Subscribe to our Mailing Lists (It's free!)
Friday, July 11, 2025
SAFETY4SEA
  • Home
  • Safety
    • All
    • Accidents
    • Alerts
    • Loss Prevention
    • Maritime Health
    • Regulation
    • Safety
    • Seafarers
    • Security
    IMO piracy

    IMO Piracy Report: Twenty five incidents during May 2025

    Dryad Global

    Dryad Global: Geopolitical tensions continue to shape maritime landscape

    ireland drug seizure

    Ireland’s largest drug smuggling plot leads to eight men in jail

    limpet mines tankers

    Greek tanker fleet boosts security amid limpet mine fears

  • SEAFiT
    • All
    • Intellectual
    • Mental
    • Physical
    • Social
    • Spiritual
    friendship

    Exploring the human need for friendship: A lifeline at sea and on shore

    neck pain

    Neck pain: A growing health concern for maritime workers

    Book Review: Building leaders the MMMA way

    Book Review: Feel grounded and think positive in 10 simple steps

    time

    Stay SEAFiT: Time is non-renewable – invest it wisely

  • Green
    • All
    • Arctic
    • Ballast
    • Emissions
    • Fuels
    • Green Shipping
    • Pollution
    • Ship Recycling
    • Technology
    BIMCO FuelEU Maritime Regulation

    EU issues low-carbon hydrogen fuel standards

    clean air act

    California updates ballast rules for water from low salinity areas

    biofuels

    India’s DGS issues biofuel bunkering guidelines

    biofuel

    Companies sign deal to advance crude lignin oil biofuel

  • Smart
    • All
    • Connectivity
    • Cyber Security
    • E-navigation
    • Energy Efficiency
    • Maritime Software
    • Smart
    Trafigura, ZeroNorth join forces to advance decarbonization solutions

    Trafigura, ZeroNorth join forces to advance decarbonization solutions

    floating data centres

    New partnership to develop floating data center on retrofitted vessel

    connectivity

    Innovating ocean safety: Intellian’s unified vision for connectivity and GMDSS

    autonomous navigation

    New deal aims to advance autonomous navigation technology

  • Risk
    • All
    • CIC
    • Detentions
    • Fines
    • PSC Focus
    • Vetting
    AMSA fine

    NorthStandard: Tips to avoid pollution fines in Turkey

    OCIMF

    OCIMF Annual Report 2025: SIRE 2.0 a welcome change for the industry

    USCG

    ABS PSC Report Q1 2025: 526 total vessels detained

    paris mou lists

    Paris MoU 2024 Performance lists

  • Others
    • All
    • Diversity in shipping
    • Maritime Knowledge
    • Offshore
    • Ports
    • Shipping
    • Sustainability
    • Videos
    Panama Canal

    Panama Canal reports increase in transits despite dry season

    UNCTAD

    UNCTAD: Global trade endures policy changes and uncertainty

    Eternity C

    Watch: Eternity C sinks in the Red Sea following Houthi attack

    newbuildings xclusiv shipbrokers

    Xclusiv Shipbrokers: Newbuilding momentum slows sharply in 2025

  • Columns
    Career Paths: Syb ten Cate Hoedemaker, Maritime Battery Forum

    Career Paths: Syb ten Cate Hoedemaker, Maritime Battery Forum

    GSR Services: The Hong Kong Convention sets the rules for total ship lifecycle responsibility

    NorthStandard: Data sharing to drive technology and improve crew wellbeing

    GSR Services: The Hong Kong Convention sets the rules for total ship lifecycle responsibility

    GSR Services: The Hong Kong Convention sets the rules for total ship lifecycle responsibility

    Trending Tags

    • Anchor Your Health
    • Book Review
    • Career Paths
    • Human Performance
    • Industry Voices
    • Interviews
    • Maripedia
    • Maritime History
    • Regulatory Update
    • Resilience
    • Seafarers Stories
    • SeaSense
    • Training & Development
    • Wellness Corner
    • Wellness Tips
  • Events
  • Plus
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Safety
    • All
    • Accidents
    • Alerts
    • Loss Prevention
    • Maritime Health
    • Regulation
    • Safety
    • Seafarers
    • Security
    IMO piracy

    IMO Piracy Report: Twenty five incidents during May 2025

    Dryad Global

    Dryad Global: Geopolitical tensions continue to shape maritime landscape

    ireland drug seizure

    Ireland’s largest drug smuggling plot leads to eight men in jail

    limpet mines tankers

    Greek tanker fleet boosts security amid limpet mine fears

  • SEAFiT
    • All
    • Intellectual
    • Mental
    • Physical
    • Social
    • Spiritual
    friendship

