NOTES ON

SHIP HANDLING
AND
MANEUVERING
(SEAM 5)
Topic 5

Prepared By:
CM Nelson P. Bunagan
Exact College of Asia
RDD / Instructor

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STCW Competence:
A-II/1 F1.C5: Respond to Emergencies

Course Intended Learning Outcomes:

CO2: Respond to a given situation in accordance
with the contingency/emergency plan appropriate to
the nature of the emergency.

KUP: Knowledge, Understanding & Proficiency

A-II/1 F1.C2. KUP 3: Appreciation of the
procedures to be followed for rescuing persons
from the sea, assisting a ship in distress,
responding to emergencies which arise in port.

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TOPIC 5: Post-Collision/Grounding Emergency Management
LO1.5: Implement appropriate actions to protect the ship and passengers after a
collision or grounding.
Introduction
Even with the latest developments in navigational equipment and communication
systems, collision accidents between ships continue to occur around the world. Some of the main
reasons for such accidents are negligence, incompetence and miscommunication.

Ship Collision just do not leave the ships damaged; they can also lead to major pollutions and
claim several innocent lives.
Not to forget the ill-fated ferry MV Dona PAZ, a Philippine registered passenger ferry, that
collided with MT Vector an oil tanker on 20th December 1987 and killed 4,386 lives including
11 crew members from MT Vector.

What is P and I Club?

A P&I (Protection and Indemnity) club serves as a mutual insurance association for shipowners
and operators, covering liabilities that arise from marine operations, including collisions.

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Protection and Indemnity (P&I) clubs ensure shipowners and managers for their liabilities
towards third parties arising out of the operation of ships.
P&I clubs do not insure the hull or machinery of ships. It is covered by Hull and Machinery
Insurance.

The main elements of P&I cover in case of collision are:

 Personal injuries to crew. stevedores and passengers;
 Physical damage to fixed or floating objects. and collision damage to other ships;
 Pollution;
 Cargo loss or damage;
 Stowaway and ship security problems;
 Salvage and general average.

Coverage of P and I Club

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In the event of a collision, the P&I club's purposes include:

Liability Coverage:
It helps cover legal liabilities
for damages caused to other
vessels, cargo, and third
parties.

Legal Defense:
The club provides legal
assistance and representation in
claims and lawsuits resulting
from the collision.

Claims Handling:
P&I clubs manage and process
claims efficiently, helping
members navigate complex
maritime laws and regulations.

Support and Advice:

They offer guidance on risk
management, safety protocols,
and compliance with maritime
laws.

Financial Protection:
By pooling resources among
members, the club mitigates
the financial impact of large
claims.

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Note:
In the event of an incident or allegation that gives, or may give, rise to a P&I problem, there are
certain actions that you should ALWAYS take and certain actions that you should NEVER take.
The advice that follows is designed to help you remember what to do and who to call.

ALWAYS
 Keep your owner or manager informed;
 Call the local P&I correspondent;
 Investigate every allegation of injury, damage, or pollution;
 Collect any evidence or documentation relating to the incident, including any defective
equipment. Store it in a safe place and clearly label it;
 Take photographs relating to the incident;
 Instruct witnesses to make notes of what they themselves saw or heard and to draw a
diagram, if appropriate.
 This should be done as soon as possible after the incident.
 Make personal notes about the incident yourself;
 Seek the advice of the P&I correspondent before issuing a written statement or report;
 If an injury has occurred, complete your company’s accident report form and make an
entry in the ship’s log;
 Limit any report to facts within your own knowledge, not personal opinions or hearsay.

