94033 Fatigue
A Question of Fatigue?
- U.K., Late Evening, Fine and Clear.
- Report No. 94033.
The vessel concerned in this report is a modern coaster with all manoeuvring aids, well found with Dutch Officers and Filipino crew. After a short voyage up the coast from her last port the inward pilotage lasted from 1230 to 1445. Cargo operations commenced on arrival, these were completed at 2200 and sailing arranged for 2215.
On swinging off the quay, I noticed the Master (who was doing his own ship handling) to be using rather more power than was absolutely necessary, thus eroding the margins of safety should there have been machinery failure, he also seemed rather unco-ordinated in his actions.
Whilst transiting the dock system on the approach to the lock gateway at about 3 - 4 knots, I advised the Master to "cant easy to port"; I then walked onto the bridge wing in order to observe the ship's side clearing the quay knuckle on the approach.
The vessel then started into a slow starboard cant towards the knuckle, at which point I returned to the wheelhouse and asked the Master for more port thrust – which he acknowledged. The rate of cant to starboard then increased and at this point I observed the Bow Thrust controls were set for starboard thrust. I quickly ordered "full astern" and correct thrust direction, though naturally this took time for the thrust in the wrong direction to "wind down" and become effective in the other direction. The vessel narrowly missed landing broadside onto the stone faced knuckle and quay by a matter of inches. The vessel proceeded thereafter without anything untoward and cleared the port 45 minutes later.
Although it was dusk, the weather conditions were fine and clear with no wind. I know the Master from previous visits to the port and relations are always cordial and his manner totally professional; these actions and occurrences appear to be solely the result of fatigue.
This instance wholly concurs with the view expressed in the paper TRAINING, FATIGUE AND POLLUTION, page 11 SEAWAYS, August 1994.