A safety alert drawing attention to an incident where a daughter craft was grounded after transiting through a known navigational hazard.
What happened
Whilst sitting outside of Port a Daughter Craft (DC) Crew were tasked to enter Port to collect a marine assessor and a number of mannequins to facilitate the conducting of validation trials later that morning, prior to the mother vessel entering Port for the scheduled crew change.
Whilst the DC was in transit it travelled outside the recognised navigational channel, from this, it is suspected that the DC passed over a known navigational hazard outside of the recognised Port navigational channel. This area is clearly identified on the Port Navigational Chart as a drying area (a region of the seabed that is covered by water at high tide but exposed at low tide) with an identification and navigational warning light.
The result being severe damage to the hull of the daughter craft.
Why did it happen
- Poor judgement: Incorrect navigation, electing to operate outside of the recognised Port navigational channel, not following the Port entrance leading lights as per best navigational practice.
- Inadequate initial instruction and planning: No prior passage planning, no waypoints identified therefore we can only assume the hazards have not been Identified. Toolbox Talk did not cover any navigational instructions or information but purely focused on the manual handling element of picking up the mannequins.
- Inadequate monitoring of compliance: As there is no evidence of planning, no formal passage plan or waypoints identified there was no way to evaluate and ensure a safe operation.
Recommendations
The following actions were identified and implemented by the vessel owner:
- Incident learnings and full accident investigation report to be circulated to the owner’s fleet by means of a Safety Alert.
- Vessel Masters to take a “Time out For Safety” to discuss this incident and findings with the vessel crew.
- Vessel Masters to review Safe Navigation documents conducting navigational refresher training for all personnel with a responsibility for safe navigation.
- DC charts to be reviewed, area of operation and local hazards marked and identified, Master to familiarise all with Admiralty products relevant to good navigational practice.