Tragic Collision in Kiel Canal

[Jens Boldt]

This morning (Thursday, April 14) around 7 am Russian freighter Tyumen 2 (IMO. 8727848) and British flagged OOCL Finland (IMO. 9354351)
collided in Kiel canal near Gr

[Pier Master]

Very sad news...

[Jarrod David]

Sorry to hear that Jens...

[Jens Boldt]

Some more sad details...

Not the whole bridge was torn away but a big part and the parts fell into  the canal and on OOCL Finland's deck. The helmsman of Tyumen 2 died and a pilot died when they crashed on the deck. The master of Tyumen 2 and a crew member were badly injured and were taken to a hospital at Heide. One of them is said to be hovering between life and death...

Tyumen 2 is disabled, OOCL Finland proceeded to Rendsburg for further investigation.

Two more accidents happened caused by this collision. Two vessels couldn't stop in time and hit the canal's bank, but thank God without any severe damage to crew or ships (at least I've heard of none so far).

Sad, sad news...

[Hannes van Rijn]

Very sad news to hear,
This is the worst thing that can happen to a vessel in this weather.

[Captain Ted]

good day jens

indeed bad news, would be interesting to know if all of them relied heavily or only on the ECDIS/AIS systems. If I would have any say in it, all systems off from the ships again and
train the peoples and then one more try. What I see nowadays on my own bridge, that 90% of
the nautical officer, "looking out of the window" does not exist anymore.

Judging by the picture of the Tyumen they or both accident parties must have travelled at consdierably high speed for this type of weather, as you said,, "dense fog" . But also
that is nowadays common to go full or near full speed in dense fog.
Keeping time shedules is the only mantra.
Looking forward to hear some more news from your side. Much appreciated this posting.I am presently on the Mississippi River and on the way in we had fog,,not real bad,,about 1/4 nm
visibility,, but still bad enough, in order to sail reduced.

[Jens Boldt]

Hello Captain Ted,

I read this morning that visibility was down to 20 m at the time of the collision. Fact is that ships the size of OOCL Finland are allowed to sail at max. 8 knots in this part of Kiel Canal (fog or no fog as I understand it).

Also a pilot to advise the master and a special trained helmsman for Kiel Canal on board are obligatory.

As you said judging from the photos it looks like one of the vessels was sailing at a higher speed than 8 knots. The impact must have been quite considerable to cause such damage.

But we'll have to wait and see what the investigators come up with...

[miraflores]

Hi @ll,
both ships made a speed of 8.1 kn when they collided.

http://i56.tinypic.com/2ironix.jpg
http://i54.tinypic.com/317i81d.jpg

Both vessels had expirienced channel pilots an expirienced helmsman (thee are also nauticel officers) on board.

[Jens Boldt]

Thanks for clarifying this, J

[Pier Master]

Hi @ll,
both ships made a speed of 8.1 kn when they collided.

http://i56.tinypic.com/2ironix.jpg
http://i54.tinypic.com/317i81d.jpg

Both vessels had expirienced channel pilots an expirienced helmsman (thee are also nauticel officers) on board.

So is that a 'combined' speed of 16.2 knots? Ouch...

[Captain Ted]

hi jens
thanks for the info. Yep  16 kn,,OUCH!!!,,, exactly what I mentioned, nowadays it is a schedule matter. You miss the schedule and next thing you know someone from the charterer
or next port agent is on the telefon / e-mailing and has absolutely no understanding that there could be a situation to slow down. In the abbrevation of ETA = Estimated Time of Arrival, the "Estimted" is long time gone and considered as the fixed arrival time. !!!
 
It may be allowed to transit a 8 kn speed, but I have a bet that there are still the fog regualtion of the COLREGs in force, beside the inland waterways regulation, which state clearly that, when in the vicinity of another vessel and poor visibility to adjust to a safe
speed and if necessary to stop until the situation is cleared.8 kn speed on both sides is clearly not with 20m visibility a SAFE SPEED . From my point of view as Capt it is hard to understand that in conditions like that, with two pilots aboard, they did not slow down to 1 or 2 knots.
The 8 kn rule, to my knowledge applies to normal conditions would be very suprised if in the NO Kanal they really would permit 8 kn at any time and condition.
Big question is of course,,what is the defenition safe speed. Soemone with all the nautical
gimmiks nowadays (AIS-GPS-ECDIS- Day-light radars etc etc) might consider 8kn as still safe
speed, but guess this is one incident which may prove unfortunately otherwise.


btw: I changed to bulk carriers because I was tired of having my life dictated as Capt by
peoples ashore, who mostly don,t have even a clue what happens in reality. Here in general ETA still means ETA, specail in tghe container and ferry business that is long time history

brgds
capt ted

[BobS]

It is probably unwise to speculate without all the facts and before the inquiry has begun but it would seem from the photos that the wheelhouse of the TYUMEN-2 was the first part of the Russian ship to be hit by (the port bow overhang of?) OOCL FINLAND. This suggests to me that one or both of the ships swung off-course while they were passing. Whether this was because of interaction between the hulls as they passed (too close/too fast), a steering failure or human error will no doubt be established by the inquiry.  
The apparent

[Captain Ted]

HI BOB
you are right, speculating is in this matter a dangerous thing. It could be as trivial as that on one ship the radar was not proper adjusted to the midship line. i.e. it shows a target as off-set (passing) but in reality it is dead ahead. In a rather narrow channel like
the NO Kanal, 10 m more to the left or right can make all the difference of safe passing or not.

[miraflores]

Capt Ted

OOCL Finland is a rather modern regular feeder liner who transits the channel at least twice a week, day and night, sunshine and dense fog.

Tyumen-2 also meets the channel very often , the last voyage was abt. 10 days ago.
You can be sure that all nautical equipment are in a top condition, no pilot will sail with a ship where the radar or gyro is not working 100%.

Rgds.
Juergen

[Captain Ted]

good day juergen

don,t doubt that, but it is not right away evident that for example it is off set. most of the time you will only see it after you have a vision of a target and compare it with the
radar picture. If they had all the time already fog, it could be very well. Of course I posted that only to show how a minor matter it could have been what triggers a possible chain reaction.
I transited often the NO Kanal,, you know what never was checked,,, yes you guessed it,
the radar,s , for working yes,,but not how good it performes, and honestly, it would be almost impossible to do that, Imagine every ship has to go through tests (simulated possible too)before transit,  already for the time it would consume. Even the PanCan where a pre-transit boarding is done, such trivial things are not checked.

brgds
capt ted