Westerdam NCL Spirit Near Collision??

A friend returned from a Mediterranean reported a near collision between Westerdam and the Norwegian Spirit on 5 Sep while leaving Santorini.

Here's a video taken from Westerdam:

Anyone heard more about this?

This is the first I have heard about this.

I wasn't able to open your link.

Wow, that was close. We had something similar happen in Santorini in 2013 but it involved a ferry who crossed the Eurodam's path. It wasn't as close as this one, though. The Captain said he'd have a lot of paperwork to do to file a complaint.

If I remember correctly from my Power Squadron days a ship must give way to another ship that is dead ahead to 2 points abaft the starboard beam. This rule would give the NCL ship the right-of-way but if there was a channel that could also make a different rule.

I wasn't able to open your link.

Doesn't seem to work if you just click it but copy into your browser and it will open.

If I remember correctly from my Power Squadron days a ship must give way to another ship that is dead ahead to 2 points abaft the starboard beam. This rule would give the NCL ship the right-of-way but if there was a channel that could also make a different rule.

I don't remember all the rules either but friend said Westerdam went very hard astern.

BTW, he loved Westy but didn't really enjoy the cruise. He said that was their fault because they took a cruise to places with lots of crowds. Said there were five or more ships in every port and long lines everywhere. I'll try to suggest some less crowded places than the med in summer.

Yikes!:eek::eek: Wonder how that happened - it's not like they couldn't see each other.

A friend returned from a Mediterranean reported a near collision between Westerdam and the Norwegian Spirit on 5 Sep while leaving Santorini.

Here's a video taken from Westerdam:

Anyone heard more about this?

I was on this cruise and the NCL Spirit cut across the bow of the Westerdam as both ships were leaving Santorini.The Westerdam had been moving for some time when the Spirit started her engines to leave Santorini,, cruising straight ahead into the path of the Westerdam. An announcement was made from the bridge at the time it happened. It was reasonably close and both ships were moving slowly. I do not recollect the Westerdam making any sudden movements or taking evasive action to avoid a collision

Doesn't seem to work if you just click it but copy into your browser and it will open.

Thank you -- I just did that and it worked.

I was on this cruise and the NCL Spirit cut across the bow of the Westerdam as both ships were leaving Santorini.The Westerdam had been moving for some time when the Spirit started her engines to leave Santorini,, cruising straight ahead into the path of the Westerdam. An announcement was made from the bridge at the time it happened. It was reasonably close and both ships were moving slowly. I do not recollect the Westerdam making any sudden movements or taking evasive action to avoid a collision

That must have been scary.

I just watched the videos of this near collision.

Thanks for sharing the info.

That must have been scary.

I just watched the videos of this near collision.

I was standing at the stern rail when it happened and didn't get the same view as the passengers sitting in the Crow's Nest when the ship was leaving Santorini. Having now watched on you tube it seemed closer than I originally thought at the time it happened.

This is why I love cruising! You never know what's going to happen. I've been on both of these ships, and I'm fond of both.

Here's a

I was on this cruise and the NCL Spirit cut across the bow of the Westerdam as both ships were leaving Santorini.The Westerdam had been moving for some time when the Spirit started her engines to leave Santorini,, cruising straight ahead into the path of the Westerdam. An announcement was made from the bridge at the time it happened. It was reasonably close and both ships were moving slowly. I do not recollect the Westerdam making any sudden movements or taking evasive action to avoid a collision

From the second video (above) it looks like Spirit applied just a bit more forward thrust than originally planned. :o

This is why I love cruising! You never know what's going to happen. I've been on both of these ships, and I'm fond of both.

 

Here's a

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We were on the westerdam and believe me, it was scary. The ship used a lot of power to turn away form the spirit. The captain was furious and told the passengers the next day in the theater that he never had experienced this in his 35 years at sea.He cold not sleep that night. He had contacted Seattle about it.

