Outline: A captain reports a disconcerting discovery while approaching the berth. What the reporter told us: My vessel was arriving at a regularly visited port at which we take a pilot and two tugs for manoeuvring when berthing in a cargo basin with a narrow entrance channel. My ship was proceeding at less than 2kts […]
Outline: A report highlighting a complete lack of respect for the water that could have turned into a tragedy. What the reporter told us: At approximately 16:15 a friend and I were anchoring a RIB just off the beach. I was approached by a man in a wetsuit who asked for assistance as he had […]
Outline: A fresh pair of eyes identified an incident waiting to happen on a chemical / oil product tanker. What the reporter told us: The vessel had orders for several loading ports, and in each port different parcels of cargo were to be loaded. The cargo loading plan was made out and sent to various […]
On many vessels I have sailed on we have the same situation – the bosun tightens the bolts and chief officers and masters do not pay any attention to this problem. But the consequences of this wrong adjustment are slow speed of winch, damage to the brake liner, slackening of ropes and anchor and possibly […]
Outline: Without effective communication safety is compromised. What the reporter told us: I would like to report three issues I encountered on what should have been a routine pilotage operation, that effectively resulted in a complete lack of effective BRM and communication. The initial area of concern was that communication with the bridge team was […]
Outline: Defects, errors and anomalies with equipment do occur, but once they are identified they need to be addressed and resolved in a timely fashion. What the reporter told us: The vessel’s ECDIS displayed an incorrect position – the vessel was displayed halfway over the wharf when alongside. In addition, the vessel’s AIS had significantly […]
Outline: An unexpected consequence of COVID-19 precautions. What the reporter told us: As a pilot undertaking a routine pilotage in these extraordinary times, I wear a facemask which has resulted in an unusual side effect. On this occasion, it was noted that the master’s knowledge and understanding of the English language was excellent. However, his […]
Outline: Nobody ever deliberately sets out to have an accident or to injure themselves, but some people appear to try very hard. What the reporter told us: Whilst our vessel was alongside, I observed the following on an adjacent vessel. A crew member (or possibly a contractor) was standing on the outside of the back […]
Outline: There are two sides to every story. What the reporter told us: We were anchored in a creek in a river estuary and had taken alongside an accompanying boat for repairs to their anchor winch. Both boats, motor cruisers of around 12m in length, were well fendered. Whilst anchored, we noticed a pilot boat […]
Outline: The following report was received from a company DPA. What the reporter told us: I want to share the following with you as I feel it would make a worthwhile safety flash to share across the industry. One of our vessels has reported that on two of its inflatable lifejackets, the servicing tags had […]