Wakashio report by the Panama Maritime Authority issued 3 years after Mauritius grounding

Overview of the damage to the Wakashio
Overview of the damage to the Wakashio

Almost 3 years after bulk carrier, the Wakashio, ran aground and spilled oil along the coast of Mauritius, the Panama Maritime Authority’s investigation report into the accident has been made public. The bulk carrier was not carrying cargo when it grounded on a reef off Mauritius’ Pointe d’Esny during a voyage from Singapore to Brazil on July 25, 2020. The incident sparked an “environmental emergency” after the ship broke up and spilled approximately 1,000 tonnes of fuel oil into the pristine waters. The report does not contain any major Continue reading “Wakashio report by the Panama Maritime Authority issued 3 years after Mauritius grounding”

MAIB report published into the death of one person overboard from stern trawler Copious

At about 0300 on 18 February 2021, a deckhand fell overboard from the twin rig stern trawler Copious (LK 985) approximately 30 nautical miles south-east of the Shetland Islands. The deckhand was conscious, wearing a lifejacket and was quickly brought alongside the vessel. However, the crew’s attempts to recover the casualty back on board were unsuccessful. He was unresponsive when recovered from the water by a coastguard helicopter and pronounced dead on arrival at hospital.

Safety Issues
– The deckhand fell overboard while attempting a repair to the trawl gear. There was no attempt to stop and consider the repair and the activity was not effectively risk assessed or mitigated. Continue reading “MAIB report published into the death of one person overboard from stern trawler Copious”

Cracks in a muffler led to fire on towing vessel reveals NTSB report

Cracks in a muffler coupled with the use of combustible materials in accommodation spaces caused a fire on a towing vessel last year on the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway near Freeport, Texas, is the key finding in the National Transportation Safety Board’s (NTSB) report.

On June 25, 2022, the towing vessel, Mary Dupre, left Port Comfort, Texas, bound for Houston. She was pushing a single barge loaded with bio-diesel fuel. The fire broke out the following day. No injuries were reported, and nearby Good Samaritan towing vessels retrieved the barge, extinguished the fire, and evacuated the crewmembers. However, the Mary Dupre was a total loss, with damages estimated at $1 million. Continue reading “Cracks in a muffler led to fire on towing vessel reveals NTSB report”

Oily rags were the cause of luxury yacht fire are accident investigation findings

The marine environment takes a toll on coatings, and to keep up with maintenance, most ships’ crews use oil-based paints and finishes almost every day that the weather allows. These materials come with an inherent fire risk, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has warned, because waste and rags from cleanup can easily combust. For finishes containing linseed oil – a common ingredient in wood finishes – the risk is elevated by the material’s tendency to self-heat and ignite. Left alone, a linseed-soaked rag can catch fire without any external source of ignition as the crew of the yacht Pegasus discovered last year. Continue reading “Oily rags were the cause of luxury yacht fire are accident investigation findings”

Overreliance on ECDIS seen as factor in cruise ship strike on Alaska pier

In its report on a May 9, 2022, incident that saw a Royal Caribbean cruise ship strike a cruise terminal pier causing $2.1 million in damage, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) identifies overreliance on an ECDIS electronic chart, miscommunication and an outdated navigational chart as all factors in causing the strike.

The cruise ship Radiance of the Seas was docking at the Sitka Sound Cruise Terminal on May 9, 2022, when it struck and damaged a mooring dolphin. The cruise ship sustained a minor hull indentation. The mooring dolphin sustained damage to three of the four pilings supporting it. There were no reported injuries to the 1,375 passengers, 782 crew and four pilots on board. Continue reading “Overreliance on ECDIS seen as factor in cruise ship strike on Alaska pier”

How to protect battery systems update by the Norwegian Maritime Authority

The Norwegian Maritime Authority (NMA) has published some safety recommendations for vessels featuring battery systems in order to protect them against humid, salty air and seawater intrusion.

Responding directly in the wake of the Brim accident on 11 March 2021 which involved lithium-ion batteries and a preliminary report from the Norwegian Safety Investigation Authority, the Norwegian Maritime Authority (NMA) carried out surveys on board vessels with battery installations with a low IP rating (less than IP- Continue reading “How to protect battery systems update by the Norwegian Maritime Authority”

Emma Louise fatal carbon monoxide poisoning report published

The vessel Emma Louise
The vessel Emma Louise

On the morning of 12 January 2022, two men were found unconscious on board the sports cruiser, Emma Louise, which was berthed in Port Hamble Marina, on the River Hamble, England. It was later established that both men had died because of carbon monoxide poisoning.

