Fog Contact Dead Ahead: Lookout Reporting on a Steady Bearing
At 03:20 you are the bridge lookout on a 4,500 GT general cargo ship inbound to Kandla at 7 knots. Visibility is about 200 m in fog and the radar is on the 3-mile range. You have been told to keep a sharp lookout and report anything you see or hear. You hear one long blast every two minutes from somewhere ahead but see no lights. On the radar one echo appears dead ahead at 005 degrees relative. At 03:20 the range is 3.0 miles; at 03:24 it is 2.4 miles; at 03:28 it is 1.8 miles and the bearing is still 005. AIS shows no name and three calls on VHF channel 16 get no reply. The OOW is at the chart table plotting a position and the master is not on the bridge. The wheel is on hand steering and the helmsman is steering 310.
1. What exactly do you report to the OOW, and in what order? Explain why each element of the report matters.
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Report at once, in a fixed order: what, where, how far, and what it is doing. 'Bridge - lookout. Radar contact dead ahead, bearing 005 relative, range 3 miles and closing, no AIS name, not answering VHF channel 16. Also hearing one long blast every two minutes, bearing ahead.'
Why each element matters: the bearing fixes the direction and lets the OOW plot it; range plus the time of each reading gives the rate of change, which is the closing speed; the steady bearing is the real alarm bell; 'no AIS, no VHF reply' tells the OOW not to waste time trying to negotiate on the radio; the fog signal confirms a real vessel close ahead rather than a radar artefact or a buoy.
Then keep updating every time you re-measure. The OOW is at the chart and cannot watch the target himself. Do not leave the lookout post, do not call the master yourself, do not use the VHF to chat, and give the time of each report so it can be logged.
2. Why does a steady relative bearing with decreasing range matter more than the range alone? What does the arithmetic tell you about the time available?
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A steady relative bearing with falling range is the classic collision-course signature: the other vessel stays on the same line of sight, so the two courses converge and, if nothing changes, the ships meet where the range reaches zero.
Range alone tells you nothing about risk. A target at 1 mile on a rapidly drawing bearing will pass clear; a target at 3 miles on a steady bearing will not.
The arithmetic: 0.6 mile closed in 4 minutes is about 9 knots of closing speed. At 1.8 miles the contact is roughly 12 minutes away, and a 4,500 GT cargo ship at 7 knots takes several minutes to stop or turn. So the decision has to be made now, not when the target is at 1 mile.
Because the bearing is steady and the target is dead ahead, this is most likely a head-on or fine-on meeting, not a crossing that will resolve itself. That is why the report must stress the steady bearing, not just the distance.
3. What bridge actions should follow your report, and what is your own role while they happen?
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Bridge actions: call the master (restricted visibility plus a close-quarters situation developing); put the engine room on standby and be ready to reduce speed or stop; keep sounding one long blast at intervals of not more than two minutes (own ship is under way and making way); post a second lookout forward if possible; re-range the radar to 1.5 miles and use the ARPA or a plot to get a true course. Reduce to a safe speed - in 200 m visibility, 7 knots is already fast.
Your own role: stay on the lookout post, keep reporting bearing and range, repeat helm orders back word for word, and keep the fog signal going. If a helm order comes, acknowledge it and report the heading actually being held, not the heading ordered. Do not go to the VHF to sort it out yourself - the OOW owns that, and a rating negotiating with an unknown ship creates confusion on the bridge.