.....understood that 4 pilots were on board, by force of the law, bcs otherwise they have been there for their branch or else. As usual authorities are focusing to the mistakes of the crew and not of thouse suppose to help.....
+++June 13, 2023
Over reliance
on an electronic chart, miscommunication and an outdated navigational chart
were all factors in a cruise ship damaging a cruise terminal pier last year
near Sitka, Alaska, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said
Tuesday.
The incident occurred on May 9, 2022, when the cruise
ship Radiance of the Seas struck a mooring dolphin while
docking at the Sitka Sound Cruise Terminal, causing a minor hull indentation
and damage to three of the four pilings supporting the dolphin.
While there were no reported injuries to the 1,375
passengers, 782 crew and four pilots on board, the incident resulted in $2.1
million in damages to the pier and impacted cruise ship traffic to the terminal
for the remainder of the 2022 season.
The Sitka Sound Cruise Terminal pier is shown on June 9,
2022, with barge alongside the damaged dolphin for repairing (with catwalk
removed). (Source: NTSB)
The NTSB’s investigation found that the crew of the Radiance
of the Seas relied heavily on the vessel’s electronic chart and
information system (ECDIS) and an outdated navigational chart to plan and
execute the docking.
In April 2021, the Sitka Sound Cruise Terminal pier was
extended by 395 feet, including adding two mooring dolphins connected by a
walkway and a 410-foot-long floating dock next to the existing dolphins.
However, the Sitka Sound Cruise Terminal did not inform the National Ocean and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the agency in charge of updating U.S.
coastal nautical charts, of the extension.
In fact,
NOAA had no record of the construction until NTSB investigators informed them
of the pier’s extension after the contact.
While docking, the bosun and master did not confirm the type
of distances that were being communicated during the docking. The bosun was
relaying accurate distances to the pier’s northernmost dolphin, but the master
incorrectly assumed the bosun was calling out how much clearance the ship would
have as the stern passed the dolphin.
The NTSB determined the probable cause of the contact was
the master and bridge team’s overreliance on an electronic chart to identify
the pier’s position relative to their planned rotation location, and the
master’s misunderstanding of the clearance distances to the pier being called
by the crewmember on the stern while the vessel was rotating. The Sitka Sound
Cruise Terminal’s failure to report the extension of the pier contributed to
the incident.
NTSB investigators cited two lessons learned as a result of
the investigation, voyage planning and reporting port or terminal
modifications.
“Proper voyage planning includes developing a complete plan
for every phase of the voyage—from the vessel’s starting port to its end port
(berth to berth), including leaving the dock and mooring,” the report said.
“Reference points for maneuvering should be identified, measured precisely, and
reported clearly. Vessel bridge teams should also ensure that they have the
most up-to-date data before getting underway and consult with the local
pilot(s) on the accuracy of navigation charts to ensure depictions of ports
and/or terminals are correct.”
“Ports and terminals should immediately report significant
modifications to port or terminal configurations to the appropriate
hydrographic authority (for example, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration) so that charts can be updated and the changes made readily
available to vessel owners, operators, and crews/bridge teams,” the report
said.
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