The two men had boarded the boat the previous evening and had left the engine running while they remained in the boat’s covered cockpit area. The MAIB investigation concluded that the boat’s exhaust gas, which contained carbon monoxide, had likely been funnelled into the cockpit by an inflatable towable ski Continue reading “Emma Louise fatal carbon monoxide poisoning report published”

CHIRP 2022/23 annual digest published

Welcome to the eighth annual review of CHIRP Maritime reports, covering all the cases we published during 2022 and including some in-depth articles specially commissioned to highlight important safety topics.

This was our first full year under the guidance of Adam Parnell as Director, Maritime, and Dave Watkins as his deputy, and you will see their influence in the way we analyse reports and seek to extract key points for our readers. As always, they benefit from the wise counsel of our Maritime Advisory Board (MAB) and feedback from our growing band of Ambassadors, who volunteer their time to spread the safety message as widely as possible. Continue reading “CHIRP 2022/23 annual digest published”

Serious injury to crew members during maintenance work reveals Transport Malta Investigation

Serious injury to crew members during maintenance work on board Pearl LNG
Serious injury to crew members during maintenance work on board Pearl LNG

Transport Malta has published an investigation report about an incident which resulted in serious injury to three crew members during maintenance work on the fire jockey hydrophore tank on 23 February 2022. The ‘violent’ dislodging of the inspection cover was the result of a pressurised hydrophore.

Shortly after 1430 on 23 February 2022, three crew members on board the Maltese registered LNG carrier Pearl LNG, were involved in an accident about 185 nautical miles West Southwest of Saint Nazaire, France. At the time, the crew members were attempting to remove an inspection cover on one of the vessel’s hydrophores, when the cover dislodged violently from the hydrophore. This caused a serious injury. Continue reading “Serious injury to crew members during maintenance work reveals Transport Malta Investigation”

Combustible materials near hot work led to fire is report finding

Combustible materials left unprotected near hot work led to a fire on the passenger vessel Natchez in New Orleans, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), has said in its accident report. The fire resulted in $1.5 million in damages to the vessel.

The passenger vessel Natchez was moored and out of service when a fire broke out on May 3, 2022. The Natchez operated daytime and dinner jazz cruises daily on the Mississippi River, departing and returning from the French Quarter in New Orleans. No pollution or injuries were reported.

The Natchez had been undergoing renovations since January 2021 for an extensive overhaul, with a goal to return to service in 2023. On the day of the fire, contractors were removing the vessel’s main electrical panel to install a replacement. After work was Continue reading “Combustible materials near hot work led to fire is report finding”

Frazer Tintern return line fuel leak causes fire is report finding

Report on ferry fire aboard "Frazer Tintern" released
Report on ferry fire aboard “Frazer Tintern” released

The Marine Casualty Investigation Board (MCIB), the Irish government agency for investigating maritime accidents and incidents, has released its report on the ferry fire that broke out onboard the “Frazer Tintern” midway between Ballyhack, Co. Wexford and Passage East, Co. Waterford.

On the morning of 5 August 2021 a deck crewmember of the ferry “Frazer Tintern” reported to the Master that he smelled diesel fumes coming from the No.1/No.4 engine compartment. Upon further visual investigation, a diesel fuel leak was discovered where a fuel return line had become disconnected on the No.1 engine. Continue reading “Frazer Tintern return line fuel leak causes fire is report finding”

Fatality due to cargo hold’s low oxygen concentrations says investigation report

The Transport Safety Investigation Bureau of Singapore (TSIB) has released its accident investigation report on the incident onboard the bulker Nozomi when a seafarer died after entering a cargo hold as a result of an from oxygen deficient atmosphere.

On 19 March 2022, Nozomi arrived and anchored at the Tanjung Api-Api (TAA) anchorage, South Sumatera, Indonesia, to load coal cargo. On 1 April 2022, Nozomi waited at the anchorage for cargo export documents, and the departing pilot to embark at about 1200H. At about 1000H, the Bosun asked three ASD’s (ASD1, ASD2 and ASD3) to assist him in carrying out maintenance work (greasing) of the shipboard cargo cranes on the main deck. Continue reading “Fatality due to cargo hold’s low oxygen concentrations says investigation report”

Instagram Posts from the IIMS @iimsmarine