The containership Maersk Wisconsin, assisted by two tugs, left Port Elizabeth, New Jersey, in the early morning hours of December 5, 2011, to begin its transit south toward Kill Van Kull, through New York Harbor, and then to sea for its destination in the United Arab Emirates. At 0213, with fog reducing visibility to about 0.25miles, the containership collided with a tug and barge unit in Kill Van Kull channel near Bergen Point, New Jersey.
We determined that the probable cause of the collision was the failure of the docking pilot on board the Maersk Wisconsin to position his vessel according to the meeting arrangement with the Ruth M. Reinauer, and to allow adequate separation for passage of the tug and barge in the navigable channel.
