T&T: Charleston ? collision caused by failure to follow

[Mike Maurice]

I have had the night to consider this subject a bit more and have some 
more comments about the charter boat/container ship close quarters 
situation that I described.

The container ship would have shared some blame as they failed to sound 
the whistle signals(COLREGS) as they were maneuvering to get underway 
after dropping their pilot. And they were slow to sound the danger signal.

For some reason their horn was muffled and not very loud, that would 
have come out in an investigation.

So, what is the most important lesson? If you are involved in a 
collision, you may be 100% in the "right" but will still be held to 
account for any errors or failures to act that would have helped or 
avoided the situation.

The charter boat should not have continued across the bow, but should 
have turned to starboard, parallel to the big ship, to reduce relative 
speed and then should have turned right again to widen the CPA. In other 
words don't keep on into the collision.

The tour boat operator was faulted for unsafe speed, going too fast in a 
known congested area. The container ship might have been faulted in a 
like manner.

Mike

+++++++++++++++
Capt. Mike Maurice
Beaverton Oregon(near Portland).