On 6 July 2021, the UK survey workboat Bella flooded and sank while carrying out hydrographic survey operations in the approaches to Lynmouth, England. Bella’s crew abandoned into the liferaft and were rescued uninjured by a local boat owner; there was no pollution.
Safety Issues
– The survey workboat Bella was vulnerable to swamping, even in moderate sea conditions because its multibeam echo sounder gantry reduced its forward freeboard.
– Despite being issued with the necessary certification, Bella was not compliant with The Workboat Code; shortcomings in construction and means of flotation were missed during the certifying survey due to the surveyor’s overreliance on Recreational Craft Directive documentation.
– Bella’s crew were inexperienced and underestimated the risk of operating the vessel in the open sea and were guided by an ineffective safety management system the crew’s wearing of PFDs and familiarity with lifesaving equipment led to a safe and orderly abandonment.
Conclusions
– Bella sank because it became swamped with seawater and had insufficient reserves of buoyancy or means of flotation to remain afloat. The vessel was vulnerable to swamping even in moderate sea conditions because the addition of the multibeam echo sounder gantry had significantly reduced its forward freeboard.
– Despite being issued with the necessary certification, Bella was not compliant with The Workboat Code; shortcomings in construction and means of flotation were missed during the certifying survey due to the surveyor’s overreliance on RCD documentation.
– The Geosight team at Lynmouth almost certainly underestimated the risk of Bella flooding and swamping as they had no recent experience of operating in the open sea and had become accustomed to operating in sheltered waters with low sea states.
– Geosight’s operations manual was not an effective safety management system; shortcomings included underestimation of hazards associated with vessel modifications, operating conditions and crew qualifications.
– Bella’s two crew managed the emergency creditably and were fortunate to be rescued by local vessels soon after their boat sank. The wearing of PFDs and their familiarity with lifesaving equipment led to a safe and orderly abandonment.
Recommendations
– The Maritime Coastguard Agency has been recommended (2022/131) to Provide guidance to Certifying Authorities regarding the application of the Recreational Craft Directive when certifying vessels for commercial operation.
– Bella’s owner has been recommended (2022/132) to implement a safety management system for its vessels that follows the principles of the ISM Code.
Download the full report: "Bella" Report MAIB
