201149 Master - Pilot cooperation

I am a mooring Master at an offshore oil terminal and regularly berth large tankers to buoy moorings. Due to the nature of the installation, my embarkation on arriving ships is necessarily very close off the berth, often leaving very little time to fully discuss the approach, manoeuvres and mooring arrangements with the ship's captain, which can lead to misunderstandings and difficulties.

Recently, I boarded an incoming tanker whose harbour manoeuvring speeds were abnormally high. After reaching the bridge, and noting that the ship was making 5.5 knots, I hurriedly took over the con from the Master, ordering starboard ten on the rudder. The Master correctly acknowledged the order, but I observed him standing close to the helmsman and discreetly directing him to move the rudder to port ten. Initially, I thought that the Master's action was in error, and I repeated my helm order as starboard ten, but there was no reaction from either the Master or the helmsman. Fearing loss of control, I ordered hard-a-starboard, but this order was also not complied with by the Master, who ordered the helmsman to steady the head. At this point, I told the Master the ship was out of the ideal position due to his interference and deliberate non-cooperation. However, not wishing to endanger the terminal or the vessel, I explained the importance of complying fully with my orders and my intention to make a fresh approach. For his part, the Master expressed his fear that the vessel was in danger of hitting another mooring buoy close by, which was very unlikely due to the prevailing current. After reassuring him that I had the necessary local knowledge and ship-handling skills to safely berth the vessel, he gave me a verbal undertaking that my conning orders would be properly followed. I turned the vessel around and made a new approach. After the ship was safely moored, strained personal relations between us were set right and the tanker continues to make regular calls at the terminal.

Editor's note: This incident is very similar to MARS 201134 and once again reinforces the importance of effective Master-Pilot information exchanges. Ports, terminals, ship operators, Pilots and ship's Masters must all jointly ensure that the vessel is stopped in a safe location or maintained on a safe heading and slow speed for sufficient time for the passage/manoeuvring/berthing plan to be properly discussed and understood to mutual satisfaction.