Incident 2

The Junior Engineer was filling in the oily water record book after completing pumping bilges. It was normal practice to phone the bridge to obtain the ship's position from the officer of the watch. On this occasion however, the JE could not get a reply at all from the bridge after trying numerous times on both telephones. He then proceeded up to the bridge to find both 2nd and 3rd mates on the bridge wing with a music stereo blaring out at such a volume that they could have had no chance of hearing the phone or radio, GMDSS etc. The JE obtained his own position and returned to the engine room and mentioned to me what had happened.

Both these cases occurred under the same Captain and nothing was done about it when it was mentioned. However, since then it has become company policy to remove/disable all computers on the bridge so this must have been happening on other ships as well.

The new Captain was non too chuffed about the stereo on the bridge and so had it removed. Hopefully there is now more of a chance of the bridge officers doing what they are supposed to do whilst on watch.

Keeping an aural watch is just as important as the visual watch. Listening to entertainment when on watch on the bridge is dangerous.

1. Answer the questions:

1. How do you understand the word “distraction”?

2. What kind of ship did the incidents take place on?

3. What kind of work was the mate to do in the first incident?

4. What did remind the mate to place the position on the chart?

5. Why did the mates fail to hear the phone?

6. What is the main idea of this report?

2. Decide if these statements are true or false. Correct the wrong ones.

1. Over the last few years the bridge watchkeepers have more and more things to entertain them from the watch keeping process.

2. The JE was never seen to look out of the front windows of the bridge.

3. The mate was filling in the log book.

4. The JE went up to the bridge to obtain the ship’s position

5. The Captain was deeply concerned with what was happening onboard.

3. Insert the prepositions were necessary:

1. It is very important to look_______ of the front windows of the bridge.

2. Distractions _______ the watch keeping may cause collisions.

3. The ship’s position must be placed__chart.

4. The JE proceeded___ to the bridge.

4. Decipher the abbreviations:

GMDSS

AIS

GPS

OOW

18

Port Quarter Contact

After loading in Argentina, one of our vessels proceeded down stream with 2 river pilots onboard. The bridge was appropriately manned and the engine operating on stand by. All navigation equipment was operating correctly. The weather was good but with the wind force 4 blowing across the channel on the vessels port beam. At about 0035, after passing Km20 buoy, another vessel was observed heading upstream. At about 0050, when the other vessel was about 1nm off, the pilot contacted it on the VHF (in Spanish). At 0054 speed was reduced to half ahead and our vessel steered to the starboard side of the channel. At 0055 speed was reduced to slow ahead and our vessel steered to the starboard limit of channel. The other vessel appeared to be in the centre of the channel and being set across towards our vessel. The pilot altered course hard a starboard to avoid an end on collision, then full ahead and hard a port to clear the stern. At 0058 contact with the other vessel occurred on our vessel's port quarter damaging plating and frames. The shore authorities were informed and tanks and compartments checked to assess damage. Fortunately our vessel was able to proceed down to 'Rada La Plata' to anchor.

Conclusion:

There are many ports that require navigating along a long narrow channel with traffic proceeding in the opposite direction. This inevitably creates high-risk situations. When planning a passage through a channel of this type, Masters should consider what precautions could be taken to reduce this risk. While recognizing the restrictions on passage planning to comply with local procedures and practices, it must not be forgotten that ultimately the Master has responsibility for the safe passage of his vessel and he should make his best efforts to reduce the risk factor.

When the pilot boards, the passage plan should be discussed at the first opportunity with an appropriate entry made in the log book and the following questions addressed.

a) Is it possible to schedule transit without meeting traffic?

b) If not, are there any passing places or more suitable places where opposing traffic can be met?

c) Meeting other vessels on corners or points with severe constraints should be avoided.

d) Pilots should understand that any communications not in English between himself, other vessels and or traffic management systems should be explained in English to the Master or the Officer of the Watch.

e) The charts should be studied and annotated as required under the passage planning publications. Special attention should be paid to the limitations caused by the vessel's draft, with allowance for squat, outside the confines of the buoyed channel. The chart should be clearly marked where the vessel could navigate in an emergency outside the buoyed channel.

f) If a hazardous situation is developing, the Master or Officer of the Watch must be prepared to use their own judgement when it is necessary to query the pilots actions and overrule if felt necessary.

g) In passing situations the helmsman's actions must be closely monitored to ensure correct helm is being applied.

h) If a collision is imminent, where possible, the engine room should be warned.