Container Ship's Evasive Action Increased Collision Risk

Damage to Saxon Onward

By The Maritime Executive 2018-07-21 21:40:08

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau has released the final investigation report into the collision between the container ship Beijing Bridge and fishing vessel Saxon Onward noting that the container ship's evasive action actually increased the risk of collision.

The incident occurred in the Tasman Sea, about three nautical miles south-east of Gabo Island, Victoria, on January 23, 2018. The collision occurred at about 0015 when Beijing Bridge was en route to Melbourne. There were no injuries or pollution reported by either vessel. The fishing vessel suffered substantial damage to its hull but was able to make its way unassisted to the nearby port of Eden, New South Wales. The container ship resumed its passage and berthed in Melbourne later the same day.

Both vessels had been aware of each other’s presence for at least half an hour before the collision took place. Both vessels also took action in an attempt to avoid collision but these actions were either insufficient or too late. Beijing Bridge’s course alteration was not substantial, not made in good time, and actually increased the risk of a collision. Saxon Onward made a substantial course alteration but it was made too late and resulted in the collision.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau continues to see collisions between small vessels and trading ships on the Australian coast, with at least 65 such collisions reported and 39 investigated since 1990. Safety investigations into several of these collisions have shown that taking early and effective avoiding action, and the keeping of a proper lookout, could have prevented most of these collisions.

The Minutes Before the Collision

At about 0005, with Beijing Bridge about four nautical miles away, Saxon Onward’s watchkeeper left the wheelhouse and walked the short distance to the trawler’s bow to better assess the situation. He sighted Beijing Bridge fine on the starboard bow with the ship’s two masthead lights (nearly in a line), green sidelight and deck lights visible. He then returned to the wheelhouse and continued to monitor the approaching ship visually and by radar while maintaining Saxon Onward’s course and speed.

By about 0008, Beijing Bridge was steady on a new course with a heading of 241º and was about 0.75 nautical miles to starboard of the ship’s planned track with Saxon Onward fine on the ship’s port bow. About a minute later, the officer of the watch (OOW) altered the ship’s heading to port with the intention of passing between two trawlers, the Saxon Onward and the Rubicon, and increasing the distance at which Saxon Onward’s closest point of approach would occur. The ship eventually settled on a heading of 228º at about 0012 with Saxon Onward, now on the ship’s starboard bow.

Shortly after, Saxon Onward’s watchkeeper commenced a rapid turn to starboard at a distance of about one nautical mile from Beijing Bridge.

In response, Beijing Bridge’s OOW altered the ship’s heading to port from 228º to 225º and flashed the ship’s Aldis lamp at Saxon Onward followed by a long blast on the ship’s whistle. Woken by the whistle, the ship’s master called the OOW on the bridge telephone to find out what was happening and was told that he was needed on the bridge. The OOW then continued to sound long blasts on the ship’s whistle. At about 0014, the OOW changed the steering over from autopilot to hand steering and placed the wheel hard to port.

A few seconds later, the master arrived on the ship’s bridge and saw the lights of the trawler, on the starboard side, rapidly closing on the ship. He also immediately ordered “hand steering” and “hard to port” and confirmed that the ship was beginning to turn to port. The master ordered the OOW to continue blowing the whistle and then went out on to the starboard bridge wing.

Meanwhile, on Saxon Onward, the watchkeeper realized that the trawler was in danger and shouted to alert the skipper and crew. At about 0015, as the skipper arrived in the wheelhouse, Saxon Onward collided with Beijing Bridge. The trawler’s port bow impacted the ship’s starboard side in the region of cargo hold number 3, about 94 meters aft of the ship’s bow. As the trawler then scraped down the ship’s side, the skipper stopped the engine and the crew mustered in the wheelhouse. The trawler heeled over sharply to starboard and took on some water before it righted itself, passed the ship’s stern and drifted away to the north-east.

Australian Transport Safety Bureau Analysis

While Beijing Bridge was on its planned track, the traffic situation was relatively benign with neither Saxon Onward nor Rubicon posing a risk of collision. Beijing Bridge’s OOW then commenced a course alteration to starboard more than three nautical miles in advance of the planned waypoint in the vicinity of Gabo Island, Victoria. The OOW, believing it was safe to do so, commenced the course alteration early to effect a short-cut and indicated that it was common practice for him to do so. While it is not unusual for ships to make minor departures from the passage plan, in this instance, the decision to alter course in advance of the planned waypoint resulted in a close quarters situation with risk of collision developing with Saxon Onward.

