The Bureau of Maritime Casualty Investigation (BSU) issued an investigation report on the collision between the German sailing vessel NOBILE and the German worksite craft WERKER in the Flensburg Firth, Denmark, on 30 May 2014, 1425.
The report informs that, due to prevailing westerly winds, the NOBILE tackled close to the wind. After tacking north of of the Holnis Peninsula, the NOBILE approached the WERKER on notherly courses. The WERKER was following the fairway on westerly courses. Adequate measures to adress the emerging risk of collision were not taken on either vessel. During the collision, the NOBILE’s bow rammed the WERKER on her port side. The NOBILE’s bowsprit struck an excavator parked on the deck of the WERKER and snapped. Due to a second impact abaft, the hull of the WERKER was damaged below the waterline and she took on water. The crew of the WERKER responded to this by grounding her on a shoal near the scene of the collision. After the collision, the NOBILE also anchored in the vicinity.
The collision did not give rise to injuries. The NOBILE was later able to continue her voyage to Flensburg and the WERKER returned to the port of Gelting.
Conclusions
Collision prevention:
Both vessels were operated by suitably qualified crew at the time of the accident.
BSU notes that the NOBILE failed to comply with the obligation not to impede the WERKER. She should have taken evading action at an early stage, i.e before the risk of collision emerged. After the NOBILE had crossed the course of the WERKER, the earliest possible time was after the tack at 14.22.
This coincided with the fact that each vessel apparently failed to proceed with the necessary foresight, while making incorect assumptions as to the behaviour of the other vessel. The existing means (sound signals or coordination on VHF) were not made used of. As a result, the two vessel scontinued to converge until prevention of the collision was no longer possible.
The course steered by the NOBILE indicates that the skipper intended to make further turns in the fairway or nearby.
Maintenance of the logbook:
The obligation to keep the logbook was satisfied only on broad terms on the NOBILE. A logbook was not kept on the WERKER. This vessel did not transmit AIS data, consequently no other underlying data were available to substantiate the testimony of the skipper.
WERKER’s area of operation:
The WERKER was in possession of basic approval documents for operating in the Flensburg, inside German territory. The recognised Danish-German border is in the middle of the fairway. An obligation to keep the right-hand side of the fairway arises from COLREG’s, which apply in this area. Accordingly, an island waterway vessel with approval documents for the zone necessary here would have been compelled to proceed in Danish waters on her way into Flensburg Fifth. She would have thus sailed a distance of more than 9nm in an area for which she had no approval documents.
Although the body of water on the German side can also be used outside the marked fairway, this is no longer possible form buoy 4 at the latest due to its narrowness, as it would then be necessary to proceed against the direction of traffic. This means taht a stretch of 3.5 nm remains on which such a vessel would be compelled to violate her conditions if she wished to navigate safely.
Recommendations BSU recommends that: Further information may be found by reading the full report: Source: BSU
