Irresponsible Actions

I was on board a 290 meter Panamax box ship as harbour pilot and outbound from a major US East Coast container port with 11.6 meters draft. An inbound vessel was a 190 meter box ship with 9.4 meters draft. She was drifting offshore, awaiting the berth occupied by the outbound vessel. As is customary, the pilot station dispatcher advised the inbound vessel to stay a minimum 1.5 miles east of the fairway buoy while the outbound vessel cleared the channel. The ship was also informed that the pilot on the outbound ship would be her pilot inbound.

As my vessel shaped up in the final cut of the channel steering 070 degrees True, the inbound vessel was seen exactly head on, tracking on the leading lights marking the channel centreline of 250 degrees True. Due to my ship's draft, the fairway buoy must be passed on our port side. Due to wind and current conditions, my intention was to pass the fairway buoy on my port and then turn to port for a proper lee. Because this was a special situation and I was very concerned about the inbound vessel's proximity to the marked channel, I raised her on the VHF. I asked her to clear the boarding area, turn to her port so that we could meet starboard to starboard. The inbound vessel agreed. She also stated that she was five cables east of the fairway buoy. Based on her aspect, a port-to-port passage with the inbound vessel was unacceptable. Her draft prevented her from passing the fairway buoy to her port. Her proximity to the fairway buoy also prevented me from passing in between her and the fairway buoy.

This special situation demanded observance of the printed cautionary warnings about the Precautionary Area around the fairway buoy (see below). The inbound ship ignored them all. Two minutes elapsed and I observed her still dead ahead on a reciprocal course. She hadn't budged. The distance apart was now about 1.3 miles. A 9.45 meter shoal lies west of the fairway buoy on the north edge of the dredged channel, preventing most ships from transiting that side of the fairway buoy except in emergencies. The master and I agreed that immediate action was necessary to avoid a collision. As we cleared the last pair of buoys, we turned to port and managed to squeeze in between the shoal and the fairway buoy. Hard-a-port rudder and increase RPM's were ordered to turn to port westward of the fairway buoy. Amazingly, the inbound vessel maintained course and speed and entered the marked channel without a compulsory pilot. Once in open water, I disembarked and eventually boarded the inbound ship. Fortunately, there appeared to be no Gulf Stream current, as the inbound ship was always seen head on, all navigation lights visible. Now she was two miles into the marked channel.

Once to the wheelhouse, I asked the Master and Officer of the Watch if they enter other ports around the world without a pilot and why they failed to act on the passage agreed to. Plenty of excuses were given but none a good reason for entering the port with such reckless abandon.

Supplementary Notes

Chart notes " A Precautionary Area exists around the light buoy. Large commercial ships inbound and outbound will board and disembark pilots within this area and will be severely limited in their ability to manoeuvre. All vessels are advised to exercise extreme caution when navigating within this area."

ALRS Volume 6(5) NP 286, states, " The Pilot Boarding and Cruising Area is close seaward of the Light Buoy. Large deep-draught vessels are requested to stay at least 1 nautical mile eastward of the Light Buoy for pilot boarding because of the strength and proximity of the Gulf Stream current."