forget about the colregs?

[Guest]

After the Tricolore sank, all necessary buoys were placed around the wreck, it's position is called around by the Traffic control, there are constantly vessels circling around the wreck to warn everybody closeby about the situation.
But since the wreckage, already 3 ships hit the Tricolore and at least 10 others missed it within meters...
This means that there was simply nobody on the bridge of those vessels to watch the buoys, listen out on the VHF or for reacting on any signal given by the guarding vessels.
My conclusion is then that I'll better ignore the colregs next time and steer away anyway, they're not seeing my little boat and it seems they aren't even interested in seeing it.
It's a painfull conclusion but I prefer to live a long life instead of counting on following the rules. I'm sorry for those officers doing their job properly...
Bart

regular

 

[trev]

It would seem the shipowner is cutting his costs by employing cheap 'Third World' and East European seafarers, some with very dodgy qualifications.
Consequently there are a lot of ships being run in a less than competent manner.
Part of my job is to weed out incompetent officers from our chartered vessels - I have recently had a 'hit list' of about fifty percent !!
Not all charterers bother to check the contracted personnel.
Be careful out there !!!

Trev

 

[snowleopard]

the unwritten rule...

heard a harbourmaster talking to a tanker about the actions of a yacht in milford haven: "...gross tonnage rule applies..."

it seems that the adage "might is right" is more than just a joke.

 

[PuffTheMagicDragon]

Colregs are of course essential. However, this rhyme has always been my guiding light:

"Forever remember Skipper John Gray
Run over defending his right of way.
Without doubt he was right, dead right all along,
But he's just as dead now as if he'd been wrong!"

I don't know who wrote it but I sure am very grateful that I did learn it when I was still little.

Wally

 

[PuffTheMagicDragon]

Colregs are of course essential. However, this rhyme has always been my guiding light:

"Forever remember Skipper John Gray
Run over defending his right of way.
Without doubt he was right, dead right all along,
But he's just as dead now as if he'd been wrong!"

I don't know who wrote it but I sure am very grateful that I did learn it when I was still little.
Fair Winds!

Wally

 

[wooslehunter]

Let's not forget that it's only a couple of years ago that a bannana boat managed to hit the Nab Tower off the Isle-of-Wight. For those who don' t know it's a large round steel structure about 92 feet tall and sitting on a raft of concrete that extends to the sea bed. It's been there since just after the first world war.

It's big, ugly and has been there a long time..............there's no excuse.

Are our sea-farers now the victims of technology? The Nab marks the entrance to the deep water channel into the Solent. An easy scenario that may have happened is: set it as a waypoint and leave the ship to get itself there. Well, maybe it did - bang. I'm not sure if this is what actually hapenned in this case but it's a possible scenario.

One important rule close to the top to the collision rules is about keeping an effective watch. It's one of the most important so let's at least remember this and also the one about:

If you have a collision that you could have avoided; even if you had right of way you have still comitted an offense.

 

[Equinox]

I think you will find that any competent person working at sea will not at all be surprised at the collisions that have taken place recently in the Channel. As a Deck Officer in the Merchant Navy I have safely navigated my way through this stretch of water many times on various types of ships and it is true that over the years standards of watchkeeping have definitely plummeted.

Watchkeeping 'officers' on many ships fail to appreciate the necessity of keeping a good lookout, maintaining a safe speed and taking early action in ample time. Professional standards at sea are appalling and this situation has in part been brought about by the International Maritime Organisation placing countries on its White List which are clearly not capable of training their seafarers to a safe and acceptable standard.

It is unfortunate that due to selective reporting the media only choose to report maritime disasters that involve pollution and not loss of life (unless passengers are involved). Thankfully no seafarers lives have been lost in the trio of collisions in the Channel. If shipowners and operators choose to employ the cheapest crews available and neglect their moral responsibilities then they deserve to lose their ships. Unfortunately it is the seafarers and the environment that will pay the ultimate price !!!