boat collision

This nigth, at 3 AM, a 650 ft (198m) bulk carrier "GENERAL GROT ROWECKI" collided and sank a 410 ft (126m) 10 000 tons chemical tanker "ECE" near french coats, in the Channel.

Visibility was over 10 km (5 nm). wind 20 kts.

I am sorry, but a 410 ft should make some significative radar echo. Not forgeting that it should be lighted, and well above vawes. The 600 ft is even more visible.

It amaze me how such things can happen.

 

Dear fc:

If I were younger, I would share your dismay. To me such an incident is not at all surprising. Although it is still somewhat shocking. Being that all the real decisions about ship board operations, such as the pay and quality of the crew, the maintanence of the ship and equipment, and even the likelyhood of proper watches being kept, are being made thousands of miles away by more or less unaccountable 'corporacrats' who have every in$entive to 'let things slide' and almost no in$entive 'to do things right' (it costs more).

After all, they get all the profits, bonuses, and stock options, should things go well, and are, otherwise, no where to be found should things take a nasty turn, as they have here.

Only after you see the 'CEO' and the top ten shareholders hauled away in irons after such an incident, will you see things really change for the better.

And, unfortunately, Satan will be throwing snow balls before that happens.

I sincerely hope the damage to the French coast is minnimal.

Bob

 

Unfortunately from bitter experience I must agree with Sharpii on this! It is not the first time, nor will it be the last! Not only from crew error either! There are many reasons for any collision at sea and whilst errors of judgement or lack of competance can be seen to be the cause of many it is not always so (OK bluntly It is down to human frailty that all accidents happen if only the fact that the activity was being carried out at the time -if the ship wasn't there the accident wouldnt happen if you see what I mean! But it ain't always the crews fault, as Sharpii touched on)!

 

I don't know if that has anything to do with the accident...but nowadays the quality of the crews are not improving...neither the pay.

 

My guess is your pretty damn close there Vega!

 

For what its worth; insurance co. will pay the owners . just like when a hurrican is coming and you have reasonable time to prepare. but you think throwing an extra rope on your boat will cover your arse. and they find your boat 30 mi inland. If they find it at all ! only when people are held accountable will things change; many a time I have had to dodge a supertanker because no one would respond to radio ......they were on auto pilot.......now I doubt these boys in the channel were on auto pilot .maybe the lights were on .but nobody was at home?

 

Longliner - sorry to state mate I've done it and can guarantee, they were on auto pilot - both of 'em! the damn thing steers better than a person (there are some who enter port on autopilot!) It's not the autopilot that's the problem it's the lone watchkeeper reading his book, having a wee, having a fry-up in the galley (even cleaning the alleyways going down channel, full speed four in the morning and nobody about!) Of course there is the dog, but with modern quarantine laws not all ships have one!

 

Seems we learned nothing from Halifax nine decades ago. COLREGS exist for a reason. Why do so few people who should know better follow them?