The importance of trained deck crew

[Valiente]

Just something a little unusual concerning the decision to appoint watch-keepers. I found this "new to me" incident on Wikipedia, and it concerns the entirely avoidable chain of events that led to a U.S. destroyer playing chicken with an Australian aircraft carrier...and losing.



Feel free to discuss your own watch-standing horror stories.

Melbourne–Evans collision - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[knothead]

Originally Posted by Valiente

Just something a little unusual concerning the decision to appoint watch-keepers. I found this "new to me" incident on Wikipedia, and it concerns the entirely avoidable chain of events that led to a U.S. destroyer playing chicken with an Australian aircraft carrier...and losing.



Feel free to discuss your own watch-standing horror stories.

Melbourne–Evans collision - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

My bro in law Joe served on the Frank Evans. Thankfully before she was sunk.

The most important qualification anyone crewing for me to have is the ability to wake up the skipper if they have any doubt about the situation.

[Omatako]

This brings to mind the collision of the Venpet and the Venoil in the Indian Ocean. Two VLCC's (boh 335000 tons dwt) that collided in dense fog off the coast of Cape Town

TRIS Online: LIBERIAN CASUALTY REPORT: DECISION OF THE COMMISSIONER OF MARITIME AFFAIRS, R.L. AND REPORT OF THE MARINE BOARD OF INVESTIGATION IN THE MATTER OF THE COLLISION BETWEEN S/T VENOIL (O.N.4414) AND S/T VENPET (O.N. 4489) OFF THE COAST OF SOU

The experts that analysed the ships' courses before the collision called it "the worlds most expensive handshake" because the cause of the collision was apparently the crew wanting to "exchange greetings" after a long time apart at sea and sailed at each other in dense fog!!!

It was described by the judge who handled the ensuing insurance court case as "an irresistable force striking an immovable object"

[Valiente]

Good grief...Even the most traditional of "gams" in the open ocean between wooden ships involved speaking horns and plenty of water between the hulls!

Knothead, that's quite a coincidence that you should have that connection to this particular 40 year old event.

I would say that you are entirely correct; however, I would also lay money that the lieutenant on watch didn't have any doubts. To have doubt is to have an acknowledgement that the situation is beyond one's own experience and abilities. The lieutenant in question had already failed watchkeeping in a test situation, and, it would appear, resolutely ignored both the Australian carrier's commander's instructions and ongoing warnings to make a circle OUTWARD instead of INSIDE and ACROSS the carrier's path.

Colregs are great, but I would prefer not to be the most correct drowned sailor under the waves when sailing near large military or commercial shipping. This is why I like AIS...it's the perfect compliment to radar and allows you to determine and then avoid the path of some barely maneuverable ocean juggernaut.

I'm a cyclist, and even though I am quite assertive in occupying my legal share of the road, I don't tempt physics by occupying the spaces I know the cars and trucks are going to be. Same with sailing, and the same with destroyers versus aircraft carriers. Physics doesn't care if you're "in the right"!