Beijing Bridge's company procedures and master's standing orders required early and effective action be taken to avoid collision in accordance with the COLREGs. They also specified that course alterations were to leave no doubt as to the ship's intentions. Shortly before the collision, at a range of about three nautical miles from Saxon Onward, Beijing Bridge’s OOW carried out a 13° course alteration to port in an attempt to increase the distance at which Saxon Onward’s closest point of approach would occur. This action was based on the OOW’s assumption that Saxon Onward would cross the ship’s bow from port to starboard and pass clear down the ship’s starboard side.

However, this action failed to resolve the close quarters situation. The action also increased the risk of a collision in the event Saxon Onward decided to take action in accordance with the COLREGs, as subsequently occurred. Further action, taken in response to Saxon Onward’s course alteration to starboard, including the final turn to port, was not effective in avoiding the collision either.

Furthermore, the master was not called during the developing situation and was only alerted to the impending collision by the ship’s whistle. Consequently, he arrived on the bridge too late to affect the outcome of the situation.

Saxon Onward’s 2400-0200 watchkeeper had acquired Beijing Bridge on radar and then continued to monitor the situation, including Beijing Bridge’s succession of course alterations, both visually and by radar. The watchkeeper then assessed the trawler and the ship to be in a head on situation with risk of collision. In response, and in accordance with the COLREGs, the watchkeeper then initiated a bold alteration of course to starboard. However, this action, taken at the relatively close range of about one nautical mile, was too late to have a positive effect on the situation and resulted in the collision.

On board Beijing Bridge, the re-assignment of the bridge lookout to day work duties left the OOW as the sole lookout on the bridge during the hours of darkness of the 2000-2400 watch on the night of the collision and for several weeks preceding. This was in contravention of the company’s procedures and international regulations. While in this case, the absence of the bridge lookout did not affect the OOW’s ability to detect Saxon Onward, it increased the risk of vessels going undetected over a period of several weeks prior to the collision. </s> On a clear summer night off Australia's southeast coast it was high drama at sea when a fishing trawler collided with a container ship almost 10 times its size.

And it seems ships crashing in Australian waters is an ongoing problem, putting the lives of fishermen at risk, the maritime safety watchdog says.

Investigation results released on Friday into the January 23 collision between the 32m NSW-based Saxon Onward and 294m Panamanian Beijing Bridge, raised a worrying trend.

"The (Australian Transport Safety Bureau) continues to see collisions between small vessels and trading ships on the Australian coast with at least 65 such collisions reported and 39 investigated since 1990," the report reads.

In the latest instance, both vessels were on auto-pilot in calm waters and the captains had gone to bed.

Beijing Bridge had slightly altered its course to Melbourne earlier in the evening, while Saxon Onward remained on course to Eden on the NSW far south coast, with its hold full of Tasmanian fish.

About midnight, and just southeast of Gabo Island, a lookout on board Beijing Bridge saw the fishing boat on a collision course, flashed a signal lamp and sounded a loud whistle.

Despite attempts to avoid a crash, the vessels collided.

"The trawler's port bow impacted the ship's starboard side ... then scraped down the ship's side," the bureau reported.

"The trawler heeled over sharply to starboard and took on some water before it righted itself, passed the ship's stern and drifted away."

There were no injuries and about six hours later the badly-damaged Saxon Onward reached Eden.

"The safety of fishermen and people in small boats continues to be a concern in terms of safety at sea," the bureau said.

"When fishing in waters off the Australian coast, fishing vessels regularly encounter large trading ships.

"When these vessels collide, a fishing vessel, being smaller than a ship, will almost always come off worse after a collision, often with potentially serious consequences to the lives of those onboard."

The ATSB's investigation of the crash found both ships knew about each other for about 30 minutes before the collision, but both acted too late. It did not apportion blame for the collision. </s> A container ship and a merchant ship collided in the Great Belt strait between the Danish islands of Funen and Zealand on Tuesday morning.

The collision resulted in a brief fire on board one of the ships, the Danish military command (Forsvarets Operationscenter) confirmed.

No injuries or spills have resulted from the incident, on-duty commander Klaus Rasmussen told Ritzau.

“At 6:30am we were informed that two ships had collided north of Romsø. Fire broke out on one ship.

“Two containers fell from the container ship on to the merchant ship, and fire broke out in one of those containers,” Rasmussen added.

Both ships anchored after the collision.

“We will now get the situation under complete control. We must ensure they are seaworthy enough to move to another area,” Rasmussen added.

Both ships are reported to have sustained holes above their waterlines. </s> The collision resulted in a brief fire on board one of the ships, the Danish military command (Forsvarets Operationscenter) confirmed.

No injuries or spills have resulted from the incident, on-duty commander Klaus Rasmussen told Ritzau.

“At 6:30am we were informed that two ships had collided north of Romsø. Fire broke out on one ship.