    Exploring the human need for friendship: A lifeline at sea and on shore

    neck pain

    Neck pain: A growing health concern for maritime workers

    Book Review: Building leaders the MMMA way

    Book Review: Feel grounded and think positive in 10 simple steps

    time

    Stay SEAFiT: Time is non-renewable – invest it wisely

  • Green
    • All
    • Arctic
    • Ballast
    • Emissions
    • Fuels
    • Green Shipping
    • Pollution
    • Ship Recycling
    • Technology
    BIMCO FuelEU Maritime Regulation

    EU issues low-carbon hydrogen fuel standards

    clean air act

    California updates ballast rules for water from low salinity areas

    biofuels

    India’s DGS issues biofuel bunkering guidelines

    biofuel

    Companies sign deal to advance crude lignin oil biofuel

  • Smart
    • All
    • Connectivity
    • Cyber Security
    • E-navigation
    • Energy Efficiency
    • Maritime Software
    • Smart
    Trafigura, ZeroNorth join forces to advance decarbonization solutions

    Trafigura, ZeroNorth join forces to advance decarbonization solutions

    floating data centres

    New partnership to develop floating data center on retrofitted vessel

    connectivity

    Innovating ocean safety: Intellian’s unified vision for connectivity and GMDSS

    autonomous navigation

    New deal aims to advance autonomous navigation technology

  • Risk
    • All
    • CIC
    • Detentions
    • Fines
    • PSC Focus
    • Vetting
    AMSA fine

    NorthStandard: Tips to avoid pollution fines in Turkey

    OCIMF

    OCIMF Annual Report 2025: SIRE 2.0 a welcome change for the industry

    USCG

    ABS PSC Report Q1 2025: 526 total vessels detained

    paris mou lists

    Paris MoU 2024 Performance lists

  • Others
    • All
    • Diversity in shipping
    • Maritime Knowledge
    • Offshore
    • Ports
    • Shipping
    • Sustainability
    • Videos
    Panama Canal

    Panama Canal reports increase in transits despite dry season

    UNCTAD

    UNCTAD: Global trade endures policy changes and uncertainty

    Eternity C

    Watch: Eternity C sinks in the Red Sea following Houthi attack

    newbuildings xclusiv shipbrokers

    Xclusiv Shipbrokers: Newbuilding momentum slows sharply in 2025

  • Columns
    Career Paths: Syb ten Cate Hoedemaker, Maritime Battery Forum

    Career Paths: Syb ten Cate Hoedemaker, Maritime Battery Forum

    GSR Services: The Hong Kong Convention sets the rules for total ship lifecycle responsibility

    NorthStandard: Data sharing to drive technology and improve crew wellbeing

    GSR Services: The Hong Kong Convention sets the rules for total ship lifecycle responsibility

    GSR Services: The Hong Kong Convention sets the rules for total ship lifecycle responsibility

    Trending Tags

    • Anchor Your Health
    • Book Review
    • Career Paths
    • Human Performance
    • Industry Voices
    • Interviews
    • Maripedia
    • Maritime History
    • Regulatory Update
    • Resilience
    • Seafarers Stories
    • SeaSense
    • Training & Development
    • Wellness Corner
    • Wellness Tips
  • Events
  • Plus
No Result
View All Result
SAFETY4SEA

Ship contacts wharf as harbour master, pilot are unaware of fender issues

by The Editorial Team
March 26, 2019
in Accidents
ship contacts wharf

Credit: Kimberley Port Authority, annotated by ATSB

FacebookTwitterEmailLinkedin

ATSB published its report on the contact with a wharf by the livestock carrier Angus Express. The vessel contacted Berths 4 and 5, at Broome, Western Australia, on 20 April 2018. The report concluded that the harbour master and pilot were not aware of any height of tide limitations regarding berthing ships alongside Yokohama fenders at these berths.

The incident

On 20 April 2018, the 103 m livestock carrier Angus Express arrived at the Broome, Western Australia, pilot boarding ground. The ship had just completed a voyage from Singapore, and was expected to load cattle at berths 4 and 5.

