conserving the functioning engine for essential manouvres as, at this stage, he doesn't know whether the problem affecting his failed engine will affect his still functioning engine
I would certainly radio the coastguard asap although not a Pan Pan as the boat is still manouvreable and break out the white flares ready to use if one of the ships looks like it's getting close. Get the crew to don lifejackets if not already on

 

[tcm]

ah but both engines will have been rumbling away on warmup for a good twenty minutes if it's a WNS boat, and hence picked up loads of cack and plastic bags from the marina or (even more likely) if a rope is round the prop it'll be easily long enough to go round both props. Actually, the next danger could be the very long rope reeling in one of the ships as well...

 

[TonyJones]

[ QUOTE ]
But just you watch - the solution won't be a simple "turn around and go back" cos no diagram needed for that. It'll be a clever calcky thing. [quote/]

The diagram is there so you can see EXACTLY what the situation is before you make your decision.
[ QUOTE ]
But supposing the coastal steamer is actualy accelerating hm? No reason to think it will maintain steady speed - we didn't, did we? Maybe he fancies a race with the container ship hm? Or sumink else. Hence get out of there and back up to 9 knots away from the accident, rather than 9knots towards it.

[/ QUOTE ]

But this solution doesn't include the use of warps - which, as you should know by now, are absolutely mandatory. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Cheers
TJ

 

[tcm]

Hah well that's where you're wrong. The first engine has already gone awol, very likely due to a warp around the prop, and I reckon the correct answer could be not do anything, and fairly soon the reduction in speed will change into negative velocity and the boat wil be quickly reeled back into the marina and ker wham straight into that berth near the classic yacht which if you recall is exactly where you left the long rope last season - because the solution in that instance *didn't* mention taking it off again and carefully coiling it up and putting it in the lazarrette?

 

[[2068]]

Fortunately our intrepid skipper sees two pile moorings in the deep water channel with a dory moored in-between.

Deploy the fender to starboard, attach the bowline and midships line, and allow the wind and tide to pivot the boat around the pile until heading North. Release the lines then get well clear of both approaching vessels using the remaining good engine.

 

[tcm]

that's possible. I think the skipper of the container ship used to have nice classic yacht before it was wrecked with several hundred MBY readers ripping the cleats off, hence he's still doing the 24 knots even after someone has had all this time to draw a diagram. The cargo ship skipper will gettim though, cos it was his dory moored outside that pub....