[Openurmind]

The Crystal just should have come to full stop as soon as they realized the Fitzgerald was playing games with them. I think the Fitzgerald may have been trying to stop her and board her. Have you seen the paths and course changes on the map yet?

It was far too obvious what happened because of all the zig zagging going on from both. The fitzgerald was toying with the crystal, they were playing Chicken and blocking it.

Now whether the watch on the Crystal was doing the course changing, or the collision prevention system was at the helm and control I don’t know for sure, but the vessel tried to avoid the Fitzgerald several times.

I actually might still have the map showing this. I’ll look and see if I still have it. I got it from an inside source at the time.

[DesertRhino]

Where did you get that conclusion? They weren’t doing anything deliberate with the Crystal, and certainly not planning to board her in Tokyo bay.
And the Crystal should have “stopped”. Beasts like that don’t stop on a dime. And then you have the problem of being stopped, at night, in the approaches to Tokyo bay.

[frog in a pot]

The Fitzgerald was toying with the crystal, they were playing Chicken and blocking it.
The Crystal just should have come to full stop as soon as they realized the Fitzgerald was playing games with them.

Assuming you hold the credentials to accurately interpret the available evidence, under what theory of international law do you find the Crystal should have come to an expensive and time-consuming "full stop" solely to avoid collision with a faster and much more agile vessel that was "playing games"?

Would Fitzgerald's bridge have had reason to know its "system' was malfunctioning and if so, was effective ship to ship communications not indicated?

(Full disclosure: while I regard myself as a staunch American patriot ready to immediately respond on its behalf, I have over past decades been dismayed as I witnessed first-hand incidents on the international scene that I regarded as unnecessary and avoidable "Ugly American" behavior - and I am no snowflake.)

[TXnMA]

"Now whether the watch on the Crystal was doing the course changing, or the collision prevention system was at the helm and control I don’t know for sure, but the vessel tried to avoid the Fitzgerald several times."

I actually might still have the map showing this. I’ll look and see if I still have it. I got it from an inside source at the time."

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rlmorel -- Here we go again... :-(

Spend weeks drawing 'em pictures, etc -- and they still don't have a clue...

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Openurmind: Please DO post that map of yours!

Based on your comments above, you obviously have misidentified both the time and point of collision.

It wasn't until AFTER the collision that the ACX Crystal did any appreciable maneuvering at all. Up to the time of collision, Xtal was on autopilot. (RTFA...)

TXnMA