[smlsubform prepend=”GET THE SAFETY4SEA IN YOUR INBOX!” showname=false emailtxt=”” emailholder=”Enter your email address” showsubmit=true submittxt=”Submit” jsthanks=false thankyou=”Thank you for subscribing to our mailing list”]

RelatedNews

ABS develops EV battery fire simulation modeling to tackle risks

DNV: Strong culture and collaboration – vital ingredients for a safe and green maritime transformation

When booking the pilotage on 16 April 2018, the master had advised that the ship’s bow thruster was inoperable. The port’s handbook suggested that a ship of Angus Express’s length with no thruster should use two tugs for arrival and departure. The tugs were booked in advance, but on 19 April, the pilot became aware that only one of the port’s two tugs would be available. He then informed the harbour master who advised that there were no strong winds and the ship berthed within an hour or less of slack water, the pilot could make the decision whether to continue with the berthing. The pilot then carried out a risk assessment and discussed it with the harbour master. They decided that the ship could berth with the use of only one tug.

The pilot explained the plan to the ship’s chief mate and master during the MPX and they agreed with the plan. The pilotage into Broome continued with a tug in attendance, and went as planned and without incident.

The pilot swung the ship to port and approached the wharf, to berth starboard side alongside. A little later, the ship was alongside the wharf, with two Yokohama fenders located positioned forward and aft, between the ship and wharf’s vertical fender posts.

The ship was about 8 m aft of its berthing position at berth 4 and 5, when mooring lines were run to the wharf. The pilot then attempted to use the mooring winches to heave in the mooring lines to move the ship forward into position. However, by then, the slack tide was beginning to change and the pilot estimated there was a current working against the bow and the mooring winches were ineffective. The pilot then instructed the tug, in position about amidships, to push forwards at a 45° angle using minimum power, to help reposition the ship.

Moments later, the weight of the ship against the forward Yokohama fender forced it to pass under the fender posts, which caused the ship’s bow to move towards the wharf. Shortly afterwards, an overhanging scupper protrusion contacted the fender post.

The pilot thought that the ship had pivoted on the Yokohama fender and instructed the tug to stop pushing. The ship moved slightly off the fender posts and the fender cleared the post.

At 07.14, the pilot instructed the tug to push minimum forward again, resulting in the forward Yokohama fender once again passing underneath the fender posts. The ship’s bow again moved towards the wharf, and the scupper protrusion again contacted the fender post. The pilot instructed the tug to stop, and the ship came away from the vertical fender posts.

The pilot then advised the master to use the ship’s engines to reposition the ship. A little later, the vessel was in position as intended and all fast with the height of tide now at 1.65 m.

The pilot reported the incident to the harbour master who attended the ship and found minor damage to the ship’s superstructure.

Probable cause

The height of tide at the time of the incident was 1.62 m, which was low enough to expose the base of the fender posts. When the pilot tried to manoeuvre Angus Express forward using the tug, the force exerted on the Yokohama fender by the ship, allowed it squash and roll under the fender post. As a result, the ship moved nearer to the wharf and the scupper protrusion contacted the post.

In addition, the reason for changing Angus Express’s berthing plan was a possible 1-week delay because of tug unavailability. This delay could have led to stranding a large number of cattle in holding yards for a long period with only about 8 hours of loading fodder available. Thus, the reason to change the berthing plan were valid.

However, at that time, neither the pilot nor the management of both WCP and KPA knew about the shorter fender posts at berths 4 and 5, and the potential for Yokohama fenders to be forced under them. If this information was known and effectively communicated, it would have been considered during the risk assessment and the incident could have been avoided.

Recommendations

After the incident, ATSB has been advised of the following proactive safety action in response:

Kimberley Ports Authority: Kimberley Ports Authority advised the ATSB that it implemented guidelines for berthing and being alongside when using Yokohama style fenders for times of limiting low water levels. Moreover, the risk evaluation process between harbour master and pilot has been extended to contain quick risk assessment for circumstances like tug shortages, ship manoeuvring issues and tidal levels. A memorandum has also been issued to all pilots and port users advising of these changes.

This incident highlights the fact that marine pilots may encounter operational parameters outside normal limits. Whenever this occurs and learning opportunities are identified, it is important to ensure these are captured through proper reporting processes. This information can then be shared through training and awareness to reduce risk and avoid incidents

ATSB stated.

