MAIB Accident Report No 9/2013 – Serious Marine Casualty
Coastal Isle aground at the Island of Bute (Photo credit: UK MAIB)
UK MAIB (Marine Accident Investigation Branch)has published a report following the investigation into the grounding of container vesselCoastal Isle on the Island of Bute on 2 July 2012.
At 0443 on 2 July 2012, while onpassage from Belfast to Greenock, the89m feeder container vessel CoastalIsle ran aground on the Island of Bute.The grounding resulted in significantdamage to the forward section of thevessel, including minor breaches to theforward ballast tanks. At about 0240the chief officer, who was on watch atthe time, had dismissed the ordinaryseaman who was on lookout duties;shortly afterwards he left the bridgehimself.
The bridge was unmanned fromthat time until the vessel grounded at0443. The chief officer wassubsequently found in his cabin.The vessel had two independent bridgewatch alarms, neither of which wasin use at the time. The power to thevoyage data recorder had beenswitched off nearly 2 weeks beforethe accident.
The chief officer helda ‘Chief Mate (Unlimited)’ certificateof competency (CoC) issued by thePanamanian Maritime Authority (PMA)and obtained through a fraudulentorganisation in Turkey purporting torepresent the PMA. Subsequently thePMA identified training centres locatedin the Republic of Panama which wereworking in collusion with organisationsin Turkey and employees of the PMA.The PMA has taken action to stop thisactivity and prevent similar fraudulentschemes.
Recommendations have beenmade aimed at: ensuring that voyagedata recorders are functional, certified,and are used to record data followingan accident; and, increasing vigilancewhen checking seafarers’ certificates forauthenticity.
The Accident
Coastal Isle ran aground because there was noone on the bridge to correct the vessel’s headingwhen it was set off course by the easterly wind.A lookout, in addition to the watchkeeping officer,was available on the bridge during the hours ofdarkness. However, the chief officer dismissedthe lookout assigned to his watch shortly beforeleaving the bridge himself.
CONCLUSIONS
Coastal Isle ran aground because there was noone on the bridge to correct the vessel’s headingwhen it was set off course by the easterly wind.
Had either of the watch alarms on the bridgebeen switched on, the absence of the bridgewatchkeepers would have been detected andthis accident could have been avoided.
It is highly unlikely that the chief officer sufferedstomach cramps, passed out in the toilet,or remained unconscious for 1 hour and 45minutes; it is considered much more likely thathe fell asleep on his bed.
The PMA’s investigation revealed thatunspecified training centres located inside TheRepublic of Panama were working in collusionwith some employees of the PMA and fraudulentorganisations in Turkey, in order to issue genuinePanamanian CoCs and GMDSS certificates.
There was a delay of 1 hour before the masterinformed the port about the grounding; this waswholly irresponsible and not in accordance withthe vessel’s SMS or the requirements of thelocal port authority.
The VDR was kept switched off by the crew,possibly due to spurious alarms. Although theVDR APT was not valid, both classification andflag state surveyors failed to identify it.
For more information, please click at UK MAIB Accident Report No. 9/2013
Source: UK MAIB
