Naughty Cal Posted March 10 Report Posted March 10 An oil tanker and cargo vessel have collided in the North Sea. Both vessels appear to be on fire with the crew abandoning ship. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c9q4129reqgo https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/cgq1pwjlqq2t
David Mack Posted March 10 Report Posted March 10 Big cluster of boats including at least one lifeboat off the Humber Estuary on Vesselfinder
robtheplod Posted March 10 Report Posted March 10 (edited) I heard the fog was very bad this morning.... be interesting to get the info on what happened as i presume both would have radar? Edited March 10 by robtheplod
David Mack Posted March 10 Report Posted March 10 Solong and Stena Immaculate are apparently the vessels involved.
Naughty Cal Posted March 10 Author Report Posted March 10 Several of the local lifeboats are out: "Now, the RNLI says teams from Cleethorpes have been stood down, while Bridlington, Mablethorpe and Skegness crews continue to support rescue efforts." 1 minute ago, robtheplod said: I heard the fog was very bad this morning.... be interesting to get the info on what happened as i presume both would have radar? The "Stena Immaculate" was at anchor. 1
Rod Stewart Posted March 10 Report Posted March 10 Not a great choice of vessel name. I hope she doesn't live up to it.
Naughty Cal Posted March 10 Author Report Posted March 10 (edited) A few more details on the vessels involved: "the Stena Immaculate is a 183 metre-long (600 feet) US-flagged oil and chemical tanker. The tanker had departed from a Greek port in the Aegean Sea and was destined for Hull, the site says. The ship was constructed in 2017, according to the website Martime Optima, and weighs nearly 50,000 tonnes. It is managed by US logistics firm Crowley and owned by Sweden's Stena Sphere which is controlled by the billionaire Olsson family. This type of complex arrangement is quite typical in the global shipping industry. However, unusually, this is one of just ten oil tankers enlisted in a US government programme which is designed to supply the armed forces with fuel during times of armed conflict or national emergency. It means they can be called upon by the US military at short notice but there's no indication that it was being used for these purposes when this accident happened." "The Solong is a Portuguese-flagged container vessel. It was built in 2005, according to Marine Optima, and has capacity to carry 9,500 tonnes of cargo. It was destined for Rotterdam, according to the Marine Traffic site. It measures 140.6 metres (461 feet) long." It has just been reported that 20 casualties have been recovered and brought ashore to Grimsby. There are more as yet unaccounted for. ETA: Number brought ashore has now risen to 32. Edited March 10 by Naughty Cal
Alan de Enfield Posted March 10 Report Posted March 10 26 minutes ago, Naughty Cal said: However, unusually, this is one of just ten oil tankers enlisted in a US government programme which is designed to supply the armed forces with fuel during times of armed conflict or national emergency. It means they can be called upon by the US military at short notice but there's no indication that it was being used for these purposes when this accident happened." Maybe it was floating about in the North Sea following Norways refusal to refuel US ships in the 'bunker harbours' Apparently a US sub went in for fuel, was refused and it had to 'limp out' to try and find another source. 2
Mike Hurley Posted March 10 Report Posted March 10 3 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said: Maybe it was floating about in the North Sea following Norways refusal to refuel US ships in the 'bunker harbours' Apparently a US sub went in for fuel, was refused and it had to 'limp out' to try and find another source. According to the news it was carrying jet A-1 fuel. 1
robtheplod Posted March 10 Report Posted March 10 Read the Solong was on autopilot? so possibly nobody on either ship controlling things? 1
booke23 Posted March 10 Report Posted March 10 (edited) 55 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said: Apparently a US sub went in for fuel, was refused and it had to 'limp out' to try and find another source. Probably because they were all out of Plutonium! I’m sure the US Navy retired it’s last diesel sub many years ago. Edited March 10 by booke23 1
howardang Posted March 10 Report Posted March 10 (edited) 1 hour ago, robtheplod said: Read the Solong was on autopilot? so possibly nobody on either ship controlling things? Stena Immaculate was at anchor waiting to enter the Humber. Solong was proceeding to Rotterdam, passing the Humber entrance on a voyage from Scotland. Solong was doing 16 knots at the time of the collision with no speed reduction or no apparent course alteration prior to the collision. It is possible that she was on autopilot but not yet confirmed in any reports I have seen. Edited Howard Edited March 10 by howardang Correcting destination of Solong
David Mack Posted March 10 Report Posted March 10 1 hour ago, Mike Hurley said: According to the news it was carrying jet A-1 fuel. And the BBC is suggesting it was destined for US armed forces bases in the UK.
