Real Life Incident: Heavy Berth Contact Cuts Deep

A loaded vessel was departing a berth in very confined waters without tug assistance. Winds were NNE, almost parallel with the berth, at about 25-30 knots. Two pilots were on board but according to the company report, there were gaps in the Master/Pilot Exchange. The bridge team did not have a shared understanding of the vessel’s handling characteristics and the planned manoeuvre was not held as a shared mental model.

As the vessel moved away from the berth, the stern came into heavy contact with the berth. A metal plate that had been fixed to the cement wall became lodged in the vessel’s side shell. The unberthing manoeuvre continued, and the vessel left the port but went to anchorage for a damage assessment. It was found that contact with the plate had caused a hull puncture. The hole was estimated to be 250 mm high and 120 mm wide.

Lessons learned

In challenging weather conditions, without tugs and in confined waters, a re-evaluation may be needed. Can the departure be postponed? In reality, any departure can be postponed if deemed too dangerous.
A shared mental model of a manoeuvre held by the entire bridge team is usually a safer plan than a plan held by one individual.

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