Unplanned deviation led to grounding
Experience Feedback Just after sunset on a calm evening, a large inbound container ship was approaching the pilot boarding position about a mile NE of the harbour's breakwater entrance. As the pilot was to transfer from an outbound coastal tanker, he instructed the container ship to move to the starboard side (west) of the recommended track to avoid the tanker and maintain minimum speed, which, for this vessel was 7 knots.As soon as the tanker had exited the breakwater, the pilot's launch transferred him to the container ship. This operation lasted nearly eight minutes, by which time the vessel was very close to the breakwater and nearly parallel with it.Immediately on reaching the bridge, the pilot realised the unfavourable situation but instead of consulting the master or aborting the approach, he ordered half ahead and hard-astarboard, with the intention of steering the ship around the breakwater head. The intended track now involved a very sharp starboard turn of almost 130º at minimum steerage way, keeping close to the breakwater head.The bridge team did not appreciate that this manoeuvre was beyond the ship's turning ability. The bridge team's vision was blinded by the bright city lights to the south, which were ...
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