NEVER
 Allow a surveyor or lawyer on board the ship, or to interview crew members, until he has
identified himself and produced appropriate authorization to satisfy you that he is acting
for your owner or your P&I Club;
 Allow surveyors or lawyers acting for opposing parties on board, unless accompanied by
a surveyor or lawyer acting for your owner;
 Give written material or physical evidence to opposing lawyers or surveyors. If in doubt,
do not hand anything to anyone;
 Give an opinion, especially in the accident report, as to who or what was responsible;
 Allow crew members to express opinions. Stick to the facts;
 Admit liability, either verbally or in writing;
 Sign a document that you know contains incorrect information;
 Think the problem will go way if you do nothing.

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NOTES:
1. You will need these notes during the formal interview with the local correspondent or Club-
appointed lawyer to help you remember what occurred.
2. The importance of preventing strangers from visiting the ship and collecting information
cannot be over-emphasized. However, there may be circumstances where it is impossible for you
to prevent this from happening. Always maintain a record of visitors.

Collection of Evidence
Remember that the evidence relating to the incident is likely to be found onboard the ship and
will be needed by the Club to defend claims that are received:
 from injured persons,
 the owners of damaged cargo or property, or
 from a terminal operator.
 Ships' Masters have an important role in the collection of evidence that will help the Club
evaluate the damage and establish liability.
 Evidence should be collected, recorded and preserved.
 Memories fade, it is therefore imperative to make notes on how the incident occurred as
soon as possible after the event.

The Mariner's Role in Collecting Evidence, published by the Nautical Institute, contains details
of the information that is required to defend particular claims.
This publication is recommended to all mariners.

Collision and property damage

A number of accidents and
collisions are caused by a failure
to follow established procedures,
and particularly a failure to abide
by the collision avoidance rules.

Reporting, gathering and preserving evidence

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The early stages of a collision or property damage incident are critical and a preliminary report,
should be submitted to the Company and the local Club correspondent as a matter of urgency.
Once notified about the incident, the Club will evaluate the situation and initiate appropriate
investigation and protective measures as necessary.
 “Collision damage” refers to vessel to vessel contact, regardless of whether one of the
vessels was moored or anchored at the time.
 “Property damage” refers to contact with Fixed and Floating Objects (FFO) such as
quays, cranes, buoys, pipelines, cables, bridges and floating storage facilities. Wash
damage to vessels or property also falls under this heading.

VDR and ECDIS data.

 The importance of these records cannot be over-emphasized.
 Once preserved, they should also be backed-up
 Date, time, location and type of incident

Identity of other vessel(s) and/or details of property damaged. Details of any personal injuries or
fatalities

Apparent extent and severity of damage to the other vessel or property. Details of any cargo
damage.

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 Details of any
pollution resulting
from the incident.
A summary of the
events leading to

Details of the vessel’s courses,

positions, maneuvers, engine
movements, speeds, signals,
communications and
composition of the bridge and
engine room teams prior to the
incident. In the case of
collisions, the estimated angle
of blow.

A copy of the vessel’s passage

plan.
The known or suspected cause
of the incident together with any
contributory factors, including
diagrams.

Prevailing weather and sea

conditions.
If relevant, details of attending
pilots, tugs, boatmen, pollution
cleanup contractors, other third
parties and any independent
witnesses.

If relevant, details of attending

pilots, tugs, boatmen, pollution
cleanup contractors, other third
parties and any independent
witnesses.

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A copy of the incident report
form completed in accordance
with the vessel’s SMS.
Copies of any incident reports
submitted to local or national
authorities, or to the vessel’s
flag administration.

Copies of any notes or letters of

protest, both issued and received.

Copies of the vessel’s bridge and

engine room logbooks including
any rough or working logs.

Photographs, video or CCTV

footage taken immediately
before, during or immediately
after the incident.

Following a major incident the

master, all bridge and engine
room personnel and any
witnesses on board should make
personal notes as soon as
possible, bearing in mind that
formal interviews and
statements may be required later
on.

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All rough notes, calculations,
sketches and charts should be
retained as they may be of
vital importance.

Results of any alcohol and/or

drug tests carried out after the
incident.

