Maritime
Japan sea collision caused
by poor watchkeeping
M/V Sinokor-Incheon
D
ue to an incident there a fishing vessel collided
with a container ship that took the life of one
person, the Japan Transport Safety Board (JTSB)
has speeded up its investigative report. The
incident took place along Himeshima Village, Oita
Prefecture, Japan The report includes causes of
the incident and lessons learnt, to prevent similar
accidents from occurring in the future.
As container ship SINOKOR INCHEON was heading east toward
Mishima-Kawanoe Port, Shikokuchuo City, Ehime Prefecture, with a
master and a second officer and other 15 crew members onboard,
and while fishing vessel TOSHIMARU was proceeding north-
northwest toward Mitajiri District of Mitajiri-Nakanoseki Port, Hofu
City, Yamaguchi Prefecture, with a skipper onboard, the two Ships
struck into each other at around 23:56 on February 19, 2016, off to
the east of Hime Shima, Himeshima Village, Oita Prefecture.
TOSHIMARU received a hole and other damage to her port-
side center shell plating and capsized, becoming a total loss.
Her skipper was killed. SINOKOR INCHEON had abrasions on her
bulbous bow.
It is probable that, off the eastern coast of Hime Shima at night,
while SINOKOR INCHEON was proceeding east and TOSHIMARU
was proceeding north-northwest, the two ships collided because
second officer of SINOKOR INCHEON was not that alert in looking
on TOSHIMARU, because he thought there was no danger of a
collision and because Skipper of TOSHIMARU did not notice of
SINOKOR INCHEON until it had come close to it.
It is probable that second officer of SINOKOR INCHEON thought
that there was no danger of colliding with the other vessel
because, when he extended the radar’s true speed vectors, he
found that the tip of TOSHIMARU’s vector reached a point behind
the tip of SINOKOR INCHEON’s vector.
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It is somewhat likely that Skipper of TOSHIMARU did not
notice SINOKOR INCHEON until it had come close to it, because
Skipper of TOSHIMARU had accumulated fatigue. However, it was
not possible to determine the situation of lookout, as Skipper of
TOSHIMARU was killed in this accident.
Safety issues
*It is probable that Skipper B fell into the water when Ship B
capsized, and it is somewhat likely that Skipper B could have been
saved in a living state if a search and rescue operation had been
started earlier. Therefore, 2/O A needed to follow the SMS manual
and Master’s Standing Order and call Master A immediately,
and use RADAR for search of Ship B, and when he was unable to
observe Ship B’s l