robtheplod Posted March 10 Report Posted March 10 12 minutes ago, howardang said: Stena Immaculate was at anchor waiting to enter the Humber. Solong was proceeding to the Humber on a voyage from Scotland. Solong was doing 16 knots at the time of the collision with no speed reduction or no apparent course alteration prior to the collision. It is possible that she was on autopilot but not yet confirmed in any reports I have seen. Howard From Sky: David McFarlane, director Maritime Risk and Safety Consultants, told Sky News it can take up to an hour to raise an anchor - meaning the tanker might not have had time to get out of the way. It comes as Mr Boyers said the container ship may have been on autopilot at the time of the crash. "Autopilot just steers a course, they don't deviate, there's no bend in the sea," he added.
IanM Posted March 10 Report Posted March 10 The past track of the container ship shows it using that same course over a few trips and the heading didn't deviate after they hit the North Sea suggesting autopilot was turned on. However on this trip there happened to be a tanker anchored in the way. Whoever was on watch doesn't seem to have been watching. 2
robtheplod Posted March 10 Report Posted March 10 32 minutes ago, IanM said: The past track of the container ship shows it using that same course over a few trips and the heading didn't deviate after they hit the North Sea suggesting autopilot was turned on. However on this trip there happened to be a tanker anchored in the way. Whoever was on watch doesn't seem to have been watching. with ship autopilot is it just a simple speed/direction with no input from radar? - for some reason i thought the 'auto' bit would mean its a bit like collision avoidance in cars albeit on a much grander scale!
Alan de Enfield Posted March 10 Report Posted March 10 3 minutes ago, robtheplod said: with ship autopilot is it just a simple speed/direction with no input from radar? - for some reason i thought the 'auto' bit would mean its a bit like collision avoidance in cars albeit on a much grander scale! Certainly on my autopilot you set course and speed and thats it. It'll keep going until it hits something (land ?) or until it is disengaged.
IanM Posted March 10 Report Posted March 10 2 minutes ago, robtheplod said: with ship autopilot is it just a simple speed/direction with no input from radar? - for some reason i thought the 'auto' bit would mean its a bit like collision avoidance in cars albeit on a much grander scale! I think the auto bit just corrects for wind/current after you tell it you want to go from point A to point B.
magnetman Posted March 10 Report Posted March 10 AIS usually has a collision alarm so presumably people in charge of large ships tend to turn the alarm off due to it being a bit of a nuisance and play with their phones instead. I bet the MAIB report will be like "The geyser who was meant to be watching and listening was sitting back with his feet up watching facebook shorts on his Samsung flip about ship crashes and other worthless, pointless but curiously cerebrally engaging video content.
howardang Posted March 10 Report Posted March 10 2 minutes ago, robtheplod said: with ship autopilot is it just a simple speed/direction with no input from radar? - for some reason i thought the 'auto' bit would mean its a bit like collision avoidance in cars albeit on a much grander scale! Autopilots maintain a steady course only and changes in course are usually done by rotation of a control knob. Any course alterations and speed changes are carried out by the OOW (Officer of the watch). Speed is usually controlled separately either by bridge control of the engine(s) or sometimes by the engine room telgraph. Howard
robtheplod Posted March 10 Report Posted March 10 Could this be deliberate? It seems really odd that no corrective action was taken.....
Hudds Lad Posted March 10 Report Posted March 10 1 hour ago, robtheplod said: "Autopilot just steers a course, they don't deviate, there's no bend in the sea," he added. Not another flatearther 1 minute ago, robtheplod said: Could this be deliberate? It seems really odd that no corrective action was taken..... I look forward to all the conspiracy theories about a hacked autopilot, via a state-sponsored group, taking out the US fuel supply.
howardang Posted March 10 Report Posted March 10 1 minute ago, robtheplod said: Could this be deliberate? It seems really odd that no corrective action was taken..... Much more likely a failure to keep a good lookout by the bridge watch. Howard 3
Rod Stewart Posted March 10 Report Posted March 10 Poor bridge watch is what caused the Baltimore incident.
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