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[Lizzie Zoom]

Don't know where you plucked that number from... Would still require at least a third more to pass safely.

At the end of the day marine law requires a safe distance to be maintained from large commercial vessels of at least 1000m ahead and astern and 150m abeam.

She shouldn't have been anywhere near it.

And basic seamanship requires an understanding of allowing for the effects of wind and tide on not only your vessel but also those around you.

The figure of 14.6 knots has been given by the Japanesse authorities of the speed the container ship was doing at the time of the collision. The 30 knots for the US destroyer is the published top speed for this class, but no doubt can do more. The Royal Navy Daring class of destroyers also have a published top speed of 30 knots. Classes of Royal Navy destroyers during WW2 had a published top speed of 36 knots.

I fully agree with the points you make, but it could be the US commander was on an exercise as I described of circumventing the large container ship as they would a fleet large unit, such as an aircraft carrier, as they would in war. They have to practice those maneovers, but could well have got it wrong as they can, as my father used to explain. Moving a screening force of one set of destroyers from port to starboard, and the other section from starboard to port takes skill and much practice.  My father reckoned it was scary at times, but always excillerating and exciting being executed at top speeds, with utter faith being placed with your captain to "do it right" whilst my father was responsible for executing the signals by flags to initiate it all.

As I said someone will lose their command, IF it was "human error" on the part of the commander on the bridge. Blame certainly cannot be placed with the container ships captain.

Like the K-class submarines 'Battle of May Island'

Oh yes, indeed.  The poor, ill fated K-Class!!  

[Marks DTM Calib]

Those container ships are good for 25 knots but tend to chug about at half that for fuel economy purposes.

What surprised me with a lot of the naval vessels is how they are not that manoeuvrable given the use of standard prop setups with a couple of tunnel thrusters

[Kevin Wood]

Hmm. Embarrassing all round. Difficult for the US to explain that damage while having "right of way" and, meanwhile, on the container ship, it took them a while to wake up someone who knows how to turn off the autopilot (or maybe to figure out that they weren't going to get away without reporting it).

[tunnie]

Those container ships are good for 25 knots but tend to chug about at half that for fuel economy purposes.

What surprised me with a lot of the naval vessels is how they are not that manoeuvrable given the use of standard prop setups with a couple of tunnel thrusters

Those new prototype ships USS Independence and Freedom look quite manoeuvrable!

[Marks DTM Calib]

Those container ships are good for 25 knots but tend to chug about at half that for fuel economy purposes.

What surprised me with a lot of the naval vessels is how they are not that manoeuvrable given the use of standard prop setups with a couple of tunnel thrusters

Those new prototype ships USS Independence and Freedom look quite manoeuvrable!

Trimaran with water jet propulsion so the should be far more manoeuvrable.