“Two containers fell from the container ship on to the merchant ship, and fire broke out in one of those containers,” Rasmussen added.

Both ships anchored after the collision.

“We will now get the situation under complete control. We must ensure they are seaworthy enough to move to another area,” Rasmussen added.

Both ships are reported to have sustained holes above their waterlines.

READ ALSO: Chinese navy sails through Danish waters </s> Smoke and fire is seen from Panama-registered tanker SANCHI carrying Iranian oil after it collided with a Chinese freight ship in the East China Sea, in this still image taken from a January 7, 2018 video. — Reuters pic BEIJING, Jan 8 — An Iranian oil tanker ablaze off the Chinese coast is at risk of exploding or sinking, authorities said this morning, as they reported there was no sign of survivors 36 hours after the vessel erupted in flames.

A huge fire was still raging around the stricken ship, which had been carrying 136,000 tonnes of light oil, with fierce heat and thick black smoke billowing from the vessel and the surrounding sea.

Rescuers attempting to reach the crew of 30 Iranians and two Bangladeshis were being beaten back by toxic clouds, China’s transportation ministry said.

The Panamanian-flagged 274m tanker Sanchi is “in danger of exploding or sinking,” the ministry said.

The accident happened on Saturday evening 160 nautical miles east of Shanghai.

The tanker, operated by Iran’s Glory Shipping, was heading to South Korea when it collided with a Hong Kong-flagged cargo ship, the CF Crystal, carrying 64,000 tonnes of grain.

Ten government vessels and “many fishing ships” were helping with the ongoing rescue and clean up effort, the transportation ministry said, adding that a South Korean coast guard ship was also on the scene.

A US Navy aircraft participated in the search on Sunday, scouring a large area before returning to Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, Japan.

Iran’s Petroleum Ministry said the tanker belongs to the National Iranian Tanker Company (NITC) and was delivering its cargo to South Korea’s Hanwha Total.

The ship and its cargo were insured, a statement said.

It was the second accident in less than two years involving a tanker owned by the NITC. In August 2016 an Iranian supertanker and a container ship collided in the Singapore Strait, causing damage to both vessels but no injuries or pollution.

Saturday’s collision was the latest fatal maritime accident to hit East Asia in recent years. — AFP </s> An Iranian oil tanker has collided with a bulk freighter and caught fire off China's east coast, leaving the tanker's entire crew of 32 missing and causing oil to spill into the sea, authorities say.

Chinese authorities dispatched police vessels and three cleaning ships to the scene after the collision, which happened late on Saturday.

The South Korean coast guard also sent a ship and a plane to help search for the missing crew members — 30 Iranians and two Bangladeshis.

The Panama-registered tanker Sanchi was sailing from Iran to South Korea when it collided with the Hong Kong-registered freighter CF Crystal in the East China Sea, 257 kilometres off the coast of Shanghai, China's Ministry of Transport said.

All 21 crew members of the Crystal, which was carrying grain from the United States, were rescued, the ministry said.

The Crystal's crew members were all Chinese nationals.

It was not immediately clear what caused the collision.

State-run China Central Television reported on Sunday evening that the tanker was still floating and burning, and that oil was visible in the water.

It was not clear, however, whether the tanker was still spilling oil.

The size of the oil slick caused by the accident also was not known.

The Sanchi was carrying 136,000 metric tons of condensate, a type of ultra-light oil, according to Chinese authorities.

An official in Iran's Oil Ministry, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity, said it was not yet clear what had happened to the crew members.

"We have no information on their fate," he said.

"We cannot say all of them have died, because rescue teams are there and providing services."

The official said the tanker was owned by the National Iranian Tanker Co and had been rented by a South Korean company, Hanwha Total Co.

He said the tanker was on its way to South Korea.

Hanwa Total is a 50-50 partnership between the Seoul-based Hanwha Group and the French oil giant Total.

Total did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

It is the second collision for a ship from the National Iranian Tanker Co in less than a year-and-a-half.

In August 2016, one of its tankers collided with a Swiss container ship in the Singapore Strait, damaging both ships but causing no injuries or oil spill. </s> China’s Transport Ministry (MOT) issued a statement on Wednesday recounting that there was an explosion aboard the Iranian oil tanker that collided with a Chinese grain ship after rescue crews tried to use foam to extinguish the fire.

The explosion happened at around 13:35 Beijing time on Wednesday

Emergency ships were forced to withdraw to safe distance after THE explosion, the MOT said

An Iranian-owned tanker collided with a cargo ship off the eastern coast of China, leaving 32 people missing.

The collision occurred between the “Sanchi” tanker and the huge Hong Kong freighter “CF Crystal” in the East China Sea on Saturday at around 12:00 GMT, according to reports in the Chinese media, which cited the Chinese Ministry of Transport on Sunday.

