200048 Consult the Pilot Before Letting Go

Consult the Pilot Before Letting Go
Report No. 200048

A pilot boarded a container feeder vessel on a tidal river. The vessel had already let go and by the time the pilot arrived on the bridge the master had started the departure manoeuvre without any form of master / pilot information exchange or notification of his intentions. No Pilot Card or Wheelhouse Poster were available. There was no time for the pilot to ascertain if the fairway is clear or to notify the VTS of the departure before the ship was in the process of leaving the berth. The ship had moored starboard alongside on the flood tide. A large container vessel was moored 40m ahead.

On departure it was full ebb-tide, wind force 6 to 7 abeam, towards the berth. Repeatedly ignoring the warnings and advice of the pilot, the master nevertheless attempted to leave the berth using the bow thrust to port, the rudder hard to port and dead slow ahead. The ship immediately started to make headway but the angle with the berth remained too small. The master ignored collision avoidance advice from the pilot but instead increased the ships speed to half and full ahead. First the stern hit the berth and a few minutes later the bow of the container vessel which was moored ahead was violently hit by our starboard side midship section and superstructure. The master even questioned why the VTS and the other vessel had to be informed about the incident.