Quote Originally Posted by Gunny View Post
I was kind of wondering that, but let's wait for the resident squids (@aboutime) . There's plenty of screwy variable that go on at sea. The weather giving false reports comes to mind first. You can't turn a ship on a dime like in the movie "Battleship" (although that broadside was cool ) .
Thanks Gunny. Today, with all of the automation involved, where only one, or two civilians might be paying attention on the bridge. There's a possibility (sounds like it to me) that the Container ship changed course 25 minutes before the collision. That MIGHT have been programmed....(SHIP AUTOPILOT) like on airliners. At specific times, course changes take place...but I suspect, there was no Human intervention at the time.
On the other side of the coin. THERE IS NO REASON for a U.S. Navy Destroyer of today to NOT see, or know about the CARGO ship's movements.
As I have seen over many, many years. Despite the fact that the CO was injured, and flown from the ship. HE LOST HIS COMMAND, the second the OOD, and others on the Bridge in the Pilot House....WERE NOT PAYING ATTENTION.
The COMMANDING OFFICER (CAPTAIN) IS SOLELY RESPONSIBLE FOR EVERYTHING.