200113 Near Miss in Fog

13 Jan 2001 MARS

Near Miss in Fog
Report No. 200113

I was proceeding in dense fog to pick up a pilot for berthing, having already waited 6 minutes after heaving anchor for another vessel crossing our bows. While proceeding up the approach channel, a vessel proceeding down on the wrong side and outside of the channel suddenly veered to starboard across our path just as the fog lifted slightly and then changed his mind and swung back with only about 2 cables to spare. The other vessel thought that crossing back to his correct side of the channel in front of an oncoming Cape-size bulk carrier in near zero visibility was as good a time as any for getting back to where he should have been in the first place.

POSSIBLE CAUSES OF THIS NEAR MISS
  • Weighing anchor to reach the pilot at about the right time without allowing for delays in fog.
  • Poor judgement on the part of the other vessel.
ACTIONS TAKEN

I slowed down in preparation to going astern and taking the way off but the other vessel swung back almost immediately.

PREVENTION ACTION PROPOSED FOR ANOTHER TIME

Next time to depart the anchorage even earlier to allow for delays and if necessary proceed at slow speed to make up for an early ETA.

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