PSC history tells its own tale…
What on earth are you going on about? There are many US flag, Chinese built ships. This is not news. Relax, take a few deep breaths, take off the red nose and orange wig and quit acting like a clown.
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Not sure if this video has been posted before
I’ll turn that question over to the mariners who regularly sail those waters. Is the area where the Stena vessel anchored a place where vessels generally anchor for whatever reason, regardless of any formal designation as anchorage?
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The normal configuration of a ship similar to the Sten Immaculate at anchor would have just an auxiliary generator running and one standby. The generators are of a size to run electric cargo pumps and are more than adequate to run hotel services. The main engine would have the electric turning gear engaged and be kept at operating temperature by circulating cooling water from the generator.
Starting pumps, disengaging the turning gear, blowing the engine over on air would be a fairly hectic 15 to 20 minutes. Meanwhile the Solong has steamed 4 to 5.33 miles.
Is clairvoyance a new requirement for an OOW at anchor?
Meanwhile onboard the Solong, with supposedly the master keeping a watch, constantly in high traffic with very little time alongside, the administration work on a ship her size is the same for any size ship. The period of duty may be 3 months on but it could be more. All watch keepers will be constantly fatigued with broken sleep. The hours of rest report will be an exquisite work of fiction.
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No, but keeping an eye on what is moving around you is a (not new) requirement, especially on an open anchorage,
In this case the Stena Immaculate was anchored where coastal traffic, north or south bound, could normally be expected to pass. (Clear of the coast, OWF and the gas fields further offshore)
PS> Not much they could do except call, blow their horn and 
Not a very clear and informative video, but the only one I have seen showing the actual moment of collision:
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Does this matter in this case? According to Sal this was the moment of the crash. Maybe was not a “recognized” anchorage but it looks like a popular one.
Was the Solong bound to hit something?
Is this unrecognized anchorage always this populated?
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I don’t know where I saw it, but I swear I saw another picture where the Solong had already blown through that anchorage in the past.
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That ships are at anchor in an area at any one time doesn’t make it a “recognized anchorage”.
The reason why several vessels were at anchor there at this time COULD be congestion at the designated anchorage and / or at the Humber Ports.
The fact remains that it is an open anchorage, not a regulated one, as it is outside of the Humber VTS area.
None of that oblive any ships from keeping a good lookout and situation awareness and take such actions as necessary to avoid a collision by any means available.
Obviously in this case one vessel had a lot more means of avoidance than the other.
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That’s why I used the term ‘recognized’ anchorage: that term has no legal meaning, but most navigators are going to know what I mean. As you say, mariners customarily anchor there, even though no authority has marked it out on charts as a designated anchorage, the latter of which often requires permission to anchor from local authorities.
Where our vessels operate there are recognized anchorages–not a term-of-art but common knowledge with navigators who frequent the area. Nobody assigns the anchorage spots. You just take what you want. Anybody who barrels through these in dense fog at anything but reduced speed is being negligent. And if their track never wavers as they approach these radar mine-fields they are doubly negligent.
Even if the captain was brand new and knew nothing of this recognized or customary anchorage it would have shown up plain-as-day on the radar. I think we are all in agreement on that. The Solong’s captain --euphemistically speaking–could toss the ECDIS and AIS overboard and still see collision was imminent from 12 miles away or more.
I’m a big believer in fog signals and VHF comms, and both would have been completely useless here, because anyone negligent enough to completely ignore the radar display certainly would not have listened to fog signals or monitored the VHF.
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Hopefully the Stena Immaculate was making the requisite sound signals of a vessel in fog. I assume her AIS was indicating that she was a vessel at anchor and to whether she used her VHF to warn the Solong will be certainly be of concern to the subsequent enquiry.
My point was if anyone expects a vessel with the machinery such as that fitted to the Stena Immaculate to take avoiding action from anchor near a high trafficked area then such a vessel could never anchor.
I never sailed with an automatic bell and gong. Back in the day at anchor off Rotterdam on a 350,000 DWT VLCC the only way I could hear whether the two AB’s were sounding the bell and gong was on the talkback system. They couldn’t hear each other and from the bridge wing I couldn’t hear either them. I might have had a chance if the engine room fans were shut down but that would mean 8 hours notice for manoeuvring for a steamer.
