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Table of contents

Gard Guidance Masters

3.17.2 EVIDENCE TO BE COLLECTED

To assess whether there is a liability on the Company, evidence of the following should be collected

  • date, vessel’s time and UTC (Co-ordinated Universal Time) of the incident
  • exact position of the vessel and the tug(s) at the time of the incident
  • course and speed of the vessel at the time of the incident
  • draught of the vessel at the time of the incident
  • prevailing weather and visibility (keep any weather records)
  • tide and currents
  • name of tug involved
  • extent of damage suffered by the tug
  • extent of damage to the vessel (if any)
  • exact position and time at the commencement of the towage
  • position and duties of the tug at the commencement of the towage
  • position of the tug at the time of contact/damage
  • description of the towing arrangement at the time of contact/damage
  • photographs or video to be taken of the tug
  • sketches or drawings to be made of the towing arrangements and positions of the vessel and the tug on commencement of the towage, and when the contact/damage took place
  • names, ranks and duties of those on the bridge and at mooring stations from where the tug was being attended
  • names, ranks and duties of those in the engine room
  • pilot name and contact details (if in attendance) and statements
  • any communications exchanged between – the vessel and the tug
    – the vessel and traffic control centres
    – the pilot and any of the above
  • any orders from the pilot given to the vessel including the helmsman prior to the contact with/damage to the tug
  • radars – short description of radar settings and changes to the settings with exact times prior to the collision
  • VHF – short description of its location on the bridge and channels operated at the time of the collision, any switches to other channels with exact times prior to the collision
  • electronic chart display – short description of the chart used and when last updated
  • chart used (paper or electronic) – do not tamper with or erase any marks/data
  • statements of eye witnesses
  • manoeuvre printer/course recorder printouts to be marked and retained and electronic data to be stored
  • relevant logs and order books valid at the time of the incident to be retained
  • failure of any navigation equipment to be noted
  • should any personal injury occur, refer to section 3.11 Personal injury, crew illness or death
  • should any pollution occur, please see section 3.12 Pollution
  • details of the towage contract.