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[Maritimelinks.net {Moderator}]

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[gCaptain.com]

Ok, I have posted this elsewhere before but it still give me
occasional nightmares to this day:

This story rings close to me because on my very first night watch
after graduating from the academy the capt put me on 12-4 and I stood
in shock as a 125' fishing boat approached my port side at 26 knots 20
minutes after the second mate (who's alarm clock failed) was suppose
to relieve me.

This was an 1100' SEABEE vessel (The Cape Mohican) going a whopping
8kts. The Captain had also told me the day before "Don't turn the ship
for any small vessel unless you see the fear of god in the captains
eye while he's frantically pulling his outboard's rip-cord."

I made a few critical mistakes that night:

* I had not memorized the Captain's phone # which had been smudged
out on the bridge's phone directory so I couldn't call him
* I sent the AB to wake the second mate up at 0400 not realizing
he would take a 30min smoke break afterwards
* I called the vessel 3 time wasting my time
* I was the stand on vessel that I stood on too long

What saved me was the whistle, there were 2 aboard. One was a double
stacked electric and one a huge steam whistle fed off the ship's
boilers. As the boat got within a few hundred feet I had to make a
choice. Sound the steam whistle and wake the captain (and every one
else on the ship) or the electric which would cover my ass in court
and not wake the captain in hopes that the fishing boat was waiting
till the last minute to turn. I chose the steam whistle, woke up our
entire crew but also woke up the boat's captain who had been sleeping
in an aft cabin (I saw him run to the bridge in his boxer shorts).

After sounding the whistle my capt ran to the bridge (in a towel) and
yelled at the radar "where is it, WHERE IS IT" then glanced at me
pointing directly down below the bridge wing.

The result: I got a warning for not calling the captain but an
excellent evaluation when I signed off stating "he's a man who can be
trusted" but most importantly by saying "F%$# it" and sounding the
steam whistle I didn't kill the crew of that fishing boat.

Close Call and to answer the question: no I was not ready to stand
watch despite having the license and a 4 year degree.

[Maritimelinks.net {Moderator}]

This is a really good story- and something that all new cadets should
learn. I actually had a night where I lost sight of a damn sailboat
that was eerily similar to this scenario. He was very close and I
couldn't get him on the radio and I was the stand on vessel, but he
didn't know what the hell a stand on vessel is.... he didn't know the
rules of the road.

That is the worst thing- dealing with people that do not yet
understand the rules or what is prudent in different scenarios. I have
found that it is usually rich guys with new boats- they think that
they are 'captains' by virtue of owning a boat. It is very sad that
the Coast Guard is so hard on us- the professionals- and put all the
liability on us. But the real danger is the small vessel operator that
does not know what is going on.

When this happened to me, I had a year of sailing under my belt- but
hadn't had this kind of a close call at night when in transit. It was
unexpected. You have to learn to expect the unexpected.

[foretopman]

I woder why you not altered your course to stabor if the whishing
vessel was on your portside.

[Maritimelinks.net {Moderator}]

I am sure that as a new mate he did not want to make a mistake- he was
the stand on vessel and if he had moved he would have been breaking
from the captain's orders not to move for a small vessel.

I can understand this sort of mistake when you are a new mate- it is
really common- simply because of the nervousness that a new
watchstander will have in the firest few weeks/months of sailing. I
remember having incidents recently that were still very shaking- where
the rules of the road were not even applicable.... two and three
vessel situations that were not shaping up well.

Of course, you can never really judge a newbie for making a mistake-
that does not make them a bad officer or say anything about thier
schooling- it is mostly because new mates are not prepared for the
reality of the sea.... dealing with other vessels is not always as
clear cut as the Coast Guard Rules would have you believe.

[foretopman]

Was once outlook on the port wing of the bridge of a tanker and we
were off the coat of England, there was a trawler coming from left and
without any intention to slow down or alter her course, with
accordance the rule the trawler was that so called; stand on vessel,
but the young mate, jut been finished his school stood next to me and
we stared together as the trawler drew nearer and nearer and at last
nearly hit us. The mate took the trawler being obliged to take the
dodge.