200806 Blatant violation of Colregs

 

Figure 1 - Developing situation 

 

We were about 16 miles west of the TSS off Dondra Head, Sri Lanka steering 090 at 15 kts. We had a cargo ship on our port quarter on same heading at about 14 kts. Nothing else but a few fishermen well astern of us.

I happened to have gone to the bridge to check some paperwork at 11.30. I glanced around and I noted a large tanker, in ballast, on the port bow five to six miles off, I asked the third mate, who had the con, if we were overtaking it. He replied that 'no, it is crossing'. I checked with the binoculars and sure enough, it was. The third mate already had it plotted. I questioned where it might be going, as it was steering 233º T. A check on AIS revealed its destination as Fujairah. If this destination was correct the vessel was steering a very strange course to reach it.

A collision situation was clearly developing and I decided to take over the con. As the vessel had been identified on AIS, I called them on VHF 16 to ascertain their intentions, as clearly they were the give-way vessel. On the working channel, they stated they would alter to starboard and that I would pass ahead of them safely. This seemed the normal action to take and I fully expected to see them make an alteration to starboard of some 20?or so. No course alteration was detected from our vessel by the time this ship called the other vessel on our port quarter, requesting them to alter their course to port. It was thus obvious she planned to pass between our two vessels. No significant alteration of course was detected from her and rather than waste precious time on the VHF, I ordered our helm 20? to starboard. I had long since ordered our lookout to take hand steering. My own vessel is very manoeuvreable and we quickly came around to a heading of about 140?. The other ship seemed hardly to alter course at all but the third ship was seen to alter to port. The rogue ship passed our port quarter a half mile off or so. I then eased back to our initial course.

A further call I made on VHF elicited a very strange reply. I said that I was singularly unimpressed by the lack of action by this vessel and that they were in blatant contravention of the rules. The reply was that in these circumstances, a departure from the rules was justified! I was quite taken aback by this, as were my other deck officers who had noted the developing situation and had come to the bridge. I stated that there was no excuse for such poor seamanship, only to be told that the person I was talking to had a CoC and that he was fully competent. My closing remarks were an expression of sympathy for any other ships he should meet at any time in the future when he was the give-way vessel. The other ship later was heard to remonstrate with him as well.

 

Figure 2 - Avoiding action taken by both give-way vessels

 

What I find so frightening about this situation is that it was broad daylight with good visibility. It was a classic crossing situation, albeit involving two stand-on vessels and not just one, but these vessels were on similar courses so it was basic stuff really. All he had to do was alter 10? to starboard early on, or maybe 20? in the latter stages, but he did not. There was nothing else to prevent him making such an alteration. He had ample sea room with no other vessels around apart from a few fishing boats.

In some ways I am not so sorry that I will be retiring in a few years.