Author Topic: Two large cargo ships have collided in the North Sea  (Read 8821 times)

Offline Stan Muller

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Two large cargo ships have collided in the North Sea
« on: April 20, 2014, 07:32:03 AM »
Two large cargo ships have collided in the North Sea, about 50 kilometers west of IJmuiden. It is still unclear how much damage there is. According to the Royal Dutch Rescue Organisation, there are no injuries.

The crashed cargo ships are said to be the Bulk Costa Rica nearly 200 meters and the Atlantic Tramp, 180 meters. The Coast Guard aircraft and a vessel sent to inspect the damage.

Dutch newspapers
April 20-2014

best regards
Stan

Offline Pilot Frans

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Re: Two large cargo ships have collided in the North Sea
« Reply #1 on: April 20, 2014, 01:41:07 PM »
Some  pictures of the vessel can be found on the website of the dutch Rescue boats.
see (sorry in dutch):
http://www.knrm.nl/waar-wij-zijn/reddingstations/ijmuiden/reddingrapporten/?contentID=6CADAEB5

Atlantic Tramp comming from south to St. Petersburg
the Bulk Costa Rica coming from Amsterdam heading West reach the SW TSS to the Turkey.

regards
Frans


Offline Captain Ted

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Re: Two large cargo ships have collided in the North Sea
« Reply #3 on: April 20, 2014, 06:11:38 PM »
The Bulk Costa Rica I saw in Feb 14 on the Mississippi River
Looked nice in paint and like new,also when she was then in her 2nd year
below a picture of her
http://www.shipspotting.com/gallery/photo.php?lid=1988200

brgds
capt ted
NOW!!!,,,if we could get rid of the sailors,,how safe shipping would be !!!!!!!!

Offline Tony_Birdman

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Re: Two large cargo ships have collided in the North Sea
« Reply #4 on: April 21, 2014, 04:45:26 AM »
it still amazes me at how ships can still have collisions today, im wondering if it were human error.

Offline Ann Davenport

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Re: Two large cargo ships have collided in the North Sea
« Reply #5 on: April 22, 2014, 12:45:51 PM »
Watching this Video replay of the Atlantic Tramp and Bulk Costa Rica collision confused me a little bit http://www.vesselfinder.com/news/2028-Video-Atlantic-Tramp-and-Bulk-Costa-Rica-collide-off-Ijmuiden. Which one is guilty?

Offline brimar

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Re: Two large cargo ships have collided in the North Sea
« Reply #6 on: April 22, 2014, 01:07:47 PM »
It would appear by this recorded track that Atlantic Tramp has breached Rule 15 of COLREGS,unless there is good reason that the vessel was unable to alter course to starboard.

Offline Captain Ted

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Re: Two large cargo ships have collided in the North Sea
« Reply #7 on: April 22, 2014, 01:38:30 PM »
@ Ann

By regulations the Atlantic Tramp should have changed course to her stb side and the Bulk Costa Rica is in this case the "stand-on-vessel" which means she is supposed to keep course and speed.
However the BCR is also required by the same regulations to initiate the "maneuver of the last moment" if she realizes that the Atlantic Tramp does not adhere to the regulations.(as you can watch in the video the BCR starts turning to her stb side to avoid the collision as it seems way too late) It is for that "moment" rather undefined what is the time/distance for her to do that. It depends greatly on the judgement of the watch officer when he/she feels/knows now it is getting too close.
The maneuver of last moment is defined as the moment where it is clear that the one vessel (in this case Atlantic Tramp) can not avoid a collision anymore by her own actions.
This as you might realize too is again a matter of judgement of the watch officer on the bridge of the BCR.
In other words, human error is easily involved in such matters.
Also my personal experience as Captain, tells me that a few other factors may have been played into the situation too.
For example
a) unfortunately it is teached in some countries nautical schools that the watch officers
   should communicate with the other ship to agree/verify on the passing
   this of course can lead to the next problem. Imagine there are on both ships a WO with
   bad english skills or just on one ship
   I personally overheard some years back in the North Sea that two WO,s agreed
   to pass each other red on green !!!!!
   A few minutes later you could see in the radar and hear in the VHF (frantically calling
   each other) that collision was imminent which in that case still was somehow avoided.


b) Not written standing orders by Masters to the WO,s to change only course after they
   notified the Master. Problem there of course, when that time comes when the officer
   think now I have to call the MASTER, again a rather undefined matter and secondly and
   much more important ,that is totally against common sense to tell a WO not to change
   course without approval of the Capt. If I as Capt do that, then I might as well place
   a distant ring in the radar and place anyone in front of the radar to watch it and the
   moment a ship enters the ring to call the master.
   Again, that means virtually the Master takes any initiative out of the hands of a WO
   and renders him therefore as useless on the bridge.

c) plain and simple, low training standard. I know that some officers do not even know the
   full regulations without looking it up in the COLREGS book.

I honestly can say , I had a few situations , where for example a stand-on (keeping course
and speed) changed course to her port against regulations (Paragraph 17 as per COLREGS)
and when I asked them why they did that the standard answer was: It was better in that
situation !!! (where that can be better is behond me)
the worst answer (some 15 years back) I ever got when I asked the WO after he did it if he knows that it is against the regulation outlined in the COLREGS and handed him the book
quote
I did not involve myself with that book too much yet
unquote
and that from a man who was by that time 4 years as WO on a bridge.




  
  
NOW!!!,,,if we could get rid of the sailors,,how safe shipping would be !!!!!!!!

Offline Captain Ted

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Re: Two large cargo ships have collided in the North Sea
« Reply #8 on: April 22, 2014, 01:47:32 PM »
here a link to the rules
in this case paragraph 15,16 and 17

http://www.navcen.uscg.gov/pdf/navRules/navrules.pdf
NOW!!!,,,if we could get rid of the sailors,,how safe shipping would be !!!!!!!!

 

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