The chief officer’s attitude could have been influenced by several factors. Travelling at 11 knots, Seagate was a relatively slow ship and the chief officer could have expected that faster ships would routinely overtake his vessel. He might also have been lulled into a false sense of security by the conditions: it was a warm, occasionally moonlit night, with light to moderate winds, good visibility and little other traffic in an open sea. In these circumstances, it is possible that an otherwise experienced watchkeeper might allow himself to underestimate the risks of a collision.