Superyacht FEEDBACK published their maritime safety incident reports, where they analyze each situation and the ‘human factor’ behind them, reports Triton.
Superyacht FEEDBACK covered communication failures, the pressure to meet commercial demands, and inadequate supervision in their July edition. Six incidents were covered in this month’s edition, all submitted by crew in the maritime industry.
Superyacht FEEDBACK is published by the U.K.-based, not-for-profit, aviation and maritime safety organization CHIRP. They provide confidential breakdowns of incident reports submitted by yacht crew around the world.
Collision with a yacht in a busy traffic lane
One of the incidents covered in July’s edition was a collision with a yacht in a busy traffic lane. The anonymous crew member submitted a report detailing the collision that happened around 4 a.m.
“The yacht was motoring in a traffic channel and AIS showed no vessels in the vicinity. Suddenly a huge shadow appeared on the starboard side, and a loud noise enveloped the yacht,” the anonymous reporter said, according to Superyacht FEEDBACK’s incident report.
The crew member’s vessel sustained damages, but there appeared to be no damage below the water line. The container ship that collided with the crew member’s vessel showed no signs of acknowledgment to the collision and continued to drag the crew member’s vessel for another two miles.
After nine distress rockets were fired, the container ship noticed the yacht and slowed to a stop. The crew member activated the EPIRB to try and make someone hear them. Within a few minutes of activating the EPIRB, they were contacted by the COSPAR SARSAT system, who alerted the local coast guard. However, no one ever showed up or contacted the crew.
“Unfortunately, the DSC alert from the VHF was useless because the antennas were damaged, and the portable radios had limited range. I sent out a MAYDAY call on the portable VHF handsets hoping anyone on the container vessel’s bridge would hear us,” the reporter said.
Five crew from the container ship descended onto the yacht to help them free the rigging and sails from the ship’s starboard anchor, and at around 7 a.m. the yacht was able to slowly motor the last 30 miles to their port of destination and safely moor.
CHIRP then analyzed and commented on this incident, citing teamwork, pressure, distractions, and fatigue as key issues relating to this report. To view CHIRP’s full analyzation on the incident and five other incident reports that were submitted, click here.
Triton covered the debut of Superyacht FEEDBACK by CHIRP, including how the organization protects crew members that submit their reports. Click here for the full story.
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Source: Triton
