In an interesting – and undoubtedly controversial – article entitled “The ‘Navy Way’ is the Wrong Course,” Captain Paul E. Lobo, a retired Lt-Commander in the US Naval Reserve and San Francisco bar pilot, talks about the recent collisions of the USN in Asia and how the USN needs to change. He laments how the USN is becoming less and less competent in seamanship. As he says, “One of the first rules of going to sea is relatively simple: if another ship is getting closer and their bearing stays the same, IT WILL HIT YOU.” Sailors should know this, and they should make sure they get out of the way, no matter who has the right of way. He also suggests that there are far too many unnecessary personnel on navy ships, and navy is too politically correct. He suggests that the navy learn from the private sector – huge container ships have minimal crews. He concludes that “Less redundancy in terms of personnel, a greater emphasis on basic seamanship, and a willingness to streamline operations in terms of crew numbers may well avoid future disasters.” Take a look at this article at http://gcaptain.com/the-navy-way-is-the-wrong-course/
