Near Miss Crossing Fog

 

Two near misses in Port Approaches.

- Night time. Visibility:- 0500 - 2 miles / 0520 - 1 mile / 0540 - 0.6 miles / 0600 - 0.3 miles - Report No. 92008.

 

---

 

 

Vessels involved:-

A.- medium size tanker in ballast, at anchor.
B.-Car carrier, disembarks pilot at 0530.
C.- Coaster, no pilot, looking for anchorage.
D.- medium size tanker in ballast, disembarks pilot at 0535.
E.- Large car carrier, pilot disembarks 0537, not monitoring VHF Ch.16 or VTS Channel. Set course parallel to and on starboard quarter of D.
F.- Large loaded ore carrier, restricted entry time due to draught, pilot on board, not making way, waiting for D and E to clear.

Events:-

D clears port and steams away.
B heads for gap between D and F.
F loses sight of C as visibility decreases.
C heads to pass astern of F.
C talks to B on VTS working channel. Radar echo of B is probably obscured aboard C by F, and C assumes that E is B. The only vessel not communicating on VHF is E. A close encounter occurs between B and C. Both go hard-a-port, and narrowly avoid a collision. F swings slowly to starboard away from shallow water to seek anchorage. E gradually increases speed and suddenly alters course 70 degrees to port. F eventually finds E on VHF Channel 9, E assures F that everything is all right and proceeds to pass 2.5 cables ahead of F at 14 knots in 3 cables visibility.

Causes:- Congestion, lack of discipline, assumption, Port radar non-operational.