99014 An Eventful Voyage

An Eventful Voyage
Report No. 99014

Having been involved in four incidents in the last three days, I feel compelled to write. Due to some mechanical problems we were only able to achieve a speed of 7.5 knots and consequently just about everything was faster than we were. The first incident was a car carrier on a steady bearing on my port bow attempting to pass 1.5 cables ahead of me. It was only after I gave five short flashes on the Aldis that he made a very bold alteration to starboard at a distance of 1nm. The speed with which the alteration was made following the use of the Aldis obviously indicated a manned bridge. I can only surmise that he was trying his luck!

Within a hour of the above, a fishing vessel that had been fishing away to starboard started to overtake me on my starboard side and looked to be making for the nearest port. When it became apparent that she was attempting to pass down my starboard side and pass very close ahead of me, I called her by name on the VHF. A head immediately became apparent in the wheelhouse and the vessel took a sheer to starboard before eventually stopping and then coming under my stern before resuming her course back towards the coast.

A little further down the coast, when the master was on watch, he had cause to call a gas tanker that was on a steady bearing on our port bow. This incident involved our own vessel having to take avoiding action. The only response from the other vessel when contacted was that he reluctantly agreed to alter course to starboard. We then entered a busy traffic separation scheme and a general cargo vessel overtook me on my starboard side. There was not a lot wrong with that you may think as the original CPA was 2.5 cables which I considered to be acceptable in the circumstances. However, as the situation developed, it became apparent that he was going to attempt to pass much closer and cross ahead of me. I estimated that the eventual CPA would be not more than 100 metres. Again I was forced to take avoiding action by paralleling his course until he was clear ahead and I could safely resume my original course. I considered the threat of interaction in this case to have been very real. To add insult to injury the OOW of the other vessel appeared on the port wing of the bridge and waved to me as he passed. I must admit to feeling slightly sorry for the seaman cleaning the bridge windows of the other vessel, the look of concern on his face was I should imagine similar to my own. Perhaps this was just a bad week but it can't get any worse - can it?