We were on the westerdam and believe me, it was scary. The ship used a lot of power to turn away form the spirit. The captain was furious and told the passengers the next day in the theater that he never had experienced this in his 35 years at sea.He cold not sleep that night. He had contacted Seattle about it.

Wow! Thanks for the update. The sound of the Westy's horn suggested a hint of frustration.

Well, I was not on the bridge, but Communication is a magic word here.

I will refrain from further comment, but I will say that responsibility to avoid collision lies with both vessels here.

I have seen a video shot from Norwegian Spirit.

COLREGS deal with the " rules of the road" at Sea.

No doubt both Masters had an evening of paperwork

and a wide-angle view from the Spirit which makes the gap look bigger than it actually is clearly shows Westerdam's bow thruster at full blast (about 25 sec mark) to avoid the collision

Assuming that this is in the anchorage & there were no pilots on either vessel.

Westerdam is the "give way" ship, but without seeing the earlier situation there could have been bad seamanship on the part of NCL vessel prior to the "close quarters situation".

I was on this cruise and the NCL Spirit cut across the bow of the Westerdam as both ships were leaving Santorini.The Westerdam had been moving for some time when the Spirit started her engines to leave Santorini,, cruising straight ahead into the path of the Westerdam. An announcement was made from the bridge at the time it happened. It was reasonably close and both ships were moving slowly. I do not recollect the Westerdam making any sudden movements or taking evasive action to avoid a collision

Thank you for clarifying what I saw in 2-3 other short videos of the incident from both ships. One of those videos shot from the NCL ship showed that they were both going slow and was not as close as the OP's link showed from Deck 5 Mid ship looking aft.

First hand experience definitely is appreciated and helps:)

Joanie

.... I do not recollect the Westerdam making any sudden movements or taking evasive action to avoid a collision

Appreciate your firsthand recollection and so would also be interested in your view after taking a look at video shot from Spirit at seconds 24 onwards. It evidently shows sudden and powerful wake from Westerdam's forward port thruster in what seems to be an effort to avoid (or minimize risk of) collision.

It is never a best practice for one ship to cross the bow of another when both are underway regardless of what speed.

I happened to be in the Bridge Viewing Room on Queen Mary 2 when the Captain was on the Bridge and there was discussion about a freighter, still some distance from OM2. The freighter's projected path was crossing our bow. It was obvious that the Master and the OOW were very concerned.

With plenty of caveats and exceptions -- including whether the vessels in this instance were in communication or had pilots or whether there were local rules that superseded -- the over-arching 'right of way,' a concept long followed by mariners and enshrined in the Convention on the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea, (COLREGs) is the that vessel on the right is the 'stand on' vessel (here Spirit) and should maintain its speed and course while the other vessel (here Westerdam) should alter speed and/or course to avoid. See Rule 17. It may not apply in the Spirit-Westerdam encounter but, in general and when both vessels are under way, the vessel on the right is the 'stand on' vessel. Stay tuned because the close call may result in an investigation by Italian maritime authorities.

With plenty of caveats and exceptions -- including whether the vessels in this instance were in communication or had pilots or whether there were local rules that superseded -- the over-arching 'right of way,' a concept long followed by mariners and enshrined in the Convention on the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea, (COLREGs) is the that vessel on the right is the 'stand on' vessel (here Spirit) and should maintain its speed and course while the other vessel (here Westerdam) should alter speed and/or course to avoid. See Rule 17. It may not apply in the Spirit-Westerdam encounter but, in general and when both vessels are under way, the vessel on the right is the 'stand on' vessel. Stay tuned because the close call may result in an investigation by Italian maritime authorities.

Yes, and I acknowledge I am out of any area of expertise on this subject.

But, if the Westerdam was already underway and the Norwegian Spirit started to sail "suddenly", which is what I understand she did, why would the Bridge Team on the Westerdam think that Norwegian Spirit had the right of way of passage?

Why would Italy's maritime authorities have any interest in this incident? Santorini is a Greek island. Westerdam is registered in Rotterdam. Norwegian Spirit is registered in Nassau.