In Temse, a collision occurred between a barge and a pleasure yacht on the Scheldt. The driver of the pleasure yacht said he was blinded by the sun.
The collision happened at 7.30pm on Thursday 7 September. The yacht of about seven metres long wanted to moor at one of the jetties of the marina at De Zaat in Temse, but just at that moment, the captain said he was blinded by the low-lying sun, Het Laatste Nieuws and Het Nieuwsblad write.
Horn
As a result, the yacht’s driver did not notice the Dutch barge Nivoma, which was heading towards Antwerp. The barge master warned the pleasure yacht by sounding his horn loudly. The captain of the pleasure yacht then made an abrupt manoeuvre, causing a serious collision. The barge rammed the pleasure yacht in the flank, dragging it tens of metres.
When it was reported that no one was injured and the damage did not appear to be serious, the barge continued its journey. The yacht moored at one of the jetties. Meanwhile, witnesses had notified the emergency services. Police, fire brigade and medical services rushed to the scene, but all in all everything turned out to be not too bad. A woman on board the yacht sustained a cut on one of her feet.
With good rapport and mutual understanding, you can sail harmoniously together
The collision on the Scheldt in Temse is far from the first incident to occur between a cargo ship and a pleasure yacht. Yet professional and pleasure cruising can go hand in hand if certain rules and precautions are observed, says De Vlaamse Waterweg. “With good rapport and mutual understanding, you can sail harmoniously together,” says Liliane Stinissen, spokesperson for De Vlaamse Waterweg.
Dead angle
On the visuris.be website, recreational boaters will find a laundry list of tips and recommendations. For example, like trucks, there is a blind spot on ships. “In the blind spot, the skipper of a cargo vessel cannot see you. A simple rule is: if you can see the cargo ship’s wheelhouse, the skipper can also see you,” Stinissen clarifies. “It is also important to give cargo vessels the necessary space. Stay out of the immediate vicinity of commercial shipping, especially during manoeuvres. You best take into account the large distance a freighter needs to stop. With The Flemish Waterway, we have published several leaflets around, among other things, the most important rules of navigation for pleasure craft, safe and correct lockage (going through a lock, ed.) and sailing speeds.”
