WILFORCE LLC AND ANOTHER V RATU SHIPPING CO SA AND ANOTHER (THE “WILFORCE” AND THE MV “WESTERN MOSCOW”)

[2022] EWHC 1190 (Admlty), Queen's Bench Division, Admiralty Court, Sir Nigel Teare sitting as a Judge of the High Court with Rear Admiral David Snelson and Captain Stephen Gobbi, Elder Brethren of Trinity House, as Nautical Assessors, 20 May 2022

Admiralty – Collision – Application of collision rules in designated precautionary area – Traffic Separation Scheme – Crossing rule – Stand-on vessel having created the dangerous situation – International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea 1972

This litigation followed the collision on 31 May 2019 in a "precautionary area" of the Singapore Strait Traffic Separation Scheme (TSS) between Wilforce and Western Moscow. The claimants were the owners and demise charterers of the LNG carrier Wilforce and the defendants were the owners and the demise charterers of the bulk carrier Western Moscow, and the combined claims for the damage caused were said to be in the region of £14 million. The collision had taken place when Wilforce proceeded in the southern, eastbound lane of the TSS and Western Moscow executed a loop through the eastbound lane within the precautionary area to join the northern, westbound lane. Questions included which vessel was the give-way vessel, how to navigate in the precautionary area and the standard of lookout on board both vessels.