close encounter with a ship
 

We were out on Saturday July 2 again at 750 Square. It is about 40 miles
off of Cape May. A container ship the Evergreen Lines Ever Refine almost ran
us down. I think sportfishermen should report these instances to the coast
guard. I am hearing too many of these stories. Even though they can't do
much about 1 instance , multiple reports will allow them to determine if
there is a pattern to these instances. Following is my letter describing the
incident that I am sending to Evergreen and the Coast Guard

Vessel Ever Refine
Dear Sir:
My son and I were fishing on Saturday July 2nd at 73.53.00 38.55.00
approximately,
when your ship Evergreen Ever Refine almost ran us down.. We were drifting
with our
lines on the starboard side of the boat. Ever Refine approached us from our
port side. The
visibility was restricted to about 1.5 miles. At first I thought the ship
would pass slightly
in front of us, but as it got closer I realized it was going to hit us
amidships. We started
the engines and accelerated to maximum power. We were able to avoid the ship
by 100
feet.

I realize that a large ship has a hard time turning and that we are not
visible to him when he is 0.5 miles away from us. There was 1.5 miles of
visibility and he should have seen us. Rule 5 of the rules of the road state
that a proper lookout by sight and all other means available should be
maintained at all times. If Ever Refine was following rule 5, why did they
not sound a danger signal ?

Rule 6 states that a vessel shall maintain a safe speed taking into account
visibility and stopping and turning ability in the prevailing conditions. If
they were traveling too fast they violated rule 6.

I am unclear how restricted visibility must be to sound fog signals but Ever
refine was not sounding any. Rule 35 states that fog signals should be used
in or near any ares of restricted visibility. 1.5 miles was the maximum
visibility that day. Many nearby areas were restricted to ¼ mile of less.

I am sending a copy of this letter to the US Coast Guard Group, Cape May,
NJ. I also am going to make sport fishermen in this area aware of the
incident and encourage them to report all such encounters to the Coast Guard
to build a case history. I also am going to publicize the incident on the
internet to make all aware of your disregard for human life and safety. You
should inform your captains that even though you are a big company with big
ships, you do not own the ocean.

Sincerely


Captain John W Eppehimer

--


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I think you would be better off posting this to a group that cares, not this
one! There is a clue in the title of this Newsgroup. Course fisherman are
more or less unlikely to come across vessels running us down. OK before
anyone pipes up, there are canals and you would be lucky to see more than ½
mile ahead on some of those.

Of course being, I presume an American, you think you are allowed to do what
ever you want anywhere in the world. Including fishing in shipping lanes. I
would suggest that you refrain from such practices, otherwise the skipper of
the Ever Refine may be luckier next time and succeeds in running you down.

I am also concerned how you allowed yourself to be in such a position
endangering those poor sport fishermen. Don't you have a 'Duty of Care' over
there Health & Safety?

--
Don't go chasing crocks of gold,
or you will miss seeing the rainbows

www.eric-gales.co.uk
Updated 29/03/05
"Eppefour" wrote in message
...
We were out on Saturday July 2 again at 750 Square. It is about 40 miles
off of Cape May. A container ship the Evergreen Lines Ever Refine almost
ran us down. I think sportfishermen should report these instances to the
coast guard. I am hearing too many of these stories. Even though they
can't do much about 1 instance , multiple reports will allow them to
determine if there is a pattern to these instances. Following is my letter
describing the incident that I am sending to Evergreen and the Coast Guard

Vessel Ever Refine
Dear Sir:
My son and I were fishing on Saturday July 2nd at 73.53.00 38.55.00
approximately,
when your ship Evergreen Ever Refine almost ran us down.. We were drifting
with our
lines on the starboard side of the boat. Ever Refine approached us from
our port side. The
visibility was restricted to about 1.5 miles. At first I thought the ship
would pass slightly
in front of us, but as it got closer I realized it was going to hit us
amidships. We started
the engines and accelerated to maximum power. We were able to avoid the
ship by 100
feet.

I realize that a large ship has a hard time turning and that we are not
visible to him when he is 0.5 miles away from us. There was 1.5 miles of
visibility and he should have seen us. Rule 5 of the rules of the road
state that a proper lookout by sight and all other means available should
be maintained at all times. If Ever Refine was following rule 5, why did
they not sound a danger signal ?

