USS Benfold sustains minor damage in collision with Japanese tugboat

NBC News ^ | Nov. 18, 2017 | Courtney Kube

[Eddie01]

A U.S. Navy destroyer was involved in a minor collision with a Japanese tugboat Saturday during a scheduled exercise, according to the U.S. Navy's 7th Fleet.

The USS Benfold, a guided-missile destroyer, sustained minor damage when a tugboat lost propulsion and drifted into the ship, the Navy said. No one was injured on either vessel and an initial assessment of the damage showed that the destroyer only sustained minimal damage including scrapes.

But the accident comes at a time when the Navy's 7th Fleet and the U.S. Pacific Command have come under increased scrutiny after several deadly collisions in the region earlier this year.

[GreyHoundSailor]

The Commanding Officer and the Officer of the Deck maintain control of the ship and either take or don’t take the advice of the harbor pilot. The only person the Helm will take orders from, in my experience, is the Conning Officer.
If the ship runs aground while taking the advice of a harbor pilot, that doesn’t put the bridge team in ‘sanctuary’.
Every single US based pilot I worked with was terrific (especially the Cooper River pilots).
Overseas, we’re obligated to embark pilots, but some are horrendous. It’s a judgment call the CO has to make when to ignore recommendations (and that’s all they are) from the poor pilots.

[cva66snipe]

Among the highest-paid state employees in Virginia are harbor pilots who work the Hampton Roads ports. They are tasked with piloting naval vessels—including nuclear aircraft carriers—into and out of Naval Station Norfolk. Average pay is more than $300,000 a year. Nationwide, average salary is $400,000 annually. Great pay, but no margin for error. And getting aboard the vessels they guide into port can be an adventure.

I can't imagine the headache of transiting up to NNSY or rather the responsibility for it. I think every MED Cruise we took the CO we left with had scheduled Change of Command in transit coming back. Hampton Roads is full of hazards.