Andrew Moll OBE, Chief Inspector of Marine Accidents at the Marine Accident Investigation Branch writes, “Welcome to MAIB’s second Safety Digest of 2022. I will start in the usual manner by thanking Julian Hughes, Jim Portus and Rachel Andrews for their respective introductions to the merchant, fishing and recreational sections of this edition. Each is an expert in their own field, and their industry insights to safety help bring contemporary context to the cautionary tales in the following pages. I hope you will find time to read the whole edition – there is something here for every mariner – but please do read the section introductions. And, when you have finished, please pass the digest on so others can benefit too. Continue reading “MAIB safety digest 2/2022 published”
News
Dutch tall ship accident resulting in three deaths caused by wood rot says investigation
An investigation into the fatal accident onboard the Amicitia where its mast broke and killed three people has revealed wood rot as the cause. The Dutch Safety Branch report revealed that there was no maintenance plan for the mast in question. The mast certificate issued in 2012, which was valid until 2018, caused the captain to think that this safety critical part of the ship met all safety requirements.
”In order to guarantee the safety of passengers, the historic ships sector must professionalise. With the commercial growth of the past decades, a backlog has been built up in knowledge and expertise about the safe maintenance of these special ships,” said the report. Continue reading “Dutch tall ship accident resulting in three deaths caused by wood rot says investigation”
BSU report into death of a crew member who fell from a cargo hold ladder on Seoul Express
On 27 March 2021, the Seoul Express was approximately 52 nm off the coast of Mexico en route from Manzanillo to Long Beach in the United States. The ship was engaged in regular service between various ports in the Mediterranean, Central America and the west coast of North America.
At the end of his morning watch, the later deceased first watchman of the 4-8 watch (deployed at sea as a lookout, referred to below as ‘watchman’) began the usual inspection of the temperatures of the loaded fish meal containers at 0700 on the instructions of the chief mate, who was in charge of the navigational watch. This involved checking 11 containers in Bays9 10, 29 and 31 during the voyage in question. Continue reading “BSU report into death of a crew member who fell from a cargo hold ladder on Seoul Express”
Lithium-ion batteries contributed to fire on MY Siempre reveals MSIU report
The release of the Malta’s Marine Safety Investigation Unit (MSIU) report into the fire onboard MY Siempre has once again brought the subject of Lithium-ion batteries into sharp focus. The report says that it can’t exclude the fact that the Lithium-ion batteries on board were either the cause of the fire, and/or a contributing factor to the intensity and spread of the fire. Neither can it exclude the possibility that the fire may have started due to a short circuit in the electrical power socket of the yacht’s water scooter.
On 6 September 2021, at 1.28am, the CCTV camera captured smoke escaping from Siempre’s aft deck, soon followed by intermittent bright flashes, resembling open flames. Continue reading “Lithium-ion batteries contributed to fire on MY Siempre reveals MSIU report”
Excessive container and cargo weight putting stress on containerships
According to Peter Peltenburg, CEO of Dutch-based Cargo Care Solutions, the weight of extra containers and cargo is placing massive amounts of stress on ships’ hatch covers and lashing gear. Containership owners are placing more emphasis on the repair and maintenance of their hatch covers and container lashing equipment as the full loading caused by trong market conditions impacts the condition of their ships.
“With the current strong market conditions, shipowners cannot afford to incur any downtime of their vessels due to a lack of maintenance. And it is the same when it comes to vessel damage impacting on the vessel’s cargo carrying capacity. If you lose any capacity then vessel Continue reading “Excessive container and cargo weight putting stress on containerships”
Electrical failure leading to loss of steering on bulk carrier
An electrical failure caused a bulk carrier to lose steering and crash into a barge near New Orleans last year, resulting in an estimated $6 million in damages, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) report reveals.
The bulk carrier Jalma Topic was transiting upriver on the Lower Mississippi River on July 12, 2021, when it lost steering and struck a stationary barge that was being used for office space. No injuries were reported.
During the voyage, the rudder became stuck at port 10 degrees. According to the report, when the pilot noticed the rudder was not responding he took immediate Continue reading “Electrical failure leading to loss of steering on bulk carrier”
Reducing container loss guidance published by Britannia P&I Club
Britannia P&I Club has published guidelines for containerships to deal with parametric roll motions. In the guidance, Britannia explains how ships can successfully identify parametric roll and what is triggering it.
Unfavourable combinations of rolling period, vessel speed, heading and wave conditions can trigger sudden and extremely rapid increases in roll motions, which might lead to excess loading on container securing devices and, in the worst cases, container stack collapses and container losses overboard. Continue reading “Reducing container loss guidance published by Britannia P&I Club”
Corrosion causes holes to ship’s hatch covers
In its most recent loss prevention series “Good Catch”, the American Club provides lessons learned from a vessel carrying containers that had several holes in its hatch covers due to corrosion.
A vessel carrying containers was found to have several holes in its hatch covers as a result of corrosion. When the vessel arrived, it was discovered that one cargo hold had 12-14 inches (30-35 cm) of water at the aft end of the hold. Sixteen containers had water ingress.
The cargo was not damaged in 4 of the containers, but in the other 12 containers, the cargo was declared a total loss. Several of those containers were loaded with consumer electronics. Continue reading “Corrosion causes holes to ship’s hatch covers”
ATSB issues report into fire onboard the BBC Rhonetal
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) has published safety recommendations to the managers and parent company of the cargo ship BBC Rhonetal, following an investigation into a fire in the hold of the vessel at Port Hedland, Western Australia in March 2021.
1 Origin of the fire
Shortly before smoke was observed rising from the lower hold, the bosun had been cutting fastenings with a plasma torch in an area on the tween deck which was located above a vibrating screen assembly stowed in the lower hold. Continue reading “ATSB issues report into fire onboard the BBC Rhonetal”
Registered Marine Coatings Inspector standard and qualification set for major relaunch
The past couple of years have presented challenges for the resilient global superyacht industry, not least for those whose role it is to inspect and report on the complex coatings systems. The pandemic and other factors beyond the Registered Marine Coatings Inspector (RMCI) team’s control brought the successful programme to a temporary halt. But recent news from RMCI states that the marine coatings inspector is due for a relaunch.
Hull and machinery underwriters have significant challenges ahead
Speaking recently at the IUMI (International Union of Marine Insurance) conference from Chicago, Rama Chandran, chairperson on the Ocean Hull Committee, expressed concern over the long-term sustainability of the hull and machinery insurance sector.
He said: “Whilst it is encouraging to see the 2021 premium base growing from the previous year we face deteriorating loss ratios, albeit from a low 2020 base. Premium base has only recently begun to creep upwards following a sustained decline since 2012. The increase of 4.1% is lower than the 6% seen last year and the reducing quantum is a worrying trend. This is likely due to increased market capacity, particularly from London and Latin America which is a surprise for many.” Continue reading “Hull and machinery underwriters have significant challenges ahead”
Ensuring safe operation when carrying bagged rice cargoes
In collaboration with CWA International, The Swedish P&I Club has issued cargo advice and guidance to assist operators when carrying bagged rice cargoes.
1 Pre-loading
Prior to loading, the crew must ensure that the cargo hatches are watertight. It is prudent for a hatch cover test to be undertaken. This can be done using an ultrasound device or hose test. These tests are important as they enable the crew to make any necessary repairs to the hatch covers prior to loading of cargo. Furthermore, they provides good supporting evidence against accusations of water ingress through the hatch covers in the event of a wet Continue reading “Ensuring safe operation when carrying bagged rice cargoes”