US Naval Destroyer collides with 700ft merchant ship near Japan
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Location: Big Island of Hawaii & HOT BuOYS Sailing Vessel
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As a vessel captain with crew there is nothing I fear more than making a mistake and having to answer to the wives, children, and parents of the crew under my command.
It is amazing that this kind of thing happens given all the electronics available and how big the ocean is.
Locally we just had a commuter ferry crash into a jetty last night.
How does it happen?
Can't speak for the Destroyer but the ferry could have been caused by losing power to the steering, main engines, or unexpected heavier winds/seas. I do recall a number of years ago a Puget Sound ferry Capt. hit some rocks cause he got to close attempting to show a woman (she was in the wheelhouse) her waterfront home.
It is amazing that this kind of thing happens given all the electronics available and how big the ocean is.
Most of the large ship traffic is concentrated along very specific routes. Its like saying its surprising we have so many car wrecks when there is so much land available to drive on.
I suspect the electronics is exactly what set the condition for this to happen. Almost any ocean going vessel these days has auto-pilot that uses gps/charts/radar to navigate and avoid obstacles and collisions. Yes, someone is supposed to be awake to monitor that stuff but most don't stay awake.
The more interesting part for me is that the Navy still operates with fully manned crews around the clock. To my knowledge they still even use guys with binoculars to watch for this very thing. I am not sure how all that failed, plus how the guy watching the radar failed. I just don't believe it would be possible for even a crappy consumer radar to miss a container ship that large, much less one that's on a destroyer. We will most likely find out in about 6 months or so, what chain of events led to this. I have to say that I will be very shocked if several officers and some enlisted aren't tossed in the brig for this.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cape Cod Todd
The container ship can't change its course very easily and the Navy ship may have suffered from pride and a "we don't move for anyone" attitude.
lol.
A military vessel with a "we don't move for anyone" attitude is purely make believe. Doesn't happen. They do everything in their power to avoid any collision even with small fishing boats.
The Ferry was coming from Nantucket to Hyannis on Cape Cod and it totally plowed into the jetty injuring several people and puncturing the hull.
Still it is amazing that these accidents happen with todays technology and the human redundancy.
About 20 years ago I was on a nice yacht in heavy fog and the owner asked me to watch the radar, we could hear a fog horn but it was hard to tell which direction it was coming from, suddenly a big object appeared on the radar heading right for us. We got out of the way and a large ship emerged from the fog and chugged on by. It was a bit nerve wracking but we made it.
I wonder if the inquiry will find human or mechanical error.?
The Ferry was coming from Nantucket to Hyannis on Cape Cod and it totally plowed into the jetty injuring several people and puncturing the hull.
Still it is amazing that these accidents happen with todays technology and the human redundancy.
About 20 years ago I was on a nice yacht in heavy fog and the owner asked me to watch the radar, we could hear a fog horn but it was hard to tell which direction it was coming from, suddenly a big object appeared on the radar heading right for us. We got out of the way and a large ship emerged from the fog and chugged on by. It was a bit nerve wracking but we made it.
I wonder if the inquiry will find human or mechanical error.?
That happened to us back in the '80s. We were on a smallish boat heading to Monhegan Island, 12 miles off the coast of Bar Harbor when we cruised into pea soup thick fog. Captain throttled down to a crawl when we got to the NOAA bouy and then heard a horn in response to our horn. Captain shut the engines down and we anchored (I think) I think we were just sitting ducks. He kept blowing the horn and we could tell the other boat was still chugging along! Finally out of the fog we saw the other boat pass us on our left. Big sigh of relief from everyone including the Captain. I was white knuckling it, as I am sure everyone else was too. We went to Monhegan every summer but that was the last time I would go. It really frightened me how it was beautiful in Bar Harbor and so foggy out at sea.
I used to take the ferry a lot from Nantucket to Hyannis back in the '70s before those new fancy ferries came to be.
..........The more interesting part for me is that the Navy still operates with fully manned crews around the clock. To my knowledge they still even use guys with binoculars to watch for this very thing. I am not sure how all that failed, plus how the guy watching the radar failed. I just don't believe it would be possible for even a crappy consumer radar to miss a container ship that large, much less one that's on a destroyer. We will most likely find out in about 6 months or so, what chain of events led to this. I have to say that I will be very shocked if several officers and some enlisted aren't tossed in the brig for this.........
Fully manned?
Are you sure?
Company of a Cootnz class DDG: 394
Company of a Kidd class DDG: 363
Company of a Burke class DDG: 323 (for a Flight II)
Company of the Fitzgerald (on wiki): 281
Company of a Zumwalt DDG: 140
One thing the USN has not been known for is increasing the number of the crew on the ship for each succeeding class. The documentations may say "fully manned" but do the number of watch stations match?
most of these sailors are a year or two out of high school, receive perhaps 9 to 12 months schooling, can hardly be considered as highly trained and are likely working 16 to 18 hour shifts, 6 days in a row. I'm amazed that this type of thing doesn't happen more often.
-- ex FTM3 swabby
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