by Spider » Wed Oct 10, 2018 7:37 pm
In these busy shipping channels there is a constant flow of huge merchantmen moving around the clock at a clip. The lookouts' failure wasn't in not seeing the commercial traffic...unless they were squatting down playing cards instead of looking, they almost certainly saw the shipping in question. The failure was in not recognizing the threat, and assuming that the bridge watch actually knew what the hell was going on.
Don't know if anyone here has ever stood night watches at sea...but it's f**k boring, staring off into the void trying to spot little dots of light. COLREGS say any boat is required to stand a dedicated eyeball watch at all times....doesn't mean it always happens. Not excusing it, but it happens all the time. Those big container ships and tankers are sometimes charging across the open ocean with nobody even on the bridge, much less looking out the window. Everyone is f**k around, playing games, watching movies, etc.
What we've got here is a failure to communicate. Combined with gross dereliction of duty and incompetence...and of course a simple failure of basic seamanship.