How Can We Prevent Collision at Sea?

<< Week No.
16 >>
<< Actions on Collision and Grounding >>
Define the following questions:

1. How can we prevent collision at sea?
What Can You Do?
Keep a constant lookout
Stay out of the way
Do not underestimate the speed of a large vessel
Be visible
Keep watch at night
Watch the ship's lights
Know whistle signals
Use your radio
Choose safe anchorages
Use binoculars
Carry a radar reflector
Remember that ships displace many thousands of tons of water
Note that around some restricted areas
2. Why is COLREG important?

The COLREG is important because it aims to establish rules to avoid
collision at sea. The increasing number of ships and condensed traffic on
the sea lines of communication makes the COLREGs rather important for
safety of the seas.
3. What action should be taken following a vessel on collision?
1. Stop engines and obtain an assessment of the situation. ...
2. Sound emergency alarm.
3. Switch on deck lights and NUC lights.
4. Inform master & engine room .
5. Broadcast message to all ships in the vicinity.
6. Carry out head count and damage assessment.
7. Muster damage control parties and detail duties
8. Order bilge pumps and ballast pumps to start pumping out effected area.
9. Shut all watertight doors and fire doors.
10. Communication officer- standby to obtain weather report.
Navigational officer to update vessels position and assist master as
required.
11. Prepare survival craft for immediate launching if situation demands.
4. What are the causes of ship collision?

Long Hours, Lack of sleep leading to Fatigue
Inexperience, and lack of training
Long voyages, extended time at sea
Personal relationships aboard the vessel
Reckless Behavior, including abuse of drugs and alcohol
Poor decision making and/or negligence
Pressures and stress of Job Duties
5. How do you stop a ship collision?
Collision Avoidance Checklist
Avoid ship channels where possible, or cross them quickly.
Be alert: Watch for ship traffic.
Think before you drink!
Be seen, especially at night.
Know whistle signals: Five or more mean danger.
Use radio channel 13 for bridge-to-bridge communication.
Use up-to-date navigation charts.
Keep in mind that few survive collisions with ships.
When in doubt, keep clear.
6. What is the difference between stranding and grounding?

A grounding is when a ship strikes the seabed, while a stranding is when
the ship then remains there for some length of time. Both can damage a
vessel and result in oil spills depending on the ocean bottom type. A vessel
is stranded when she is aground and cannot refloat without assistance. A
grounding may be accidental or may be anticipated, e. g. at ports and
berths where ships are expected to take the ground whilst alongside.
7. How do you stop a ship from grounding?

Best Practice to Stop Grounding:
Proper Passage Planning

Vigilant Watchkeeping
Regular Position Fixing
Good Bridge Resource Management
Fatigue Management
Avoiding Complacency
Superintendence
Mentoring
8. What does it mean when a ship is grounded?
Ship grounding or ship stranding is the impact of a ship on seabed or
waterway side.[1] It may be intentional, as in beaching to land crew or
cargo, and careening, for maintenance or repair, or unintentional, as in a
marine accident. In accidental cases, it is commonly referred to as
"running aground".
When unintentional, grounding may result simply in stranding, with or

without damage to the submerged part of the ship's hull. Breach of the hull
may lead to significant flooding, which in the absence of containment in
watertight bulkheads may substantially compromise the ship's structural
integrity, stability, and safety.
9. What is the first step after running aground?

-Stop engines immediately (it happens that a ship runs aground with very
little speed on a very soft bottom with very little slope) and that nobody on
the bridge or in the engine room has felt it)
-Sound general alarm
-Watertight doors to be closed
-VHF watch maintained on channel 16
-Broadcast to other vessels
-Sound signals, Light / Shapes to be exhibited especially important in case
of fog)
-Deck lighting switched on
-Check position on chart
-Take note of any valuable information (time, course steered, speed, log,
eventual manoeuvres, etc.)
-Sound bilges, tanks
-Immediately take overboard soundings around vessel to check on what
type of sandbank the ship is lying.
-If the ship is on top of a flat sandbank the danger of breaking in two is
minimal.
-Evaluate risks of pollution
-Inform Company and any third parties if relevant (P & I Club, Hull
underwriters, Port authorities, etc)
-Update if necessary vessel's position in radio room, satellite terminal and
other automatic distress transmitter (GMDSS)
-Consider danger of the situation and if possible take pictures
-Consider further actions with consideration for:

salvage
risks of sinking (emergency message, EPIRB's, abandon ship)
secure position (change of tide, weather, stream, stress risks, stability)
assistance, port of refuge, oil spills
Keep the Company always informed
Enter every action taken in the log book
10. What does it mean to ground a ship?

Ship grounding occurs when a sea vessel such as a boat or tanker runs
aground or otherwise makes contact with the bed of the body of water.
This occurrence often has a significant structural impact on the ship itself,
and a ship grounding may also lead to a loss of human life or
environmental distress. The structural damage to the ship may be
catastrophic, or it may be minor enough that the ship can continue to
function, but a thorough inspection of the ship will be necessary after such
an impact.
The dangers associated with a ship grounding vary according to the vessel
and the situation that led to the impact. In some cases, a ship grounding
can lead to the vessel being stranded on the bed that it contacted, leading
to a difficult process to free the vessel or otherwise repair it. The damage
incurred by the vessel may allow water to flood the lower part of the boat,
which can be a potentially dangerous and life threatening situation. Ships
can sink as a result of a ship grounding, and loss of human life on board
the vessel is possible.

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<< Week No.

Define the following questions:

2. Why is COLREG important?

4. What are the causes of ship collision?

6. What is the difference between stranding and grounding?

7. How do you stop a ship from grounding?

Proper Passage Planning

When unintentional, grounding may result simply in stranding, with or

9. What is the first step after running aground?

-Consider further actions with consideration for:

10. What does it mean to ground a ship?

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