1. Answer the questions.

1. What was the course of the general cargo ship?

2. What was her speed?

3. Was the passage plan prepared?

4. Who was the Master’s night order book signed by?

5. What was the Master’s order to his navigating officers?

6. What happened at midnight?

7. What did the second officer see?

8. What was the action of the second officer when he saw a flotilla of yachts?

9. What did he do when he heard the echo sounder alarm?

10. Where was the Master when the vessel ran aground?

11. What was the second officer’s mistake?

12. What were the bridgeteam’s actions to divert the vessel from the shoal?

2. Give English equivalents to the following definitions.

1. _________is a procedure to develop a complete description of a vessel's voyage from start to finish.

2. _________a direction or route taken or to be taken.

3. _________as slow as possible without losing steerageway.

4. _________remaining sound, entire, or uninjured; not impaired in any way.

5. _________in a fit condition or ready for a sea voyage

3. Complete an incident report (see annex) covering the following items.

1. Description of the situation;

2. Direct causes, root causes of the incident;

3. Remedial actions and recommendations.

Case study - 2. Stranding. Master under Pressure to Enter Port.

In giving evidence to an investigation into grounding in the approaches to a port in New Zealand, the Master and Officers stated that two days before arrival, the Master had sent an email asking if the Pilots had any limitations on swell height for entering as the forecast was for a swell height of 4.5m. The answer received on board was that the maximum wind speed for entering was 40 knots and if the Master and Pilot agreed that the swell was dangerously increasing the vessel’s draft, the approach would be aborted.

The Master and Officers then undertook a safety evaluation of the port and approaches and identified hazards including shallow patches, fishing boats and swell. The Master was still concerned on the day of arrival as the forecast was still predicting a swell of up to 4 m. During the early hours of the morning he therefore arranged to undertake a “dry run” in the approaches. The rolling became severe and the Master aborted the approach to the Pilot Station. The Pilot was already underway to meet the vessel but the master said that he had aborted the entry and would try again at 1600.

During the day some discussion took place between the ship and the Marine Manager (of the service provider of tugs and pilots) who maintained that the vessel should have continued into the harbour that morning. The Master stated that, in his professional judgement, it would have been unsafe to enter.

At 1600 the vessel again commenced the approach. The swell was by now reduced and the vessel was rolling about 2 degrees to port and starboard. At 1728 the vessel reached the agreed boarding point and two pilots boarded. Due to the Master’s concerns, the Pilots suggested a “dry run” with a break off point 1 mile from the fairway buoy. When the ship reached this point a slow round turn to starboard was taken and the Master agreed to continue entry into port.

Shortly after passing the Fairway buoy the ship started yawing some 6 degrees to starboard and 9 degrees to port with the bow pitching 1.5 m. The Master and Pilot agreed that the swell height was 3m and occasionally up to 4 m. The vessel began rolling about 5 degrees to port and starboard. The Pilot stated to the investigating team that the vessel was not rolling or heaving but yawing.

At 1816, the vessel shuddered as she pitched bow down, rolled and came into contact with the seabed midway between the fairway Buoy and Nos. 1 and 2 buoys. Five seconds later the vessel touched bottom again.

I find it of concern that a responsible Master was pressurized to proceed with a port approach which he was not comfortable with – a critical point that appears to have been overlooked in the findings of the investigation into the grounding. We can only be thankful that the country concerned did not follow a recent precedent and arrest the Master and Officers.