Drawings, diagrams,
photographs and/or video
recordings to illustrate the
extent of the damage and
how the incident occurred.

Original paper chart, if in use

at the time of the incident,
complete with all plotted
positions, notations and
correction records.
Nothing should be added or
erased.

List of all navigational

publications on board together
with edition dates and
correction records.

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Original records (e.g. movement
(bell) book, rough notes).
Nothing should be added or erased.

Original print-outs (e.g. course recorder, echo sounder, radar plots, engine telegraph data logger).

Communication records including notes regarding the times and content of exchanges made on
VHF radio and the channels used. The importance of audio VDR data in this regard cannot be
under emphasized.

Grounding accident and immediate action

In the event of the vessel grounding or stranding, the actions to be taken by ship’s personnel will
inevitably depend of the seriousness of the incident and the damage that it may have caused to
the vessel’s structure and systems.

For example, the grounding might have occurred under pilotage with tugs in attendance,
whereby the ship has left a channel and taken to ground on a soft sand bank where the only
damage is to the bottom paintwork and slight indentation to the hull.

Conversely it could be that the ship has run onto a coral shoal in the middle of nowhere, head on,
at full speed and occasioned substantial damage to the hull, possibly causing severe flooding to

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the engine room, ingress of water to other compartments and damage to the cargo systems, tank
structure and insulation.

Initial actions to be taken after grounding

 Stop the main engine
 Sound the General Alarm and muster ships personnel. Report results of muster to bridge.
 Advise the engine room of the situation
 Fix the vessel’s position
 Ensure all watertight doors and hatches are securely shut
 Exhibit the lights/shapes for a vessel aground as required by the Collision Regulations.
 If applicable, advise any other ships in the vicinity of the situation on VHF Ch 16

Following the initial actions, the following checks should be carried out to assess the
damage already sustained and to limit any further possible damage to a minimum.

1. Sound all tanks, bilges and

spaces for possible water
ingress. Assess the rate of any
ingress found.

2. Check the cargo

containment system for
possible leakage to the
intercarrier spaces and ballast
tanks.

3. Check for over side and internal oil leaks.

4. Check visually for any apparent hull damage.

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5. Take a series of soundings around the vessel with the hand lead line, to ascertain the likely
location of the grounding in relation to the ship’s hull.

6. Check the vessel’s present draft and compare it to that prior to the stranding.

7. Attempt to ascertain the nature of the sea bed, using the hand lead and tallow.

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 8. Check the state of the tide and
the likelihood of the vessel
‘floating off’ at the next high water.

9. Check the weather forecast, and

if it is likely to deteriorate prior to
re-floating.

10. Consider putting in additional

ballast to prevent pounding and
further possible damage.

11. Check the vessel’s sea suctions for blockage, due to ingress of sand or other debris. Check
the tail shaft for oil loss.

12. Check the main engine lube oil cofferdam for water. contamination.
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13. Check, if possible, the propeller for any damage sustained.

14. Check the integrity and operation of the ballast system, the cargo pumping system and the
level measuring system

Should the situation be such that the loss of the vessel is a possibility, then a distress message
should be sent to the nearest Coast Station by any means available.
In addition, the vessel must notify the following parties, as soon as possible after the stranding.

15. DPA or other member of the vessel management. The vessel should continue to contact that
person with updates.

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16. If required, and when requested by Ships management the vessel should contact their
nominated Damage Stability Provider, contact details in the Damage Stability Manual, and in
SOPEP Appendix III.

17. Note – under no circumstances is the master or anyone else to communicate with third
parties unless specifically told that this is acceptable by the Ships Emergency response team.

18. Should oil pollution have taken

place or the possibility of oil
pollution be deemed to exist, the
Master is required to notify the
nearest coastal authorities of the
situation.
See SOPEP Manual. Addresses and
contact numbers of the various
coastal authorities are listed in
SOPEP Manual.

END OF LECTURE

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