Rule 6 states that a vessel shall maintain a safe speed taking into
account visibility and stopping and turning ability in the prevailing
conditions. If they were traveling too fast they violated rule 6.

I am unclear how restricted visibility must be to sound fog signals but
Ever refine was not sounding any. Rule 35 states that fog signals should
be used in or near any ares of restricted visibility. 1.5 miles was the
maximum visibility that day. Many nearby areas were restricted to ¼ mile
of less.

I am sending a copy of this letter to the US Coast Guard Group, Cape May,
NJ. I also am going to make sport fishermen in this area aware of the
incident and encourage them to report all such encounters to the Coast
Guard to build a case history. I also am going to publicize the incident
on the internet to make all aware of your disregard for human life and
safety. You should inform your captains that even though you are a big
company with big ships, you do not own the ocean.

Sincerely


Captain John W Eppehimer

--


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In article , Eppefour
wrote:
We were out on Saturday July 2 again at 750 Square. It is about 40 miles
off of Cape May. A container ship the Evergreen Lines Ever Refine almost ran
us down.

Wrong group. This one is for freshwater fishing in the UK.

visibility was restricted to about 1.5 miles. At first I thought the ship
would pass slightly
in front of us, but as it got closer I realized it was going to hit us
amidships. We started

You do realise that in pearly light and calm weather a small white vessel is
almost invisible from the bridge of a large vessel? It sounds as if you
need to check your radar reflectors. The container vessel will have been
relying on proximity alarms for just this contingency.

the engines and accelerated to maximum power. We were able to avoid the ship
by 100
feet.

Good. You might have fired a white flare to alert the other vessel and tried
to raise them on vhf/mf.

Captain John W Eppehimer

But then a qualified skipper will know all this.

Remind me: Where do the shipping lanes run south of New York?

Cheerio,

--

You could buy a torpedo and sink the ship?

Yours Captain Pugwash and the good ship Gaylord :)

PS Tell the coast guard

"Eppefour" wrote in message
...
We were out on Saturday July 2 again at 750 Square. It is about 40 miles
off of Cape May. A container ship the Evergreen Lines Ever Refine almost
ran us down. I think sportfishermen should report these instances to the
coast guard. I am hearing too many of these stories. Even though they
can't do much about 1 instance , multiple reports will allow them to
determine if there is a pattern to these instances. Following is my letter
describing the incident that I am sending to Evergreen and the Coast Guard

Vessel Ever Refine
Dear Sir:
My son and I were fishing on Saturday July 2nd at 73.53.00 38.55.00
approximately,
when your ship Evergreen Ever Refine almost ran us down.. We were drifting
with our
lines on the starboard side of the boat. Ever Refine approached us from
our port side. The
visibility was restricted to about 1.5 miles. At first I thought the ship
would pass slightly
in front of us, but as it got closer I realized it was going to hit us
amidships. We started
the engines and accelerated to maximum power. We were able to avoid the
ship by 100
feet.

I realize that a large ship has a hard time turning and that we are not
visible to him when he is 0.5 miles away from us. There was 1.5 miles of
visibility and he should have seen us. Rule 5 of the rules of the road
state that a proper lookout by sight and all other means available should
be maintained at all times. If Ever Refine was following rule 5, why did
they not sound a danger signal ?

Rule 6 states that a vessel shall maintain a safe speed taking into
account visibility and stopping and turning ability in the prevailing
conditions. If they were traveling too fast they violated rule 6.

I am unclear how restricted visibility must be to sound fog signals but
Ever refine was not sounding any. Rule 35 states that fog signals should
be used in or near any ares of restricted visibility. 1.5 miles was the
maximum visibility that day. Many nearby areas were restricted to ¼ mile
of less.

I am sending a copy of this letter to the US Coast Guard Group, Cape May,
NJ. I also am going to make sport fishermen in this area aware of the
incident and encourage them to report all such encounters to the Coast
Guard to build a case history. I also am going to publicize the incident
on the internet to make all aware of your disregard for human life and
safety. You should inform your captains that even though you are a big
company with big ships, you do not own the ocean.

Sincerely


Captain John W Eppehimer

--


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