OOOOOOPS!!!

[RI Builder]

Hey, you scratched my anchor!

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090320/ap_on_...y_ships_collide

How in the world does this happen?

More importantly, are they covered by Safe Sea or Sea Tow?

[auguste]

Darn . . . however, lucky no serious injuries

Hmmmmm . . . and a bump in the night causes the price of oil to increase . . . hmmmm . . . must be cause of the shortage caused by the 25,000 gallons of fuel that leaked

[seahawg]

Lucy, you got some splainin' to do!!!!!!

I sure wouldn't want to be the man at the helm of either of those two ships. This will be talked about for a while. Makes you wonder with all the men watching all that electronic equipment, how this could happen. Thankfully, no one was hurt.

[auguste]

Lucy, you got some splainin' to do!!!!!!

I sure wouldn't want to be the man at the helm of either of those two ships. This will be talked about for a while. Makes you wonder with all the men watching all that electronic equipment, how this could happen. Thankfully, no one was hurt.

Maybe all that stealth technology has gone passed their ability to see other ships

But most important nobody seriously hurt, and that is what counts

[Rich]

Assuming the sub was submerged, there are two STs that are likely going to be "career limited", along with a few other folks....

[Chisox]

Sub crewman: "Damn, sir, what's this blip?"

Ship's crewman: "Damn, sir, what's this blip?"

Boom. Dented hull. Minor injuries. End of careers for BOTH Captains of their vessels.

These are U.S. Naval Vessels, you better realize what your job is when you're manning the helm!

[MikeG]

Sub crewman: "Damn, sir, what's this blip?"

Ship's crewman: "Damn, sir, what's this blip?"

Boom. Dented hull. Minor injuries. End of careers for BOTH Captains of their vessels.

These are U.S. Naval Vessels, you better realize what your job is when you're manning the helm!

Actually the person "manning the helm" has no responsibility. Though you know what runs down hill in, this case it stops with the Captain and OOD. The helmsman can inticipate, not always a good idea either since it could slow reaction to a helm command that is contrary to the anticipated action, but can not initiate a course change. In doing so a helmsman would put themselves right into the middle of what runs down hill.

It used to be that a helmsman was usually to busy concentrating on the binnical or some feature out in front of the vessel to be really aware of things happening outside of that view but, undoubtably, that isn't completly true on modern ships of any kind.

Just a few thoughts

MikeG