Navy ship ran aground when officer went to dinner – IOTW Report

Navy ship ran aground when officer went to dinner

Navy Times: A Navy cargo ship that ran aground in Bahrain last year experienced the mishap while a top officer briefly stepped away for dinner, a summary of a service investigation revealed.

The dry cargo ship Alan Shepard, a Military Sealift Command vessel, was on its way for repairs ahead of sea trials when it hit ground near the Middle Eastern island country’s Khalifa Bin Salman Port on July 15, 2023, according to the report, which a spokesperson from Naval Forces Central Command shared with Military Times Wednesday. more

18 Comments on Navy ship ran aground when officer went to dinner

  1. Reliving the history of pursuit of the Barbary Pirates are we?

    Somebody’s career is in the toilet, though probably not the guy on meal break unless there was a serious breach of procedure.

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  2. Key part of article:

    in order to avoid hitting a fishing vessel, that junior officer turned the ship into a shoal, grounding it on the soft bottom, the investigation found.

    The officer “was not cognizant of the ship’s position in relation to the shoals and shallow water while he was maneuvering the vessel to avoid the contact,” the report noted, adding that the master’s failure to be present on the bridge, as required, whenever the ship is operating in restricted waters also played a role in the incident.

    I’d say both officers were or are going to get whacked.

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  3. … top officer briefly stepped away for dinner

    I guess he didn’t twirl those chop sticks fast enough!

    I’d say both officers were or are going to get whacked.
    – Time lay the ole Pee Pee down on the window sill and slam it shut!

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  4. I’ve never been in the Navy nor on the bridge of an ocean going ship, but isn’t this a collaborative effort with multiple people and automated equipment being tasked to keep situational awareness at all times?

    Hell, just in my CAR, if I cross a white line I can expect two female voices to immediatly magnify my fecklessness, one from the dashboard and one from the passenger’s seat. Is it unreasonable to expect this and more to be the case on a multimillion dollar modern ship with a fully trained crew?

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  5. Reminds me of the story back in the 90s about the group of Arabs that travelled to Vegas and rented an RV. Because American technology was so advanced, the driver assumed that Cruise Control was just like Auto Pilot. So while traveling down the highway at 70MPH, he switched on Cruise Control and went back to play cards with the other guys…

    The RV was last seen in a cloud of dust bounding across the sandy desert!

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  6. I’ve been to that port.
    Dozens of grounded and rotting ships all around the bay. Very narrow channel to the piers surrounded by shallow water, some of which become dry land at low tide. Must show extreme caution when navigating those waters. Not a place to be complacent.

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