Steering Failure Left Cargo Ship Crew Without Control For 8 Hours, ATSB Probe Reveals

A cargo vessel lost steering control in Bass Strait last year which left its crew struggling to keep it away from the coast for almost 8 hours.

The Matthew Flinders III was sailing from Tasmania’s Bridport to Lady Barron on Flinders Island on July 23, 2025, when the incident happened.

It was around 8 km north of the Waterhouse Island when both its rudders locked hard to port, causing it to turn uncontrollably.

The ship rolled heavily and the crew disconnected the steering gear and centred the rudder manually.

They used the main engineers to regain limited control.

An investigation by the ATSB recently concluded that a loose linkage arm had cut rudder feedback to the autopilot and disabled both the autopilot and the manual-steering.

After 8 hours, the ship’s engineer found the loose arm and tightened it, restoring steering.

The cargo ship then continued towards its destination, averting a deadly accident.

The investigation also found that there was a separate backup system on the ship which was independent of the failed sensor.

“The toggle steering system was available throughout the occurrence and was engaged by the engineer, but the master was unfamiliar with the toggle steering controls on the bridge and was unable to regain steering,” ATSB chief commissioner Angus Mitchell said.

The investigation also revealed that the operator, Bass Strait Freight, had not provided adequate training to the crew regarding the working of the backup system and also its safety documents did not have clear instructions.

Bass Strait Freight has now enhanced crew training and posted a simple guide for switching between steering modes.