Has all the stress on technology pushed good old seamanship to the back burner? The following video of a collision in the Singapore Straits on 3rd March 2013 is bound to raise the question. The incident, which occurred in the VTS Singapore Central area, was hurriedly recorded by a Mexican ship officer on board another vessel using his mobile phone. The man obviously held the device the wrong way (note the narrow vertical view). But what’s a little clumsy photography compared with clumsy navigation? ~Barista Uno
[youtube IZ0hYorC5WM&f]
UPDATE: The original uploader of this video has closed his YouTube account for unknown reasons. Here’s another video, a much better one, of the same incident:
[youtube FmDybTIxrJc]
Who was overtaking who will be key. Note the head-on situation developing also. The crowding of the four ships in the same channel location is a factor, but it all comes back to who was overtaking who. However, even that said, once the crowding started in earnest, ships needed to mutually take action to open separations and ensure room to manoeuvre. This looks like stubborn sea rage at best. Blame is always shared!
Seamanship has surely been thrown out of the window in this instance. Most of the qualified and experienced seamen have been sidelined…we now have a truckload of certificated “seafarers”. The question is, are these certificated seafarers qualified according to the stipulated standards set by the industry?