99036 Absent Minded Watchkeeper

Absent Minded Watchkeeper
Report No. 99036

MARS 99036 Absent Minded Watchkeeper

Some weeks ago I was navigating a large but slow roro going to Hamburg. We approached the buoy VL5 where we had to change course by 40° to starboard when a large container vessel was overtaking us on our port side. It was a bright night, with good visibility, but I kept anyway a close look at this vessel which was apparently also going to the Terschelling-German bight TSS as she was closing the VL5, while the ships remaining on a NE course stay closer to the VL Center.

It is better to be always ready for the worse manoeuvre possible of the ships in the vicinity. I planned to remain some 5 cables of the VL5 when the worse effectively happened. While she was about abreast of us, the container vessel changed course suddenly to starboard and the nearest approaches was quickly diminishing. It was quite easy for us to come sooner to starboard, closing the VL5 or even considering leaving it on the port side in case of real emergency. It was not needed.

While I was conducting this escape manoeuvre, I observed that the ship now came back almost as suddenly to port, just as if he had just noticed our presence at that moment. And a few seconds later we get a call on the VHF of the like: "Ship on my starboard side, this the container vessel on your port side. " The collision risk had been already removed, but I answered anyway: "If you are the ship heading ... near the VL5 buoy, yes I am the mv .... on your starboard side.."

It took some time to get a confirmation as the watch keeper apparently did not know the name of the buoy he was passing. (GSM navigation in TSS?). Then he asked us, a little bit late, if we were heading for the TGB TSS or for the Vlieland junction. This later option was very unlikely for a ship passing so close from the VL5, and if it had been the case, we had already collided. I just re-assured him that we were also coming to starboard on a parallel track. But by then I was convinced he did not detect us at all before his change of course