STEP CHANGE FOR SAFETY GLOBAL SHARING DEC 2013 - SAFE NAVIGATION | Page 6

GLOBAL SHARING MONTHLY NEWSLETTER – DEC. 2013 - NAVIGATION
KEY MESSAGE: ENSURE ALL NAVIGATING OFFICERS UNDERSTAND ROR. TEST OFTEN.
WHAT HAPPENED:

A Navigational Officer caused a close quarter situation with fishing boat. The situation would have been
easily avoided if he only hadn’t followed the guide line (route line) so diligently. The officer explained that he
could have always altered the course to stbd. but a question he could not understand was – why did he create
such close quarter situation at all?
WHY IT HAPPENED:

Lack of basic knowledge and given priority to maintaining route-plan instead of adhering to Rules of the Road.
LESSONS LEARNED:

1) Most important that all Navigators knows and apply “best practice and judgment” and do obey the “Rules of
the Road at Sea” at all times.
2) Ship’s Passage Plan (courses made in ships sea charts either on paper or on ECDIS) is a pre-planning for
guidance, but the actual situations could be different, and which, DO NOT supersede compliance with “Rules of
the Road at Sea”.
REMARKS:

ST

31

DEC 2013

A Shell Marine Contractors Safety Initiative