The Bahamas Maritime Authority studies the grounding and subsequent sinking of a tug.
What occurred
On 25 March 2024, the Bahamas-flagged tug Heroic I departed Grand Bahama for Abaco with a loaded barge in tow. On coming into the channel at Abaco, the tow line parted. Regardless of restoration efforts by the crew, the barge, and ultimately the tug, grounded on a reef inside the boundary of Fowl Cays Nationwide Park. There was no reported oil air pollution and the crew had been safely rescued. Delays to salvage efforts imply that the barge and tug stay stranded at time of publication.
Possible trigger
The tow line was shortened to navigate the slim channel. With swells of roughly 3m, the road was subjected to shock hundreds that prompted it to half, resulting in the barge drifting and grounding on the reef. The crew tried to recuperate the grounded barge utilizing emergency tow preparations, which additionally broke. The tug, going through difficulties within the adversarial circumstances, was pushed onto one other part of the reef. The crew had technique of checking the climate forecast previous to departure, however not whereas underway, until they’d mobile information reception. The tug’s operators didn’t present steerage on operational climate limits, there was no towage plan, the tug’s bollard pull was unknown and never the entire towing preparations had been certificated.
Classes discovered
Discretion of the grasp and cease work authority are solely efficient insurance policies when crew are empowered to train them.
Customary working procedures deferring choice making to the grasp in emergency conditions lose their effectiveness in absence of established contingency plans.
The 4 levels of passage planning, appraisal, planning execution and monitoring are simply as necessary for brief home voyages as they’re for worldwide voyages.
Plan continuation bias can impede an individual’s skill to recognise that the deliberate motion is not viable. It tends to get stronger the nearer they’re to reaching their vacation spot. Countering it’s tough however having clearly outlined limits and recognized go/no go choice factors might assist.
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Supply: Bahamas Maritime Authority
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