Originally Posted by
meleagertoo
<snip>However it couldn't possibly have done that at a speed of idling on one shaft while the other was under maintenance as has been suggested. The liner must have been travelling a great deal faster than implied by the statement issued by its owners - so there's another mystery added to the mix.
One ship T boning another even at slow speed does an awful lot of damage. Ask a former Captain of HMS Southampton who attempted a hot pull-away from a RAS, got T-boned. Caused a lot of damage, premature return to Portsmouth for significant panel beating, and legend has it that it never steered straight afterwards...
Even just resting alongside each other causes a load of damage; ask a former Captain of HMY Britannia, who got a RAS with an RFA wrong somewhere in the approaches to the Persian Gulf, with HM on board as well. The two ships got too close, and the Venturi effect sucked the two ships together. Absolutely trashed the side, and she had to go into Karachi for some emergency plate work... When she did finally arrive in Dubai they had to moor her the right way round so that the one remaining shiny side was presented to the quay. Two ships resting alongside at sea are in deep trouble, as the wave action keeps slamming them against each other. Worse still the Venturi effect makes pulling away very difficult, inflicting even more damage in the process as the ships are sucked back together.
Originally Posted by
meleagertoo
It is also worth noting that there are allegations online that the liner had previously dumped it's pax without recompense upon being unable to pay for fuel and was maybe legging it to some port of 'safe haven' for such bankrupt cowboys - if indeed that is true either!
I doubt it's on the run. If a German owned Portugese registered ship were on the run, the last place it would go to would be a port controlled by the law abidding Dutch. If money were owed and the right paperwork submitted, the ship would be arrested by the Dutch authorities in Curacao.
Originally Posted by
meleagertoo
There is evidently a great deal more going on here than is being reported.
We may never find out! But I think your "hot headed" theory coupled with a lack of seamanship is really all there is.