MaritimeBlog. Master’s Page
Maneuvering at anchor
Notwithstanding that fact that tanker masters have to attend shiphandling courses and get the certificate, very often situation with awkward meneuvering at anchor leads to accidents or near-miss similar to those as this short movie represents.
VLCC in question was trying for almost 2 hours to drop anchor at position given by VTS. S Lamma Dangerous Goods anchorage at Hong Kong open to winds from East and it was 7/6 Bft with swell 1-2m and waves 2-3m also from East. Instead of making correct approach against sea and wind VLCC was trying to drop anchor at headings more or less along the swell and wind. Anchor place was crowded and for proper maneuvering VLCC shall go out to VSS and then came back but unwilling to do this was circling at the very limited space for several hours. Finally having on heading approx.180 degrees let starboard anchor go but due to combined effect of wind and swell was not able to keep position and probably dragged anchor. When anchor was eventually up again, she was drifted very close to another (blue hull) tanker, which was sounding short blasts signals very energetically. Then to avoid collision with this tanker from her starboard side, VLCC, I believe, put the wheel hard a starboard and made full ahead, which maneuver pushed her clear away from blue hull tanker but led very close to my vessel position. Due to bad weather I kept engine ready and was running slow ahead when VLCC crossed our wake...
Without any offence and only as a general remark, I wish to note that it becomes only more and more evident that growth of fleet and acute shortage of officers, made possible some very early promotions when master gets his firs command being only 28 or 30 years old.
From one side there is nothing wrong when motivated, hardworking and intelligent chief officer gets his promotion and becomes master as early as situation permits. But on the other hand, master in his job relies on his previous experience as an officer and later as a captain in 80-90 percent of cases, especially what concerns shiphandling. Therefore speaking about shiphandling skills of young officers, the question is - what experience chief officer may have on the vessel (VLCC for example) trading between the Persian Gulf and Far East, if his contract is 4 months and vessel makes 3-4 round voyages during this time. He, accordingly, sees only few mooring and anchoring operations during his single contract. Now if he needs 3-5 contracts to become master, then with all his efforts he shall have very and very limited knowledge of practical maneuvering apart from that one simulated on computer. And any simulation courses lack the main element – the element of eminent danger if something goes wrong, when your vessel moves when you desperately trying to stop it or stops when you shout in ER telephone for full ahead and when person usually acts basing on his experience or sixth sense or on instinct.
There is no short or simple answer to this question. From my point of view too many of young officers nowadays ‘over-motivated’ to get faster promotions as a way to have higher salaries in their chase either for higher living standards or for that hi-life style, which is over-popularised on mass media.
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