NORTH-EAST PASSAGE COLLISION

News came in the NAUTICAL LOG Press Release folder this morning of a collision between two tankers in the North-East Passage. It might at first glance seem strange that in a area of relatively few ships there would be a collision. Having had the experience of serving in icebreakers as an OOW NAUTICAL LOG knows only too well they can occur surprising easily. Vessels move in convoys under icebreaker escort and depending on ice conditions may be quite close to each other. Add in poor visibility and the difficulty of stopping quickly in ice if the vessel ahead should suddenly have to stop. Very often there is a lot of engine power being applied to make forward progress and the restriction effect of the ice can change quite rapidly.

In fact this seems to be what happened as the report states that the MT Varzuga (1977) hit the stern of the MT Indiga (1976) whose hull was damaged. Both vessels have 1A-Super ice-classification. Hull integrity was maintained as both the tankers are double-hulled and none of the 15,000 tonnes of diesel fuel cargo each carried was spilled. There were difficult ice conditions and poor visibility at the time of the incident.

Good Watch..

Comments

PAINT LOCKER FIRES

The photographs above are revealing in several ways, lets have a look. Clearly the Japanese Maritime Self Defence Force (JMSDF) vessel JS "Kurama" impacted the Korean container ship MS "Carina Star" just aft of the turn of the fo'cs'le on the Starboard side. Please note that's the Starboard side, thus it appears JS "Kurama" would have shown "Carina Star" the red port sidelight and "Carina Star" would have shown JS "Kurama" the green starboard sidelight. This impact point would tend to suggest that JS "Kurama" was the 'stand-on' vessel and the MS "Carina Star" is the 'giving-way' vessel. Until there is a complete plot of the tracks made good of both these vessels and the position in the Kanmon Strait of the point of collision no determination can actually be made. As a result of this impact there was severe bow damage to JS "Kurama" and in addition a massive f

HOW TO WEAR A LIFEJACKET

A popular U.S.-based cruise ship style A popular European ferry style Several times during the year NAUTICAL LOG has had visitors searching for lifejacket instructions. With two just over Christmas we decided to publish something for everybody to see and read. Choose a Coast Guard approved life-jacket and make sure it is undamaged. Make sure life-jackets are readily accessible, never locked away. Check the fit, there are adult, child and infant sizes, the correct one MUST be used. Choose bright colour life-jackets so as to be seen easily by Search and Rescue (SAR). Put your life-jacket ON BEFORE you leave the berth. Make sure you have a light and whistle attached AND they BOTH WORK. Good Watch

BOUILLABAISSE

TAAF Service vessel operated by CMA CGM TAAF Regional flag Well now let us see if here at NAUTICAL LOG we have got a grasp on things simmering in the pot. It seems that when the anti-whaling campaign started out some years ago it was between Greenpeace, the Sea Shepherds and the Japanese whaling fleet. The Australians came down to their own Southern Ocean Territory in a chartered civilian vessel one year. Beyond taking photographs and returning some Sea Shepherds to their ship the MS "Steve Irwin" not much was accomplished. The Greenpeace crowd then dropped out and Animal Planet boarded the MS "Steve Irwin" to shoot 'reality TV' and so Whale Wars came into being. This resulted in some deplorable behaviour on all sides and some appalling exhibitions of seamanship - or rather total lack of seamanship by the Sea Shepherds. But now there was money coming in which could be spent on - well nobody really knows what the money is spent on. New Zealand made it q

NAUTICAL LOG

Search This Blog