The captain of the USS Porter ended his career in epic fashion

[Locutus]

via Fark

in the Strait of Hormuz early this morning (pics)

According to U.S. Naval Forces Central Command Public Affairs, no one was hurt Sunday morning when a U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyer and a large Japanese owned merchant vessel collided near the Strait of Hormuz. The collision between USS Porter (DDG 78) and the Panamanian-flagged bulk oil tanker M/V Otowasan occurred at approximately 1:00 a.m. local time.

Overall damage to Porter is being evaluated, but the ship is able to operate under its own power.

No personnel on either vessel were injured.

The incident is under investigation. The collision was not combat related.

USS Porter is on a scheduled deployment to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility conducting maritime security operations and theater security cooperation efforts.


Photos: No sailors injured after USS Porter collides with oil tanker | WTKR.com

 

[SLM]

Ok, so on the really big ships, do they just hire the guys who take the matchbook cover classes or what?

Is steering an elective?

I mean, WTF?????

 

[Ron in Regina]

No pic's of the oil tanker?

 

[coldstream]

With a replacement cost of about 2 - 3 Billion $US.. i guess they'll have to fix it.. shouldn't be much more than $500 million or so.. the thing looks pretty bent. I guess they can dock the captain's pension.. maybe he was watching the Olympic Dream Team in the galley.

 

[Goober]

No pic's of the oil tanker?

 

[IdRatherBeSkiing]

Iceberg ... I mean Oil Tanker ... dead ahead.

 

[WLDB]

Is steering an elective?

I mean, WTF?????

Ships are usually pretty slow to turn unless they have bow thrusters. Then they can turn on a dime.

At least no one was hurt.

 

[taxslave]

That's where the captain of the Queen of the North wound up. Thats what happens when there is no one on the bridge.

 

[Walter]

The pics makes it look like the tanker was the hitter and the Navy ship the hittee.

 

[Locutus]

Obviously not to scale:

 

[coldstream]

The general rule of thumb at sea is that the LESS maneuverable ship has the right of way.. that goes from small craft, for instance a sail boat has the right of way over a motor launch.. to a .. uh.. lumbering massive oil tanker.. which has the right of way over.. a Guided Missile Destroyer with bow thrusters and azipods. The Porter should not have been competing for the same space, it should have given the tanker a wide berth. It seems hard to believe but its likely that no one on the Porter.. with its sophisticated radar and sensing devices, and manned watches.. noticed the Otowasan was there. It's particularly perplexing because the Strait of Hormuz is one of the most heavily traveled sea lanes in the world.. which requires high vigilance at all times.

 

[EagleSmack]

Ka boom!

 

[petros]

Looks like an education on the Strait of Hormuz is in order. It's one of the tightest and busiest shipping corridors on the planet.

 

[lone wolf]

The pics makes it look like the tanker was the hitter and the Navy ship the hittee.

To be hit on Starboard puts Porter in the wrong

 

[EagleSmack]

To be hit on Starboard puts Porter in the wrong

Because he cut across the tankers bow?

 

[lone wolf]

Because he cut across the tankers bow?

More because he didn't give way. Cutting across the bow means someone's gonna have a bad day

 

[EagleSmack]

Plus the warship is more maneuverable. That tanker can't turn very well. They're lucky they didn't get their ship shredded.

I see a Change of Command soon.

 

[coldstream]

The Strait is a U.S. Conflict Zone to boot.. :roll: .. yep.. i think some heads will roll.

To be hit on Starboard puts Porter in the wrong

That's right... at least i looked it up ... the starboard (right) side of all vessels at night carry a green light.. The port (left) side carries a red light.. when on intersecting courses the 'stand on' vessel.. that which should hold course is the ship on the starboard side.. the ship on the port side should give way.

If the helmsman sees a red light then he has to give way..the Porter's should have.. the Otowasan's helmsman would have seen a green light, and should have held course. If there is a collision the 'give way' ship will be hit on the starboard (right) side UNLESS he plows into the starboard ship's side.. but then the damage would be to the port side.

At least i think that's the way it works.. or may maybe i'm as confused as the Captain of the Porter. Anyway they shouldn't have been within a km of each other in the first place, those damn Oil Tankers take something like 10 miles turn or stop... and i'm not sure anyone was bothering to look for 'lights' anyway.

 

[L Gilbert]

Jeeez. Drive much?
For oncoming ships, stay to your starboard,.For crossing ships' paths, steer toward the direction the other ship is coming from.
Bow thrusters are pretty good. Even better are Z-drives.