USS John McCain hits oil tanker
Discussion
Keeping up the US Navy's recent tradition of bumping into other ships at sea, USS John McCain has collided with the oil tanker Alnic MC while underway near Singapore. Five injured and ten American sailors are missing. The damaged destroyer is fighting flooding in several places and has limited electrical and propulsion power but is making her way to port.
Interestingly there are scant details on how the tanker is coping after the collision.
Guardian link
Interestingly there are scant details on how the tanker is coping after the collision.
Guardian link
Reuters has a small update on the tanker after contacting the ship direct:
Reuters said:
"We are proceeding to Raffles Reserved Anchorage, where the owners will investigate the matter. There was some damage to the valve but no oil spill."
The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore said no injuries were reported on the Alnic, which suffered some damage to its forepeak tank well above the waterline.
Bruised McCain:The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore said no injuries were reported on the Alnic, which suffered some damage to its forepeak tank well above the waterline.
So the tanker ran into the destroyer then, by the looks of things. Not the inference given on the news this morning, "a US Navy destroyer has collided with a tanker". Technically right, but the way it's worded does suggest something different to what's shown in the picture.
Nasty accident
Nasty accident
CrutyRammers said:
So the tanker ran into the destroyer then, by the looks of things.
How do you arrive at that conclusion?An oil tanker is much, much less manuverable than the destroyer. If the destroyer was indeed underway at sea the balance of probalities remains that it hit the tanker and not the other way around.
trickywoo said:
How do you arrive at that conclusion?
An oil tanker is much, much less manuverable than the destroyer. If the destroyer was indeed underway at sea the balance of probalities remains that it hit the tanker and not the other way around.
Then, from the picture the destroyer must have been going sideways to get hit like that.......An oil tanker is much, much less manuverable than the destroyer. If the destroyer was indeed underway at sea the balance of probalities remains that it hit the tanker and not the other way around.
The tanker ran into the destroyer in the same way a car in the main road "runs into" someone who pulls out on them.
How does this happen, again? Do American sailors just not look out of the windows? (I read that the senior crew of the last ship that was involved in a collision has been removed.)
How does this happen, again? Do American sailors just not look out of the windows? (I read that the senior crew of the last ship that was involved in a collision has been removed.)
trickywoo said:
How do you arrive at that conclusion?
An oil tanker is much, much less manuverable than the destroyer. If the destroyer was indeed underway at sea the balance of probalities remains that it hit the tanker and not the other way around.
'Cos the impact is in the side of the destroyer, and the tanker had damage to its front end? Though I take your point.An oil tanker is much, much less manuverable than the destroyer. If the destroyer was indeed underway at sea the balance of probalities remains that it hit the tanker and not the other way around.
Video on Guardian website shows more detail of the severity of the damage:
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/aug/21/us...
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/aug/21/us...
Damage to bow of tanker and port side of destroyer suggests destroyer had right of way, unless tanker was constrained by channel depth, in which case destroyer should have kept out of way. Either way, poor watch-keeping on part of one, other or both. Possibly radar-assisted collision?
CrutyRammers said:
trickywoo said:
How do you arrive at that conclusion?
An oil tanker is much, much less manuverable than the destroyer. If the destroyer was indeed underway at sea the balance of probalities remains that it hit the tanker and not the other way around.
'Cos the impact is in the side of the destroyer, and the tanker had damage to its front end?An oil tanker is much, much less manuverable than the destroyer. If the destroyer was indeed underway at sea the balance of probalities remains that it hit the tanker and not the other way around.
Simpo Two said:
CrutyRammers said:
trickywoo said:
How do you arrive at that conclusion?
An oil tanker is much, much less manuverable than the destroyer. If the destroyer was indeed underway at sea the balance of probalities remains that it hit the tanker and not the other way around.
'Cos the impact is in the side of the destroyer, and the tanker had damage to its front end?An oil tanker is much, much less manuverable than the destroyer. If the destroyer was indeed underway at sea the balance of probalities remains that it hit the tanker and not the other way around.
Isn't it technically that neither has "right of way" but one would be "give way" and the other "stand on" vessel?
In this case port side of destroyer hit by bow of tanker does appear as if tanker would be give way.
But, isn't there something around/about a 1000m exclusion zone around an oil tanker?
Also, tanker could have restricted maneuverability due to navigational reasons so again Destroyer would be "give way" vessel!
All in all might not be the clearcut "port" vs "Starboard" that it appears to be....
In this case port side of destroyer hit by bow of tanker does appear as if tanker would be give way.
But, isn't there something around/about a 1000m exclusion zone around an oil tanker?
Also, tanker could have restricted maneuverability due to navigational reasons so again Destroyer would be "give way" vessel!
All in all might not be the clearcut "port" vs "Starboard" that it appears to be....
CoolHands said:
What muppets can't avoid another boat in all that space
I think the waters around Singapore (Straits of Malacca) are amongst the busiest in the world, so there probably isn't that mushc space, relatively speaking.But yes, you'd expect the one of the most powerful destroyers in the world, one that is designed to defend itself against supersonic cruise missiles, to be able to avoid getting hit by an Oil Tanker.
chrisga said:
Perhaps the destroyer thought he was "mast abeam"..... Then started luffing the tanker...... ;-)
Jeeze if you think that's still a rule remind to get outta the way next time you're coming through!(although someone did call that to me a couple of weeks ago, just before he went fo pirouetting)
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