201332 Port buoyage and pilotage issues

The Master of a vessel calling at an important port in southeast Asia reported the following worrying observations about his experience:
Although the chart has a warning regarding accuracy of surveys and use of GPS, many of the navigational aids are either missing, unlit or different from what is marked on the chart. There are also some cardinal buoys and fairway buoys which are either missing or unlit. During our night time departure the Pilot advised to keep a lookout for an unlit fairway buoy to avoid colliding with it. Ultimately, this required altering course to pass through the anchorage and between other vessels rather than around the anchorage. Also during departure, communication between the Pilot and tugs broke down due to faulty radios.

Communication with the Pilot was found to be difficult and fraught with miscommunication and confusion. As if this was not enough, due to a nearby busy navigational bottleneck area, both the port and pilot use VHF 16 as their working channel; needless to say there is a lot of chatter and undesirable communication on this frequency. It was also found that the tugs in use at the port are old and unable to perform adequately. Finally, being open to the bay, certain berths at the port are not adequately protected from the predominant winds and tide rips.

Editor’s Note: Even the best of passage plans could not have foreseen all of these stumbling blocks. Yet, a detailed passage plan allows for the best situational awareness under the circumstances and the ability to better judge risks, even as events occur. While the name of the port concerned has been redacted from this MARS report for the sake of confidentiality (to respect the MARS mandate), industry officials have been advised by the NI in the hope that the major non-conformities and safety concerns revealed here can be addressed or mitigated. Masters and mates are reminded of the importance of informing the hydrographic authority responsible for the charts used of any discrepancies between actual conditions observed and those reflected on the chart, such as buoy positions or soundings. Contact information for the hydrographic authorities can usually be found in the Notice to Mariners or the website. The mariner is a vital link to ensure that charts are kept up to date.