Near Miss Master Alone On Bridge

Approaching A Pilot Station
Scandinavia
Good Visibility

Report No. 96017

Prior to entering the Baltic Sea, the master decided to take a deep seapilot. At around 2200, our vessel reduced speed to "slow ahead"and was proceeding towards the pilot station. Another vessel was about twomiles behind us and on the same course. The master of our vessel had sentthe third officer on deck to receive the pilot and apparently he had notreported the vessel behind us to the master before leaving the bridge. Therewas no other officer or lookout present on the bridge to report this vesselto the master and apparently the master himself failed to observe this vesselas he started to make a lee for the pilot boat by giving "hard a starboard"helm. The other vessel, who was not taking a pilot, kept on her course andspeed and failed to observe the reduction of speed and alteration to starboardby our vessel in ample time. Consequently all of a sudden both vessels camevery close to each other. The master of our vessel stopped the engines andwent full astern. Fortunately the engines responded in time and the othervessel passed within a few metres of our vessel. I make the following suggestions:
Vessels not intending to take a Pilot should keep well clear of Pilot Stations.
Vessels navigating in the vicinity of a Pilot Station shall do so with extreme caution, keeping in mind that other vessels may manoeuvre to embark a Pilot or to make a lee for the pilot boat.
The importance of a lookout man other than a man on the wheel or the duty officer cannot be over emphasised. Organisations should make regulations that the names are entered in the deck log book.
The handing over to the master (no matter if it is for a very short period of time) should be proper. All vessels concerned to be reported and it shall not be assumed that the master has observed all vessels concerned.