No passengers or crewmembers were injured during the incident
Danish Maritime Accident Investigation Board (DMAIB) issued a Marine Accident report regardingSTENA NAUTICA’s allision on 8 July 2014.
Stena Line (Image Credit: Wikipedia)
On 7 July 2014 at 2340, the Swedish ro-ro passenger ship STENA NAUTICA departed Grenaa Port, Denmark bound for Varberg, Sweden on its regular route. On board were 155 passengers and 55 crewmembers as well as a number of vehicles. At midnight, just as the ship was ready to pass the outer breakwater, the ship suddenly and unintendedly turned hard to starboard and hit the breakwater resulting in substantial hull indentations and penetrations below the waterline, leading to substantial flooding of the engine rooms. The ship immediately returned to berth where all passengers were evacuated and all cargo discharged. Subsequently, after carrying out preliminary repairs, the ship proceeded to Fayard in Munkebo, Denmark for damage assessment and repair. No passengers or crewmembers were injured during the incident.
This report focuses on the issues of the bridge layout and the design and operation of the steering systems. The accident has led to preventive measures taken by the company.
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The accident happened as STENA NAUTICA was manoeuvring in a confined area where small margins of error gave little time for problem solving if an unexpected event occurred. The design and operation of the steering system was prone to erroneous actions because it allowed for several different strategies for operation. The unexpected event made the bridge crew fixate on the mode selection. Specifically the helm was designed in such a way that the helmsman could misunderstand the actual setting. The masters decision to turn the ship and immediately return to berth may have been crucial to the outcome of the accident. With the amount of flooding caused by the damage to the underwater hull, and the ships relatively limited bilge suction capacity, it is likely that much severer consequences would have occurred, had the master decided to continue the voyage outside the breakwaters. |
Further information may be found by reading DMAIB Marine Accident Report by clicking on the image below:
Source and Image Credit:DMAIB