See more information in the PDF herebelow

Ship contacts wharf as harbour master, pilot are unaware of fender issues

Ship contacts wharf as harbour master, pilot are unaware of fender issuesShip contacts wharf as harbour master, pilot are unaware of fender issues
Ship contacts wharf as harbour master, pilot are unaware of fender issuesShip contacts wharf as harbour master, pilot are unaware of fender issues
Tags: accident reportsATSBcollisionpreventing collisions at seasafety culture
Previous Post

AAPA in favour of new North American trade agreement

Next Post

Home country medical treatment for seafarers: Challenges & solutions

Related News

NTSB
Accidents

NTSB Investigation: Fire aboard fishing vessel results in sinking

July 3, 2025
Port of Barcelona commits to meet Sustainable Development Goals
Accidents

Tug sinks after colliding with containership in the Port of Barcelona

July 1, 2025
CHIRP
Safety

CHIRP: Annual Digest of Reports and Insight Articles 2024

July 1, 2025
NTSB
Accidents

NTSB shares interim report on fatal ship crash into Brooklyn Bridge

July 1, 2025
human factor organizational safety
Opinions

Cracking the safety code: Why human factors matter

June 27, 2025
NTSB Investigation
Accidents

NTSB Investigation: Towing vessel grounds due to captain’s maneuver

June 26, 2025

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Explore more

No Result
View All Result
MARITIME EVENTS

Explore

  • Safety
  • SEAFiT
  • Green
  • Smart
  • Risk
  • Others
  • SAFETY4SEA Events
  • SAFETY4SEA Plus Subscription

Useful Links

  • About
  • Disclaimer
  • Editorial Policies
  • Advertising
  • Content Marketing
  • Contact

© 2025 SAFETY4SEA

No Result
View All Result
  • Safety
    • Accidents
    • Alerts
    • Loss Prevention
    • Maritime Health
    • Regulation
    • Safety
    • Seafarers
    • Security
  • SEAFiT
    • Intellectual
    • Mental
    • Physical
    • Social
    • Spiritual
  • Green
    • Arctic
    • Ballast
    • Emissions
    • Fuels
    • Green Shipping
    • Pollution
    • Ship Recycling
    • Technology
  • Smart
    • Connectivity
    • Cyber Security
    • E-navigation
    • Energy Efficiency
    • Maritime Software
    • Smart
  • Risk
    • CIC
    • Detentions
    • Fines
    • PSC Case Studies
    • PSC Focus
    • Vetting
  • Others
    • Diversity in shipping
    • Maritime Knowledge
    • Offshore
    • Ports
    • Shipping
    • Sustainability
    • Videos
  • Columns
    • Anchor Your Health
    • Book Review
    • Career Paths
    • Human Performance
    • Industry Voices
    • Interviews
    • Maripedia
    • Maritime History
    • Opinions
    • Regulatory Update
    • Resilience
    • Seafarers Stories
    • SeaSense
    • Tip of the day
    • Training & Development
    • Wellness Corner
    • Wellness Tips
  • SAFETY4SEA Events
  • SAFETY4SEA Plus Subscription

© 2025 SAFETY4SEA

Manage your privacy
We use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. We do this to improve browsing experience and to show (non-) personalized ads. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.
Functional Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
Manage options Manage services Manage {vendor_count} vendors Read more about these purposes
Manage options
{title} {title} {title}
No Result
View All Result
  • Safety
    • Accidents
    • Alerts
    • Loss Prevention
    • Maritime Health
    • Regulation
    • Safety
    • Seafarers
    • Security
  • SEAFiT
    • Intellectual
    • Mental
    • Physical
    • Social
    • Spiritual
  • Green
    • Arctic
    • Ballast
    • Emissions
    • Fuels
    • Green Shipping
    • Pollution
    • Ship Recycling
    • Technology
  • Smart
    • Connectivity
    • Cyber Security
    • E-navigation
    • Energy Efficiency
    • Maritime Software
    • Smart
  • Risk
    • CIC
    • Detentions
    • Fines
    • PSC Case Studies
    • PSC Focus
    • Vetting
  • Others
    • Diversity in shipping
    • Maritime Knowledge
    • Offshore
    • Ports
    • Shipping
    • Sustainability
    • Videos
  • Columns
    • Anchor Your Health
    • Book Review
    • Career Paths
    • Human Performance
    • Industry Voices
    • Interviews
    • Maripedia
    • Maritime History
    • Opinions
    • Regulatory Update
    • Resilience
    • Seafarers Stories
    • SeaSense
    • Tip of the day
    • Training & Development
    • Wellness Corner
    • Wellness Tips
  • SAFETY4SEA Events
  • SAFETY4SEA Plus Subscription

© 2025 SAFETY4SEA