The UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) issued an investigation report on the loss of control and grounding of the ro-ro passenger ferry “Hebrides”, in Lochmaddy, North Uist, Scotland, in September 2016.
The incident
On 25 September 2016, the ro-ro passenger ferry Hebrides was approaching Lochmaddy, North Uist, Scotland when control of the ferry’s port controllable pitch propeller was lost. The master attempted to control the ferry’s movements, but he was unable to prevent it from running over several mooring pontoons and briefly grounding. There were no injuries but the ferry was damaged and had to be taken out of service and repaired in dry dock.
Specifically, several mooring pontoons in Lochmaddy were upturned and damaged. The hull plating along Hebrides’s starboard side above the fat bottom was indented and the ferry’s starboard bilge keel was distorted. A length of mooring chain was also found wrapped around the starboard propeller shaft, which had damaged the outer stern tube seal and propeller.
Conclusions -It took the bridge team 2 minutes to realise that control of the port CPP had been lost. By then, the ferry was less than 200m from the pier roundhead and was still making good 10kts -It is highly likely that stress, panic and poor communication contributed to the master’s situational awareness regarding the status of the control of the port CPP -Hebrides’s speed when approaching Lochmaddy was too fast to enable the actions taken by the master to stop the ferry in safe water to be effective. Recommendations Rolls-Royce Marine is recommended to verify its processes to ensure that service and inspection instructions provided by the original equipment manufacturers of the components used in its control systems are available to its service engineers and in the documentation provided to vessels. CalMac Ferries Ltd (2017/137) is recommended to implement procedures that: Further details may be found in the following report:
