The Nautical Institute draws lessons learned from an incident where a newly acquired vessel experienced an uncontrolled lifeboat descent during a drill due to a jammed and improperly stored brake release wire.
A new operator took delivery of a vessel from a previous operator, and the crew were changed over. The vessel was at anchor, and crew familiarisation and emergency drills were carried out before departure, including an abandon ship drill. While a lifeboat was being lowered to sea level, the brake release wire became stuck. The brake band remained open and the lifeboat descended to the water in an uncontrolled manner. Luckily, there were no injuries and no damage.
The company investigation found, among other things, that:
- The lifeboat wires were well maintained and greased at the time of the vessel’s delivery.
- The vessel’s records indicated the last abandon ship drill with lifeboat lowering had taken place about six weeks earlier with the previous crew.
- While the lifeboat wire was being paid out, the remote brake release wire got stuck on its drum and began to coil backwards, keeping it under tension, and thus keeping the brake in an open position. The remote wire eventually parted, and the port lifeboat dropped to sea level.
It was found that the remote release wire had been improperly stored on its drum as a result of poor handling by the previous crew. The wire was stuck within the storage drum and coated entirely in grease, which obscured the view and prevented early detection of the issue. Furthermore, it was noted that the system had remained unused for a prolonged period, contributing to this condition.
Lessons learned
Equipment and systems on newly acquired vessels under a company’s management must undergo comprehensive, close-up inspections and testing to identify potential defects or issues, ensuring safe and reliable operations.
