Australia Convicts Ship Operator, Master After Pilot Ladder Fall Injury

 Mike Schuler  June 1, 2023

A Magistrates Court in Perth, Australia has convicted the Master and operator of a Cyprus-flagged cargo ship following an accident involving a substandard pilot ladder.

The case was presented by Australia’s maritime safety regulator, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA).

AAL Dampier Navigation Co Ltd, the company behind the ship, AAL Dampier, and the ship’s Master were found guilty of breaching safety regulations that led to the accident in August 2022.

The incident occurred as the AAL Dampier was departing the Port of Fremantle on August 24, 2022. A marine pilot, while in the process disembarking the vessel, was injured after falling from a faulty pilot ladder. The ropes snapped, causing him to fall about 7 meters onto the deck of the pilot boat.

The pilot was taken to the hospital with serious injuries.

Following the accident, AMSA officials and investigators boarded the ship for inspection. They discovered and seized a segment of the ropes, which upon examination, were found to be seriously defective and clearly unfit for purpose. The neglect of proper storage and ineffectual inspection routines were identified as the probable cause of the poor state of the rope.

AAL Dampier Navigation acknowledged its failure to adhere to Marine Order 21 (Safety and Emergency Arrangements) 2016. The company pled guilty to not having complied with regulations for pilot transfer procedures. The court ordered the company to pay a fine of $30,500.

The vessel’s Master faced charges for not ensuring a safe disembarkation process for the pilot, as mandated by Marine Order 21 (Safety and Emergency Arrangements) 2016. Additionally, he was held accountable under the Navigation Act 2012 for taking an unfit vessel to sea. He pled guilty to both counts and was imposed a cumulative fine of $5,500.

Michael Drake, AMSA Executive Director of Operations, said he was pleased with the verdict and emphasized the importance of safety measures in the high-risk job of marine pilots.

“AMSA is a strict but just regulator. We will not waver in our commitment to avert risks to human life, be it a pilot or a mariner,” said Drake.

The conviction serves as a stark reminder to all vessels and seafarers of their duty to uphold maritime safety standards

gcaptain.com

Distracted Watch Officers Led to Collision, NTSB Finds

 

Damage to the bulbous bow of the Bunun Queen. (Source: US Coast Guard)

Mike Schuler    June 6, 2023

A National Transportation Safety Board investigation has revealed that the bridge watch officers on a bulk carrier and an offshore supply vessel failed to maintain proper lookouts before their vessels collided last year near Port Fourchon, Louisiana.

The incident occurred on July 23, 2022, when the bulk carrier Bunun Queen was heading eastbound in the Gulf of Mexico and the offshore supply vessel Thunder was traveling northbound. Just before 1:15 p.m. local time, the bulbous bow of the Bunun Queen, which was traveling on autopilot at 14.4 knots, struck the port side of the Thunder, which was traveling at 9 knots.

The collision resulted in significant damage to the Thunder’s port side, causing flooding in one of its propulsion rooms and three other areas.

Fortunately, there were no injuries or pollution reported, but the collision caused $12.3 million in damages to both vessels.

The Thunder being towed to a dock in Port Fourchon after the collision. The inset shows the damage to the aft port side of the vessel. (Source: Coast Guard)

The collision occurred during favorable conditions with good visibility, daylight, and fair weather. Both vessels had radar and automatic identification system receivers that were capable of detecting each other. However, prior to the collision, neither of the officers on watch on the vessels maintained a proper lookout, either by visual scanning or using the available electronic systems to prevent a collision.

Alternatively, both officers admitted to being distracted by non-navigational tasks. The master on the Thunder was found to be using his cell phone, while the second officer on the Bunun Queen was occupied with other duties.

According to the Convention on the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea, every vessel is required to maintain a proper lookout using visual observation, hearing, and all appropriate available means.

The NTSB determined that the probable cause of the collision was the distraction of the Bunun Queen officer due to non-navigational tasks and the distraction of the Thunder officer due to cell phone use. Both officers failed to keep a proper lookout as a result. Additionally, the Thunder’s officer on watch failed to adhere to the company’s watchkeeping policies, which contributed to the accident.

“Using cell phones and other personal electronic devices has been demonstrated to be visually, manually, and cognitively distracted,” the report said. “Nonoperational use of cell phones and other wireless electronic devices by on-duty crewmembers in safety-critical positions has been a factor in accidents in all transportation modes. Nonoperational use of cell phones should never interfere with the primary task of a watchstander or a bridge team member to maintain a proper lookout. It is important for personnel to follow established protocols regarding cell phone use.”

Ν Τ Ρ Ο Π Η Κ Υ Ρ Ι Ο Ι ....

 

Attica Group: Στήριξη του Πυροσβεστικού Σώματος στην κατάσβεση της μεγάλης πυρκαγιάς στη Ρόδο

Δωρεάν μεταφορά πυροσβεστών και οχημάτων....

.....περισσόυερο  πιστεύω ότι γλύπτης δημοσιοκάφρος γράφει τέτοιες ανοησίες παρά τα γεράκια της εταιρείας.  Εάν το υποθετικό γλύψιμο έρχεται από την πάλαι ποτέ σοβαρή εταιρεία, τα πράγματα δεν πάνε καλά....

Όπως και να 'χει το πράγμα, είστε υποχρεωμένοι να συμβάλλετε και όχι να σας πούμε ευχαριστώ....

Ξεφτίλα ένθεν κι ένθεν, και χαμόγελα με καφεδάκι στο γραφείο του υεν....

Cruise Ship Crew Relied on Outdated Chart Before Striking Pier in Alaska

 .....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.....

+++

Mike Schuler

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.

Two cargo ships have collided in the Aegean Sea off the coast of Greece.

 

 

Incident Photos: Cargo Ships Collide Off Greece

Mike Schuler   June 2, 2023

The Hellenic Coast Guard reports that the collision took place around 9 p.m. Thursday night in international waters of the eastern Aegean Sea, north-northwest of Chios, Greece.

The incident involved Vanuatu-flagged ANT, with thirteen foreign crew, and the Singapore-flagged cargo ship Potentia, with nineteen on board.

Photos show damage to the Ant on its starboard side amidships.

No injuries or pollution have been reported.

Several assets were sent to the scene, including several patrol boats, a Greek Navy ship, multiple helicopters and an Air Force aircraft.

Ant is owned by Turkey-based Ant Shipping and Trading, according to Equasis data. The ship was recently inspected in Egypt on May 30, with the inspection revealing that the ship had a malfunctioning bridge navigation watch alarm system.