Not unusual for tanker to have more than one DWT designation. When I was with ABS, I surveyed quite a few. Made for a paperwork nightmare, so to speak. All certificates for the varying DWTs had to be endorsed and then returned to their sealed envelopes on the Master’s safe. Anytime that there was a DWT change, there was also a corresponding change in the marks that was verified.
I think anchoring outside Hinchinbrook is a different game than simply “anchoring off-shore”, it is more akin to the difference between approaching New York harbor and crossing the Columbia River Bar.
As Chouest found out the hard way, it’s a whole 'nuther world up there.
“…by using the engine.”
Probably the best way, in most cases. I was in a light ship anchored offshore at Capetown when it started blowing forty knots and more as we were preparing to go in. We were getting nowhere until the Master finally decided to bring our engine into play.
“…The main wild card factor outside is sea and swell…”
Not to mention strong current and a bad bottom. We were discharging wheat offshore at Chittagong.
Prior to taking the deck, I went to the bridge to estimate our position using the one crappy point of land that the radar would show (this was in the time of Transit) to find we’d dragged five miles during the night.
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There can be strong currents an/or poor holding ground both inside or outside. When outside there is more room to recover if it turns out assumptions about holding and / or current turn out to be incorrect. Not so much inside.
The one factor present off-shore that’s not present inshore (in general) is wave/swell. If the ship is outside when an error is made and the ship waits too long to heave anchor it’s possible to do damage.
More difficult and more risk to use the engine to counter swell/seas while heaving in, better to leave early.
You’re right. We were caught by the unexpected at Capetown. Luckily, we were off before larger seas developed.
Squall line came through Fujairah anchorage one morning after breakfast. We were anchored in 90+ meters of water. Winds steady at 50 kts. Ship put its beam to the wind and was going sideways at 3 kts, with the anchor down.
With rudder full over it only took a dead slow bell to get the head into the wind, having an anchor down actually helps.
Weather at Knowles Head can get nautical enough, can’t imagine considering anchoring outside in April…
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The Stena Suede damaged their windlass and dragged for 4 miles. So safe to say they made a bad move. But it’s been claimed that it’s never possible to anchor off Hinchinbrook.
This is the current weather
Wind Direction (WDIR): NNW ( 330 deg true )
Wind Speed (WSPD): 5.8 kts
Wind Gust (GST): 7.8 kts
Wave Height (WVHT): 2.3 ft
Dominant Wave Period (DPD): 10 sec
Atmospheric Pressure (PRES): 29.97 in
To me that looks doable. 2.3 feet is 0.7 meters. I’ve been anchored off-shore in worse weather with no issues. It’s possible there’s something local that I’m unaware of but I can’t think what it would be.
I think what’s meant is that off Hinchinbrook is not a good place for protection against bad weather but that seems obvious.
Another way of putting it is I wouldn’t plan on anchoring anywhere in the Gulf in the winter time but I would consider if if there was a need and the weather was suitable.
I was mate on a tug/barge and we anchored exposed to the Gulf for a bit in February a few years back, barely a ripple…
Joe Martin said it best in the article ‘‘Anchoring in open waters in the Gulf of Alaska is at best imprudent, and at worst negligent, given the unpredictable environmental conditions which may be encountered at any time of the year’’.
It’s completely possible given the stated conditions and is done all over the world, just not outside of Hinchinbrook. Sounds like the “800 pages of stuff” and call to the master covers all of the official paperwork and pleasantries and no mention of 40+ years of local best practices.
And 20 miles outside of Hinchinbrook isn’t exposed to the gulf…it is the gulf.
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That is one thing that seems consistent from small boats on up then. I used to sell and install windlasses in the 500-3500 pound pull range and we ALWAYS told the customers that if they consistently used the windlass to pull the boat up into wind and sea we would be back repairing it soon enough, so please bump the engine into gear to move the boat up.
If a masters regular trade doesn’t bring him here he wouldn’t know that. Even given the pre-arrival documentation it might slip through the cracks. Sounds like this is best left to the COPT to issue guidance to foreign vessels.
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We anchored one time at Gibraltar Harbor in, IIRC, something like 60 meters of water and a rocky bottom
According to the BA sailing directions when the wind is blowing from the east there is some risk of a williwaw type wind coming down into the harbor.
It was a tight anchorage with lots of ships, not much room. Inside the harbor it was calm but outside there was a strong east wind. So I asked the pilot about it. He told me, “Yes captain, this is a dangerous anchorage for you.”
That’s what I’m looking for here. Light winds, big high pressure slowly building. Good forecast. Specifically what is it about that area that makes it unsafe?
20 miles off Hinchinbrook is a pretty broad area but generally its extra deep unless your in close proximity to a reef/rock outcropping/or the remotest rocky shoreline you will find in the tanker trade. 1-2 knots of current, williwaws during the nice weather months, hurricane force weather is expected from October to May.
I don’t see any fault in the foreign crews process, they did what they have always done. They showed up a day ahead of charter and stood by until they were supposed to take arrival, in my opinion Hilcorp failed to ensure they had relevant local knowledge. Anchoring inbound isn’t out of the norm, but I would guess the Stena ship had orders that said tender arrival abeam Cape Hinchinbrook at xxxx and the only anchorage is after that, so they waited outside.
The two trips we took into Valdez in April were both colder than usual outside of Hinchinbrook. My guess is that they put out most if not all of the chain they had and a cold, tired, winch motor couldn’t heave it all back. Not a problem in the rest of the world, but the microscope in Alaska is even more focused on foreign crews.
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So it is more a question of adequate information, local knowledge and experience than on the flag of the ship and nationality of the Master and crew??
Yes, just called up chart 16013 (should have looked at it earlier), there’s really not any suitable place to anchor there, too deep.
In a narrow technical sense maybe it can be done safely in good weather in the summer but it’s 60 meters out there. If ships were anchored out there on a routine basis a good percentage of them are going to get in trouble.
Yes it’s completely possible, just not the best place for it. Knowles Head isn’t exactly shallow, but it’s better protected than outside.
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I don’t agree with this from the pilots association. Seems like hyperbole.
Anchoring in open waters in the Gulf of Alaska is at best imprudent, and at worst negligent, given the unpredictable environmental conditions which may be encountered at any time of the year.”
There’s a couple factors about anchoring out there. . Mariners very often conduct operations that are safe when the weather is good and hazardous when the weather is bad. Nothing imprudent or negligent about conducting an operation that requires picking your weather. Just takes a little skill and weather savvy.
Second is the depth, anchoring in 60 meters is typically done by walking the anchor out rather then just letting go. Simple to do correctly, easy to do incorrectly.
As a matter of policy it’d be better to set up a system such that tankers didn’t anchor there, asking for trouble in the long run but on a case-by case basis it’s not imprudent if done properly.
The gains of allowing tankers to anchor there don’t justify the risk given the narrow weather window when it would be acceptable to anchor there.
I don’t see anything to suggest otherwise. They anchored offshore in good weather and had some trouble getting it all back. Article is definitely written to put them in a bad light, where’s the mention of sentinel tug? You know, the tug that is permanently stationed at Hinchinbrook to assist ships in trouble in the area? I’d guess not used because there wasn’t a real problem.
40 meters, doesn’t look too bad. A little close to the beach in S’ly winds. Got a little jumpy from being on the car ships. Takes about a mile to get a dragging car ship under control. That’s if things go well and assuming the engineers love you.