200617 Weather: fog
| On an approach course for Aberdeen fairway buoy following planned passage; speed approx 7 knots; on radar and AIS. I attempted to contact an approaching vessel on VHF CH16 approximately six-eight times when it was detected by radar at 12 miles range; but got absolutely no response. CPA at this time approx 0.5nm. I made a bold alteration of 45-60 degrees to port, allowing other vessel to maintain current heading so she would notice my alteration and see that she could stand on as she was entitled to do. At approximately 4-5nm she decided to alter course to starboard, thereby decreasing CPA to 0.2nm. At this point I virtually shouted for the ship's attention on VHF CH16. I asked the ship's officer for his intentions, as I had altered course to the south giving a bigger CPA and he had just decreased that. His response was that according to Rule 19 we should both alter to starboard – quite right given that both vessels had the sea room to do so. He also stated that we shouldn't be talking on VHF. My immediate thoughts was: well give me your mobile number and I will call you on that – but anyway we have to talk before we collide. I refrained from this response and instead responded that he should maintain his present course and speed and I would alter further to port and increase my speed to 11.5kts, which I did. That gave us a CPA of 0.7nm quite quickly. I was dumbfounded by his lack of initial response on VHF, especially as he had just departed harbour, and then by his reluctance to answer my calls on VHF when he realised we had a small CPA. In normal circumstances I could, and should, have altered to starboard, but in this instance I would have taken my vessel into much shallower water and increased my own ship's danger so I altered very early to port, as described. He either didn't see me by radar or saw me almost too late. My opinion is that we were possibly both a little in the wrong, especially myself by altering to port, but with no or little sea room to starboard, what choices did I have? Increasing speed, I would have crossed his bow and increased the chances of a worse collision had he not altered at all; or put myself in danger in the event that we suffered any machinery failure. My only viable option was an alteration to port. If he had been plotting me, he would have seen that my options were more limited than his, so it's possible his radar was at fault or that he wasn't paying attention. We are allowed to depart from the rules in the interests of safety and collision avoidance – which I did for my own and his safety. I monitored the VHF after this incident and heard the officer conversing with another vessel and noticed how willing he was to alter course the wrong way or maintain his course as requested. |