Originally Posted by
Water pilot
The tanker was broadcasting its position on AIS and the destroyer wasn't (the navy and coast guard don't seem to believe that we need to know where they are, but man they get bent out of shape if they don't know where you are.)
The McCain not only wasn't broadcasting, it wasn't monitoring. Of course, the folks on the bridge thought they had lost steering (they hadn't), so knowing the position of the tanker probably wouldn't have helped.