Why do ship crashes continue?

GETTY IMAGES

Although oceans are vast and navigational technology is well developed, conditions are still favorable for ocean collision incidents, such as the collision of a US-destroyed oil tanker a few days ago. What precautions can we take to prevent disasters of this kind in the future?

In the middle of the night, off the coast of Malaysia, a huge ship loaded with about 12 thousand tons of oil hit the left side of the US Navy destroyer "John S. McCain," named after the father of US Senator John McCain, and his grandfather.

Ten sailors from the destroyer are still missing, but the ship has now settled at Singapore's Changi Air Base.

The incident was particularly dramatic, as it took place just two months after a similar incident. The USS Fitzgerald crashed into a large cargo ship off the coast of Japan, killing seven sailors.

Although the ships that collided in the last two incidents are huge and equipped with radar and navigation systems at the highest level, as well as the existence of GPS to track the location of ships and the availability of wireless communications, how are collisions of this type? What precautions can we take to prevent their recurrence?

"As long as you monitor the radar and monitor the situation at sea moment by moment, collision events can be avoided," says Peter Roberts, director of military science at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSSI).

Although we do not know after the recent crash, some ships rely on the equipment, not the crew, to warn of an imminent collision.

Roberts says he traveled on merchant ships, where the driving rooms were sometimes completely empty. "The siren goes off from the radar and relies on this whistle to alert the person in charge of the surveillance mission, whatever."

Roberts adds that what is surprising is that two incidents of this magnitude in a few months, including each ship of the US Navy, "This is rarely happening," he said.

Of course, it is not a coincidence that the two US naval vessel collisions at this time are coincidental, but some raise questions about the possibility of a criminal suspicion or intentional damage or damage to ships. For example, it penetrated ship navigation systems to increase the likelihood of a collision ?.

At least one report indicates that the GPS receiver may have been deceived, affecting one ship in the Black Sea in recent months. Some observers have been concerned about the involvement of some countries in penetrating ship navigation systems in order to keep them off track.

There is no evidence yet that the recent collision of Fitzgerald and McCain resulted from the intentional deception of GPS, despite the spread of conspiracy theories over the Internet. Roberts says this possibility deserves study.

"We should not rule out any of the possibilities at the moment."

Large ship collisions occur from time to time, although some are not exciting enough to attract media attention.

Another collision occurred between two cargo ships off China's Fujian coast just one or two days before the American destroyer McCain. For example, the incident reportedly killed sailors aboard the ships.

"Investigators who investigate the causes of such accidents often find that human error is the main cause of the accident, not the deliberate destruction," says Heinrich Outh, chief executive of the Marine Survey Service, a Danish marine surveying firm that contracts ship insurance companies.

The company's investigators have encountered many cases in which crew members have already helped avoid imminent collisions with other ships, he said.

"When there's a bug, it's easy to blame the ship's captain, but we do not pay tribute to him every time he saves the ship," says O'Huth.

The risks to ships and their crews are not limited to collisions. A few days ago, a British ship, MV Cheshire, loaded with thousands of tons of manure, has been burning. The fire has been raging so far and washed away a few days ago near the Canary Islands. Helicopters have helped evacuate the crew from the ship.

The seas are becoming more overcrowded, and the number of merchant vessels in the world is increasing. According to British government statistics, the global merchant marine fleet was about 58,000 at the end of 2016. If the size of the fleet is measured by weight, it is doubled since 2004. So, will we see an increase in the number of crashes?

GETTY IMAGESO

wth believes that the financial crisis of 2008 led to a reduction in the profit margin achieved by many shipping companies, which led to a reduction in spending on crews.

"Cargo companies should look for and maintain crews of competent personnel, and individuals should know about the ship and make it well because it is a complex device," says O'Huth.

Any large ship with a mix of people who speak different languages, come from different nationalities, and follow safety procedures that vary from one country to another makes it more difficult to maintain the safety of the ship, he said.

Arun Sorensen, a former navigator and head of the maritime regulation and technology division of the International Maritime Council (BIMCO), said one of the recent concerns was the sailors' reliance on technological devices.

"Instead of staring at the hardware, you have to look through the window to see how the situation actually evolves," Sorensen said.

Sorensen says ship workers are also looking at surveillance and imaging devices, and do not care to follow the situation themselves from the windows.

But Sorensen referred to attempts by navigational organizations to find ways to reduce the likelihood of collisions.

One of the ideas cited is the separation of vessel traffic, which means coordinating the flow of vessels that pass through carefully packed straits by directing them towards separate passages in the same direction, for example.

The ship separation system was first implemented in the Dover Strait in 1967 and there are about 100 systems to coordinate ship traffic around the world.

There is no doubt that it is in everyone's interest to avoid collisions for many reasons. First and foremost, international laws and regulations stipulate that both parties are responsible for such collisions.

This means that ship captains are bound by law to avoid colliding with another ship, even if their ship has the right to remain in orbit.

Although recent incidents are worrisome, Owth says there is reason to be optimistic about shipping, pointing out that the number of total losses, for example, when the ship sinks, is falling year after year.

The total loss is intended to exceed the value of the damage or the value of the repair of the insured subject, according to the insurance company's estimate, the value of the insurance policy.

According to data from Allianz Insurance Company, there were 85 total losses in large vessels in 2016, a decrease of 16 percent from last year. Of the total losses of 85 cases, only one resulted from the collision.

Technological development has, in many ways, contributed to increased safety in shipping, but the lives of seafarers are still at risk.

With the increasing number of ships sailing the world's seas, the need for a captain to command these giant ships has not diminished, and their presence on board has become more important than ever.