Page 156 - Collision Avoidance Rules Guide

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Even if a signal heard forward of the beam is changed to the two
prolonged blasts of a vessel not making way, an alteration of course
may not be justified.
Achille Lauro-Cornelis B., 1956. The engines of the Cornelis B.
were stopped and then put astern when a signal of one prolonged
blast was heard a little on the starboard bow. A signal of two pro-
longed blasts was subsequently heard and this was later heard
repeated. The wheel of the Cornelis B. was then put hard-a-port and,
as the speed had been reduced to about 1 knot, the engines were put
on dead slow ahead. Unfortunately the Achille Lauro was still mak-
ing way through the water and had altered course to starboard. The
Cornelis B. was struck by the Achille Lauro and become a total loss.
Mr Justice Willmer, referring to the advice which was given to him
by the Elder Brethren concerning the action of the Cornelis B. said:
Their advice to me is that having heard, as I asked them to assume she had
heard, two signals of two long blasts, the Cornelis B. was quite justified in
going on again for the purpose of getting past the vessel which was believed
to be stationary. What they do say, however, is that the master of the
Cornelis B. committed a grave error of seamanship in altering his course to
port in the way that he did when he did start to go on again.

The reasons which the Elder Brethren have for criticizing that conduct on the
part of the master of the Cornelis B. are as follows. The signal of two long
blasts which he heard, and heard repeated, advertised only the fact that the
other vessel was at that moment stopped in the water. It contained no sort of
guarantee that the other vessel would remain stopped in the water; indeed they
tell me that it was a probability to be reckoned with that a vessel that had been
stopped in the water might advance again and, in the course of doing so, revert
to signals of one long blast instead of two long blasts. The master of the

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