At about 0036 on 30 November 2007, the liquefied petroleum gas
(LPG) tanker Namhae Gas collided with the fishing vessel
Rexandra. At the time, both vessels were about 30 miles
northeast of Mooloolaba, Queensland.
Neither Namhae Gas's watch-keeper nor duty lookout was
keeping a proper lookout in the time leading up to the collision.
They also assumed that a collision between their ship and
Rexandra had not occurred. Consequently, the second mate
did not immediately report the incident to the ship's master and he
made no attempt to contact the damaged fishing vessel.
While Rexandra's skipper was aware that the ship was
approaching the fishing vessel, he did not take early action when
he became aware that a risk of collision existed.
Namhae Gas did not sustain any damage during the
collision, but Rexandra was taking on water. Fortunately,
the fishing vessel's bilge pumps were able to keep up with the
ingress of water. After hauling in its three nets,
Rexandra set course for Mooloolaba, arriving there at 0900
on 30 November.
Marine Safety Advisory Notice [ MS20080027
]
