200006 Bully Boy Tactics

Bully Boy Tactics
Report No. 200006

The course up the Strait of Gibraltar to Cabo de Sao Vicente TSS is approximately 2900T. As we were laden with steel coils and had a GM of 2.9m, our rolling period was in the region of 5.5 seconds in a nasty SSW swell. Not much problem for a larger ship but on our 2,700 grt vessel it was necessary to head up to the NW first before turning to approach the TSS on 2700T to alleviate the synchronous rolling. At 1130 four ships on our port side were approaching the TSS. From plotting it was calculated that they were making 2900 at speeds of around 13 to 14 knots. One tanker was on the port beam at approximately 7 miles off and closing on an almost steady bearing. I recognised it as a tanker belonging to a well known European company.

Requesting the 2/O to call me "if he caused any problem" (i.e. failed to give way) I left the bridge. Not long after, I was summoned to the bridge where I found our friend on the port beam at a distance of approximately 0.8nm still steering 2900 and still doing about 13 knots. The 2/O informed me that he had called him three times on VHF Ch 16 and had not received any response. I immediately pulled back the main engine pitch control, altered course to 3000 and gave five short blasts. I then called him on Ch 16 and again received no reply. However, he was seen to alter course to port by a few degrees. As he drew ahead I was able to pass under his stern and resume my course.

Once the situation had settled, I again called the vessel as I wanted to give him a piece of my mind and find out why he, a laden tanker of about 60,000 grt had felt justified in causing me to take evasive action. It would be rare to find a company who would put defective VHF sets on their normally well-equipped vessels. I am sure that he had heard me. He again caused a close quarters situation with a privileged ship a few miles further on in the TSS at the turning point for the NNW course. Again, the protests fell on deaf ears. The company concerned is known to carry deck cadets. If the prospective officers were witness to the OOW's flagrant abuse of the COLREGS, I hope that at least they know better.

This report is linked to 200018