In its latest Safety Digest, the UK MAIB describes a case of a yacht grounding during an ocean race. With respect to this incident, MAIB advised that every vessel sailing at sea needs a passage plan that has identified all potential hazards for the voyage ahead.
UK MAIB focuses on a collision accident concerning a luxury catamaran and a ferry. The catamaran tried to avoid the collision but its port side made heavy contact with the ferry. The Safety Digest notes that passage planning is of a great importance for better-safety conditions.
Australia’s Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) issued an investigation report on the grounding of the Australian Border Force cutter Roebuck Bay (ABFC Roebuck Bay) on Henry Reef, Queensland, in September 2017. The report identified an amendment on the passage plan which led the vessel to the reef and poor use of ECDIS.
Complying with the ISM Code is at least a prerequisite for a safe navigation. As part of its series on ISM Code-related accidents, SAFETY4SEA focuses today on the grounding of the Maltese-registered tanker ‘Ovit’ in the Dover Strait, off UK, in September 2013.
“The scene at Nightingale is dreadful,” authorities were quoted as saying after the Maltese-registered bulk carrier ‘Oliva’ ran aground in the South Atlantic Ocean, causing an unprecedented oil spill in one of the most pristine regions in the world.
It is almost 12 years since the bulk carrier ‘Pasha Bulker’ came out at the Nobbys Beach of New South Wales offering an unusual spectacle for local people. The incident is an interesting case study of inadequate communication, inefficient SMS, poor judgement due to fatigue and the objective cause of extreme weather conditions.
The UK P&I Club published a statement focusing on the importance of passage planning, in light of the ‘CMA CGM Libra’, transferring cargo with a value in excess of US$500 million as well as about 8,000 tons of bunkers, grounded on a shoal whilst sailing out Xiamen port, China through a recognised dredged channel marked by lit buoys.
NTSB issued a report on the collision of the bulk carrier ‘Yochow’ with the articulated tug and barge ‘OSG Independence’ in the Houston Ship Channel, in June 2018. The report highlights poor bridge resource management as key cause of the accident and fatigue as a significant contributing factor.
As the North P&I Club informs, the UK Admiralty Court has recently rejected a shipowner’s claim for general average. It specifically concluded that the ship was unseaworthy because of an error in the passage plan. North Club noted that this case has showcased how important a proper berth-to-berth passage planning is, saying that it ‘is much more than just putting courses on a chart or ECDIS.’
A year-long research project carried out by the UK and Danish marine investigation authorities has highlighted major concerns over the design and operation of ECDIS and significant shortfalls in the way in which seafarers are training to use the systems.
