While sailing in the South Entrance of Kobe Chuo Passage in the Kobe Section of Hanshin Port, the container ship Estelle Maersk collided with the container ship JJ Sky, which was also sailing in the Kobe Chuo Passage.
The incident
When Estelle Maersk was close to the South Entrance of Kobe Chuo Passage, it informed that it was due to arrive at 07:10. Port Radio then informed the ship that three tugboats had been prepared for it, and that it could enter the Passage after a large vessel had departed.
[smlsubform prepend=”GET THE SAFETY4SEA IN YOUR INBOX!” showname=false emailtxt=”” emailholder=”Enter your email address” showsubmit=true submittxt=”Submit” jsthanks=false thankyou=”Thank you for subscribing to our mailing list”]
A little later, five vessels including were heading toward the Passage in succession from the Osaka direction. Thinking that two of those vessels would enter the Passage ahead of Estelle, the pilot was focusing attention on JJ Sky and one other vessel.
The Master of Estelle sensed the risk of a collision, and asked about the order of priority when entering the Passage. The pilot replied that Estelle would be given priority when entering the Passage, while JJ Sky was due to enter the Passage at 06:50 but its entry was delayed. After this, the Master asked again about the order of priority when entering the Passage, and the pilot again replied that it would be given priority when entering the Passage.
Estelle headed towards the west end of the South Entrance of the Passage with the intention of increasing the distance from JJ Sky to make it easier for it to avoid Estelle. However, the heading of JJ Sky changed even more to forward of the bow of Estelle, which was approaching it, so its pilot set the main engine to full astern at around. Moments later, the Master of the container ship sounded a prolonged blast on the ship’s whistle, and its starboard bow collided with the bridge port-side wing of JJ Sky.
Estelle Maersk sustained damage on the shell plating of her starboard bow, while JJ SKY sustained a pressure collapse on part of its bridge port-side wing. There were no casualties or fatalities on either vessel.
Probable cause
It is probable that this accident occurred because, while Estelle Maersk was proceeding north and JJ Sky west-northwest toward the Passage in the Kobe Section of Hanshin Port in a state whereby they would both enter the Passage at about the same time, Pilot of Estelle thought that the ship would be given priority when entering the Passage and thus continued to proceed north toward the South Entrance of the Passage, while Master of JJ Sky, thinking that Estelle would navigate astern of JJ Sky, increased speed in an attitude of cutting diagonally across the Passage toward the scheduled docking quay to the west of the Passage, as a result of which the two vessels collided.
For more information about the accident, click in the PDF herebelow
