200258 Routine Visit to Singapore

Routine Visit to Singapore
Report No. 200258

My present ship is a 39,000-dwt chemical tanker operated by a reputable Owner/Manager. The vessel is a regular visitor to Singapore and the following is an account of a recent visit. We were nearly fully laden with MTBE and bound from Malaysia to Singapore to bunker and complete loading prior to proceeding to USWC. The Port Master at Singapore had been given the usual pre-arrival message including a statement that the vessel was carrying chemicals. This was copied to the agent who was fully aware of the cargo onboard. Information from the agent told us to take a pilot at EBGB and then to proceed to the Western Petroleum Anchorage for bunkers as our load berth was expected to be occupied upon arrival. Our passage plan to the pilot station and thence from the pilot station to the anchorage was drawn up on the basis of this information.

We were approaching from the East and steering 231 approaching the TSS off the Horsburgh. As usual, there was a lot of traffic in sight and a lot of activity by very brightly lit dredger's working on reclamation from the Ramunia Shoals to the north of TSS. There was a target about 4 miles off on our port bow showing a green light. This vessel was crossing at a fine angle and on a collision course. We were called by this vessel and answered them after they had correctly identified own ship by course, speed and position. We were then asked if it was OK to pass starboard to starboard. This would have involved us, the stand-on vessel, altering course to port whilst the other vessel, presumably maintained his with little inconvenience to his good self. We politely declined his offer and suggest he followed the Rule of the Road and altered his course to starboard to enable us to pass port to port. This he duly did but he did not seem to be overjoyed about doing so. We passed the Horsburgh Lt. at around 0100 hrs. and duly reported in to VTIS. Engines were put on stand-by for Straits transit. We also contacted the pilot station at this time, they requested that we advance our ETA to 0400.

At around 0315, we were contacted by VTIS and told that, as we were carrying chemicals, we would need to go to the ALGAS anchorage near Sultan Shoal at the western approaches to Singapore. This involved calling an extra Officer to the bridge so that the 2nd Mate could redraw the courses and change the passage plan. Although a regular visitor to Singapore, I had not carried chemicals recently and I was not aware of the changes whereby all vessels carrying gas and or liquid chemicals must now anchor in the newly designated anchorage. We duly proceeded towards the new anchorage at reduced speed to enable us to manoeuvre quickly if needed. This gave a speed of about 12kts. We were aware of a dredger astern of us on our port quarter overtaking. He duly chose to pass us at a distance of about 0.5 cables close to the Jong Fairway where the TSS is at its narrowest, it comes down to 3 cables width at this point. We pulled over to starboard as much as we could safely do. We did not want him to have to slow down and thus lose time. Our call to the dredger on Channel 16 fell on deaf ears. I later heard another ship asking why a dredger was overtaking him so close when there was plenty of sea room.

We arrived at the Pilot station and anchored to take bunkers and stores. We had the usual argument with the bunker barge over figures. The Oil Major who was supplying us with the bunkers is one of those who, quite rightly, strictly vets the ships that will carry his cargoes, including us. It seems a pity that such vetting does not extend to the bunker barges he employs. My day finished at 2200 that evening after berthing at the load terminal. It had started at midnight and I had not had a proper break. I was up again the following morning at 0400 hrs. to sign off some crew leaving at 0500 hrs. (I was too tired to do this the night before). My planned lunch time pre-departure rest was disturbed by an Inspector boarding to carry out a safety inspection on behalf of the terminal. We had no pre-warning of this. The Inspector stated the inspection was a new requirement of the Singapore Port Authority. The Vetting Inspector had, until very recently, been a chemical tanker Master. He said that he had given up sailing to become an Inspector because he was completely fed up with all the inspections and other pressures he faced as a Master on these vessels.

I do not regard this visit as being particular unusual. Similar events will happen at most calls to such a busy port and with such a busy sea route right on its door step. I do not usually encounter misunderstandings with Port Master or Agents. This Port is, in general, the model of efficiency.