Comments on: Cosco Busan – Questions For Investigators

By: Anshuman Naik

Anshuman Naik — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 06:51:48 +0000

Here are a few points of interest –

1) Thank God this is one case where the Master is not being burnt at the stake – theoretically, the Pilot advises the Master, practically the Master depends on the Pilot for his superior knowledge of the port, currents, tides, and the fact that often reality differs from what is given in the Sailing directions, charted depths of chars and Pilot volumes .

2) Secondly, let us stop using this as a bashing place for other nationalities – it is a time for seafarers to support each other or at least allow things to be treated fair.
This incident has the potential of being an Exxon Valdez.. let us not make a Hazelwood of this Master

3) Sorry if I sound rude, but anyone who has not commanded a 370 mtr long container vessel has little right to speak

4) A good possibility that ECDIS data (esp. the Course over ground indication and heading ) was misinterpreted. I think the pilot mistook the COG for the heading of the vessel – no other reason why he should head parallel to the bridge. (I assume the AIS data on which we are basing opinions is the “vsl heading”)

Please see my message n http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ecdis/ for further info on this.

5) I am amused y the take of TV reporters on the drug and alcohol test being administered late – esp for those who were off bridge… Scandalous!!

6) A good possibility of BTM not working. Someone (most probably the container operator who subtly puts commercial pressures) is upset that the vessel has been delayed due to fog. An American pilot who feels he is superior to the Chinese master (not a misguided assumption if the above opinions voiced by other people are anything to go by), (PS – why did the pilot not bring the navigation lap top which SF bay plots mostly have?? actually almost every pilot in developed and many developing countries carry it along!)

7) A factual error – the racon midway of D and E supports would not have shown up on the ECDIS unless the ECDIS had a radar interface (not a part of IMO res 817 – a lack of the standard itself?)

I welcome other opinions… esp. those which disagree

– Anshuman Naik
Master Mariner on ocean going container ships, VLCCs and Car carriers

By: Anshuman Naik

Anshuman Naik — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 03:51:48 +0000

Here are a few points of interest -

1) Thank God this is one case where the Master is not being burnt at the stake - theoretically, the Pilot advises the Master, practically the Master depends on the Pilot for his superior knowledge of the port, currents, tides, and the fact that often reality differs from what is given in the Sailing directions, charted depths of chars and Pilot volumes .

2) Secondly, let us stop using this as a bashing place for other nationalities - it is a time for seafarers to support each other or at least allow things to be treated fair.
This incident has the potential of being an Exxon Valdez.. let us not make a Hazelwood of this Master

3) Sorry if I sound rude, but anyone who has not commanded a 370 mtr long container vessel has little right to speak

4) A good possibility that ECDIS data (esp. the Course over ground indication and heading ) was misinterpreted. I think the pilot mistook the COG for the heading of the vessel - no other reason why he should head parallel to the bridge. (I assume the AIS data on which we are basing opinions is the "vsl heading")

Please see my message n http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ecdis/ for further info on this.

5) I am amused y the take of TV reporters on the drug and alcohol test being administered late - esp for those who were off bridge... Scandalous!!

6) A good possibility of BTM not working. Someone (most probably the container operator who subtly puts commercial pressures) is upset that the vessel has been delayed due to fog. An American pilot who feels he is superior to the Chinese master (not a misguided assumption if the above opinions voiced by other people are anything to go by), (PS - why did the pilot not bring the navigation lap top which SF bay plots mostly have?? actually almost every pilot in developed and many developing countries carry it along!)

7) A factual error - the racon midway of D and E supports would not have shown up on the ECDIS unless the ECDIS had a radar interface (not a part of IMO res 817 - a lack of the standard itself?)

I welcome other opinions... esp. those which disagree

- Anshuman Naik
Master Mariner on ocean going container ships, VLCCs and Car carriers

By: John

John — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 17:04:07 +0000

jollymon,

We are actually working on this with our friends at vesseltrax.com

By: John

John — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 14:04:07 +0000

jollymon,

We are actually working on this with our friends at vesseltrax.com

By: Telstar Logistics: Situation Report: Diagnosing the Cosco Busan Debacle

Telstar Logistics: Situation Report: Diagnosing the Cosco Busan Debacle — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 16:53:01 +0000

[...] pointed out that the accident was, formally speaking, an allision, NOT a collision. He then posed a series of questions intended to clarify the circumstances that prompted the Cosco Busan to hit the…. Most of these questions focused on issues of communication and interaction between the local [...]

By: jollymon

jollymon — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 02:54:31 +0000

I would like to see the ais info overlayed on to a vector chart such as coastal explorer instead of google earth. Boatsf is a nautical site so shouldn’t they be getting their ais info to a nautical dhart display to begin with.
Still think he may have been able to pass under the B\C abutments.

By: Cosco Busan damage on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

Cosco Busan damage on Flickr - Photo Sharing! — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 07:21:46 +0000

[...] by a Master Mariner (a ship’s captain), so he understand the inside scoop. See, for example, this post and this post. Posted 22 seconds ago. ( permalink [...]

By: jollymon

jollymon — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 01:53:59 +0000

Nate.
Ever hear of “any port in a storm”?Still think he could have made it but than again a round turn would have been prudent. Than again there was an inbound ship. Than again…
My theory on pilots, they start out having plan A.
That works for awhile but than quickly you need and act accordingly that you are in a position ti implement plan B.
After a few more years they get the experience for plan C.
By the time they gt to plan C it is time to retire.

Deep down I know you did the best you could Capt. Cota.
The rest of us armchair mariners are now (hopefully) listening and learning and not looking for a pound of flesh.
The investigation will only help us advance to ” plan C”. And than we retire at the top of our game.
Be careful and safe out there fellas and ladies and remember what pushes us to do something questionably unsafe may not be worth it in the long run.

By: jollymon

jollymon — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 22:53:59 +0000

Nate.
Ever hear of "any port in a storm"?Still think he could have made it but than again a round turn would have been prudent. Than again there was an inbound ship. Than again...
My theory on pilots, they start out having plan A.
That works for awhile but than quickly you need and act accordingly that you are in a position ti implement plan B.
After a few more years they get the experience for plan C.
By the time they gt to plan C it is time to retire.

Deep down I know you did the best you could Capt. Cota.
The rest of us armchair mariners are now (hopefully) listening and learning and not looking for a pound of flesh.
The investigation will only help us advance to " plan C". And than we retire at the top of our game.
Be careful and safe out there fellas and ladies and remember what pushes us to do something questionably unsafe may not be worth it in the long run.

By: Teresa

Teresa — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 20:11:58 +0000

I’m not a mariner, but I follow stories on g.captain, which are quite interesting. I am a San Franciscan and on the morning of the allision I got up and looked out my back window, which overlooks the San Francisco Bay, and I said to myself, “Wow, I haven’t seen fog here like this since I was a girl.” And I’m over 50 now. So, the circumstances were unusual and evidently quite complicated.