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Good to see they both were equipped with freefall lifeboats. Conditions looked rough, could have been many injuries with conventional gravity davit launched lifeboats.
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Dr.Bugge
QUOTE:
The tanker is part of a U.S. government program designed to supply the armed forces with fuel when required. A U.S. military spokesperson told Reuters on Monday it had been on a short-term charter to the U.S. Navy’s Military Sealift Command
END QUOTE
The term “short charter” is a bit unprecise. Any idea what charter it was . Time charter, consecutive voyage charter, contract charter, voyage charter , demise or what?? Can not find it.
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As an educated guess I think she was awarded with this 70-day charter:
N3220525R4023
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Contract Award Date: Jan 07, 2025
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Contract Award Number: N3220525P2014
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Task/Delivery Order Number:
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Contractor Awarded Unique Entity ID: FFPYF2SX3C96
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Contractor Awarded Name: CROWLEY-STENA MARINE SOLUTIONS LLC
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Contractor Awarded Address: Jacksonville, FL 32225 USA
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Base and All Options Value (Total Contract Value): $5,245,039.66
You can look it up on sam.gov
Link to the original solicitation notice:
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THANKS!!! Really appreciated your kind effort.
above pdf link returns 
From my location ( IP) not all US sites are available and since I have been designated by some geniuses here as russian troll/spy , putin lover , AI bot - the last one was a real unintended complement, then it seems all US Gov sites are on high allert with extra and vigorous cyber security measures applied. .
Anyway 70 day charter is a “time charter” and I asked because I read here quite sensless discussion about " recognized" anchorage and its meaning . The lex literature does not use such a term .Instead they use " customary " anchorage for the purposes of " voyage " charterparties where NOR must be tendered on arrival.
In case of time chartered vsl it seems not to be necessary although extra caution may dictate to do it anyway. Even on time chartered container vessels upon arrival anchorage to wait for berth due to congestion or ather reasons I always inserted a sentence while informing agent , harbour master, port controll ( whomever) authority on the receiving end , that " vsl is in all respect ready for any movements as required and contemplated cargo operations" . May be an extra caution and superfluous but one never knows what " SHIT" may hit you in the near future.
BTW. I think all here agree Solong was a serious " bandit" in the case contemplated so what is left is a discussion regarding the action of the anchored vessel prior the event . Would be great to read Your opinion if not in public then on PM in order not to excite too much the furious tribesmen gloriously defending the "Stars and Stripes " Honor
Not familiar with this area but seems like the thread is going in circles. This is post #53.
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Latest from Dr.Sal and I am much relieved seeing/hearing Him switch from autopilot to track mode in his reoprting.Great accuracy guaranteed. Excellente !!!.
Although verifying boyancy issues soon
BTW if there is anybody interested in the contents of NP286 Admiralty List of Radio Signals - Europe -Volume 6 - UK Pilot services VTS and Port Operations parts 1-8
then I have extracted and glued into one all info which may be interesting for navigator planning the voyage to Humber area including communication/reporting requirements .
In addition 1 pdf file with Harbour Master / Port operations/Pilots info regarding movements/destination of Stena Immaculate
Enjoy:
NP286 Admiralty List of Radio Signals - Europe -Volume 6 - UK Pilot services VTS and Port Operations parts 1-8.pdf (718.4 KB)
Planned Voyages Summary.pdf (62.9 KB)
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Lets wait for proper investigation . Luckily MAIB presiding and leading .
Meantime hate repeating myself:
Human error and system failures are smart euphemisms used widely as excuses in the maritime industry by steadily increasing number of apologists and slackers to make stupid people feel comfortable and still important
added: This is very good news for impartiality I hope. UK’s MAIB Leads Multi-National Investigation into North Sea Ship Collision
Added: some comments abt ANCHORAGE and watchkeeping on both ships.
Added: Statement on the collision between Solong and Stena Immaculate - GOV.UK
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