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COLLISION

As master we have an over riding responsibility to uphold


the complete safety of our crew, ship and cargo. Every
measure should be taken to ensure the safe passage of our
vessel and avoid any potentially dangerous situations
developing.

Sound advice on the procedures to be adopted are


contained in STCW 95 (Chapter 8 - Part 3 - Principles To
Be Observed In Keeping A Navigational Watch).

We should impress on our Watch keeping Officers the


need to monitor closely the movement of any approaching
vessels and to take early and positive action to prevent
any close quarter situation developing. If, in spite of this,
a collision seems inevitable, the ship should be
maneuvered so as to minimize the damage by striking a
glancing blow.

In shallow water letting go an anchor may cause our


vessel to sheer away from the other vessel & thus
reducing the impact. Letting go both anchors may avoid
or reduce the effects of the collision.

The safety of the crew and ship are paramount, we must


do everything possible to prevent loss of life and injury.

INITIAL ACTION

1 Sound the general alarm, muster the crew and


passengers, check no persons are missing or injured.
2. Stop the engines & advise engine. room staff what has
happened.
3. Check all watertight doors are closed & close all fire
doors immediately.
4. Activate bilge pumps and/or ballast pumps to the
damaged area of the vessel, if there is obvious ingress of
water.
5. Send a DISTRESS alert or an URGENCY signal
giving ships position and all necessary information. A
distress or urgency signal depends on the damage sustained
and type of vessels involved.
6. The emergency party, led by the Chief Officer, will
inspect and make an appraisal of the damage. All tanks and
bilges will be sounded and an inspection made of any visible
damage. The Chief Officer will convey the nature, extent
and severity of the damage, he will also include details of
any pollution leakage
7. If there is risk of oil spill, Operate Oil Pollution
Emergency Plan
8. The lifeboats should be swung out to the embarkation
deck.
9. If the other vessel is in an danger of foundering, get
his crew and passengers onto your vessel as soon as
possible.
10. Establish contact with other vessel, and offer your
help and assistance. If interlocked agree with the other
vessel whether you should separate the vessels or
not,considering all the risks for both vessels.

Note
If your vessel has struck another end on it is
NORMALLY better to remain embedded in the gash until it
is clear that both vessels are safe. This is essential in the
case of a Ro-Ro Passenger Ferry. In such a case it may be
considered prudent action to maintain engines at dead slow
ahead to prevent withdrawal, such vessels could sink
quickly once the separation has taken place.
Because of the existing strength of a tanker, there is little
risk of her foundering when the vessels are parted, but
there are the conflicting hazards of fire/explosion and
pollution.
Whilst not belittling the threat to marine life caused by oil
pollution from a leaking tanker, our primary concern is to
ensure the safety of life of the two crews.

In most cases the appropriate action is to part the vessels.


However, if the state of the sea permits, we should first
establish communication with the tanker. The tanker is
expected to ]maintain I.G. pressure and to use foam
toSpray the damaged area . Our vessel should rig fire
hoses forward & operate water spray around the bow area
and part them as gently as possible. After the vessels are
separated proceed to the windward side of the tanker, and
stand by to render any assistance needed.

DAMAGE CONTROL

The Chief Officer will advise you of the extent and nature
of the damage. Although no heavy shock wave may have
been felt by a glancing blow it may be responsible for the
heaviest
damage. Examine any compartments likely to become
flooded, if necessary obtain materials for shores to
support bulkheads. Start the pumps ( if not already started
)and if all seems well
slowly part the vessels (this may need considerable stem
power if there was much headway when the accident
occurred).

As a result of the likely flooding and loss of buoyancy,


detailed information about the location and extent of the
damage should be sent to the owner, to allow owner to
accurately assess the
buoyancy situation and the structural effect of flooding to
provide advise of the ways; to limit hull stresses.

frequent soundings of the tanks and bilges should be


taken, to find the rate of entry and see if the pumps can
cope.

Listing or trimming the vessel will reduce the rate of inflow.


However if our pumps are unable to cope , to avoid having
to abandon ship , we need to quickly reduce the area of the
hole by rigging a collision patch & thus reducing the ingress
of water. If sufficient time is available we should Proceed to
a port of refuge, but we may have to consider beaching the
ship to avoid her sinking. However, it will be necessary to
abandon, when it is obvious that the vessel will sink.

LEGAL ASPECTS

Refer Law Notes.

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