The tanker, which was carrying 136,000 tonnes of condensed oil for South Korea, “caught fire,” according to the ministry’s statement.

Reports said 30 Iranian and two Bangladeshi sailors went missing in the collision. </s> BEIJING—An Iranian oil tanker collided with a bulk freighter and caught fire off China’s east coast, leaving the tanker’s entire crew of 32 missing and causing it to spill oil into the sea, authorities said Sunday. Chinese authorities dispatched police vessels and three cleaning ships to the scene after the collision, which happened late Saturday. The South Korean coast guard also sent a ship and a plane to help search for the missing crew members — 30 Iranians and two Bangladeshis. The Panama-registered tanker Sanchi was sailing from Iran to South Korea when it collided with the Hong Kong-registered freighter CF Crystal in the East China Sea, 257 kilometres off the coast of Shanghai, China’s Ministry of Transport said. All 21 crew members of the Crystal, which was carrying grain from the United States, were rescued, the ministry said. The Crystal’s crew members were all Chinese nationals. It wasn’t immediately clear what caused the collision.

State-run China Central Television reported Sunday evening that the tanker was still floating and burning, and that oil was visible in the water. It was not clear, however, whether the tanker was still spilling oil. The size of the oil slick caused by the accident also was not known. Earlier Sunday, Chinese state media carried pictures of the tanker on fire with large plumes of smoke.

The Sanchi was carrying 136,000 metric tons (or nearly 1 million barrels) of condensate, a type of ultralight oil, according to Chinese authorities. By comparison, the Exxon Valdez was carrying 1.26 million barrels of crude oil when it spilled 260,000 barrels into Prince William Sound off Alaska in 1989. The Sanchi has operated under five different names since it was built in 2008, according the UN-run International Maritime Organization. The IMO listed its registered owner as Hong Kong-based Bright Shipping Ltd., on behalf of the National Iranian Tanker Co., a publicly traded company based in Tehran. The National Iranian Tanker Co. describes itself as operating the largest tanker fleet in the Middle East. An official in Iran’s Oil Ministry, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to reporters, said 30 of the tanker’s 32 crew members were Iranians. “We have no information on their fate,” he said. “We cannot say all of them have died, because rescue teams are there and providing services.” The official said the tanker was owned by the National Iranian Tanker Co. and had been rented by a South Korean company, Hanwha Total Co. He said the tanker was on its way to South Korea. Hanwa Total is a 50-50 partnership between the Seoul-based Hanwha Group and the French oil giant Total. Total did not immediately respond to a request for comment. It’s the second collision for a ship from the National Iranian Tanker Co. in less than a year and a half. In August 2016, one of its tankers collided with a Swiss container ship in the Singapore Strait, damaging both ships but causing no injuries or oil spill. Read more: China tightens trade to North Korea under intensified UN nuclear sanctions </s> BEIJING — An Iranian oil tanker collided with a bulk freighter and caught fire off China's eastern coast, leaving its entire crew of 32 missing, most of them Iranians, authorities said Sunday.

The missing — 30 Iranians and two Bangladeshis — are all from the tanker Sanchi, which spilled oil and was floating while still burning early Sunday, said Chinese maritime authorities, who dispatched police vessels and three cleaning ships to the scene.

Chinese state media carried pictures of the tanker on fire with smoke plumes daytime Sunday.

The South Korean coast guard also sent a ship and an airplane to aid the search effort.

The Panama-registered tanker was sailing from Iran to South Korea when it collided with the Hong Kong-registered freighter CF Crystal 257 kilometres (160 miles) off the coast of Shanghai late Saturday, the Ministry of Transport said.

All 21 members of the Crystal's crew — all Chinese nationals — were rescued, the ministry said.

It wasn't immediately clear what caused the collision.

The Sanchi was carrying 136,000 metric tons (150,000 tons) of condensate, a type of ultra-light oil, while the Crystal was carrying grain from the United States, according to Chinese authorities.

The size of the oil slick caused by the accident was not immediately known.

The tanker has operated under five different names in the time since it was built in 2008, according the U.N.-run International Maritime Organization. The IMO listed its registered owner as Hong Kong-based Bright Shipping Ltd., care of the National Iranian Tanker Co., a publicly traded company based in Tehran. The National Iranian Tanker Co. describes itself as operating the largest tanker fleet in the Middle East.
An Australian Transport Safety Bureau investigation into the collision between container ship MV Beijing Bridge and trawler FV Saxon Onward concludes both vessels saw each other in the lead-up to the collision but neither took appropriate avoiding action in time, with evasive manoeuvres by the cargo ship increasing the collision risk.