According to Rule 5 of the Amalgamated International & U.S. Inland Navigation Rules , “Every vessel shall at all times maintain a proper look-out by sight and hearing as well as by all available means appropriate in the prevailing circumstances and conditions so as to make a full appraisal of the situation and of the risk of collision.” Keeping a proper lookout is one of the most basic rules of ...
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Posted By Arnold & Itkin LLP
Imagine the following scenario: Two ships with plenty of space are approaching each other. It’s a clear night, and they see each other fine—both with radar instruments and visually. Equipment for both ships is functioning fine, and multiple officers onboard are on watch (or just observing). Yet, despite all this, the captain of one of the vessels decides to make a turn that puts him in the direct ...
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Posted By Arnold & Itkin LLP
On March 24, 1989, we saw one of the worst environmental disasters in the United States. The Exxon Valdez oil spill was so significant that it remained the worst American oil spill until the Deepwater Horizon exploded in April of 2010. The accident happened when the supertanker Exxon Valdez collided with the Bligh Reef in Prince William Sound, Alaska. Over 10.8 million gallons of oil spilled from ...
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This has not been a good year for the U.S. Navy—specifically the 7 th fleet, which is stationed in Japanese waters. There have been four collisions since January, two of them resulting in loss of life. That’s a staggering number when you consider that the average Navy vessel collides with anything only once every two years, if that. That includes minor brushes with buoys. It’s even rarer for two ...
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Maritime accidents involving tanker collisions are some of the most dangerous accidents that can occur at sea. While it is not uncommon for vessels to collide, the collisions can lead to catastrophic injuries and even death. With increased vessel speed, the increased ability to carry larger loads of greater tonnage, and increased maritime traffic, the risk of vessel collision accidents has also ...
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Posted By Arnold & Itkin LLP
At approximately 1:20 a.m. on Monday, two eastbound Kirby Inland Marine barges and two westbound Enterprise Marine Services barges collided at mile marker 349 near Bolivar Peninsula in Texas. The two Kirby barges had been being pushed by the tug Capt. Shorty C; the other barges were being pushed by the tug Jackie. According to a U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer, the accident occurred after one of ...
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At around 1:55 p.m. on Thursday, March 5, the U.S. Coast Guard reported that there had been a collision between two ships in the Houston Ship Channel. The collision between a 445-foot oil tanker (Chembulk Houston) and a 900-foot cargo ship (Montealegre) occurred south of San Leon and east of Dollar Bay about two miles off of the coast. It was not immediately known what caused the collision, but ...
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Posted By Arnold & Itkin LLP
On Saturday, the Texas City dike was forced to close after an oil-leak was detected from a barge off the coast. The area within the levee, which runs approximately five miles, was evacuated as a precaution and to allow for cleanup operations. The spill was the result of a collision between the barge and a 585-foot-long bulk carrier ship. The barge was carrying more than 920,000 gallons at the time ...
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