MAIB report into the Hoegh Osaka grounding published

The capsized Hoegh Osaka
The capsized Hoegh Osaka

At 2109 on 3 January 2015, the pure car and truck carrier Hoegh Osaka was rounding West Bramble buoy in The Solent when it developed a significant starboard list causing some cargo shift and consequent flooding.

With the list in excess of 40°, the ship lost steerage and propulsion, and subsequently drifted onto Bramble Bank, grounding at 2115.

Hoegh Osaka had sailed from the port of Southampton, bound for Bremerhaven, at 2006. A pilot was embarked and there were 24 crew on board. Following the accident, all crew were successfully evacuated from the ship or recovered from the surrounding waters. There was no pollution. A major salvage operation successfully refloated Hoegh Osaka and it was subsequently taken to a safe berth in Southampton on 22 January.

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MAIB issues safety warning about close fitting jacketed synthetic fibre ropes

Photograph showing LNG carrier Zarga at sea by Fotoflite.com
Photograph showing LNG carrier Zarga at sea by Fotoflite.com

The MAIB has issued a second safety warning after a mooring line failure on board LNG tanker Zarga resulted in serious injury to a deck officer.

The Marine Accident Investigation Branch is carrying out an investigation into the mooring line failure on board LNG tanker Zarga while alongside South Hook LNG terminal, Milford Haven on 2 March 2015, which resulted in serious injury to a deck officer.

Close fitting jacketed synthetic fibre ropes with low twist constructions are more prone to failure under normal operating conditions than other mooring rope constructions. This is especially the case where the diameter to diameter (D:d) ratio between a ship’s deck fittings and its mooring ropes, is less than that recommended by the rope’s manufacturer. The nature of the close fitting jacket precludes visual inspection of the rope’s core for signs of degradation. Operators of vessels using close-fitting jacketed synthetic fibre mooring ropes are strongly advised to contact the rope’s manufacturer/supplier to:

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MAIB report on deck collapse on St Helen

St Helen the ship
St Helen the ship

The report relates to the MAIB’s investigation of the collapse of a mezzanine deck on the Wightlink ferry St Helen, at Fishbourne ferry terminal, Isle of Wight, on 18 July 2014. The passengers and vehicles on board the cross Solent roll-on roll-off passenger ferry St Helen were in the process of disembarking at Fishbourne ferry terminal on the Isle of Wight when the vessel’s starboard forward mezzanine deck collapsed. The deck collapsed because one of its steel wire lifting ropes parted. The lifting rope parted because it had not been routinely lubricated and the mezzanine deck had not been properly maintained.

A crewman and 11 cars, with their seated passengers, were on the deck when it collapsed. The crewman suffered a minor head injury and was temporarily rendered unconscious; several passengers suffered minor impact related injuries. The mezzanine deck was structurally damaged and was later removed from the vessel.

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MAIB reports on two fatalities on GPS Battler

The GPS Battler has been the subject of two separate MAIB investigations as a result of two fatalities
The GPS Battler has been the subject of two separate MAIB investigations as a result of two fatalities

This reports two MAIB’s investigations of the deaths of crewmen from the workboat GPS Battler while the vessel was operating in Spain.

On 13 August 2014, the vessel’s master drowned soon after the open tender returning him from the marina in Almeira to the anchored workboat was overwhelmed in choppy seas. The tender flooded rapidly and started to submerge. The master initially swam clear but soon lost consciousness and could not be revived.

On 5 January 2015, a crewman joining GPS Battler as mate fell into the water from quayside in Marin while waiting for the access arrangements to the vessel to be made safe. The mate was soon motionless and was recovered from the water by the Spanish Coastguard.

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MAIB releases safety warning following mooring line failure

Mooring line failure on board LNG tanker, Zarga - MAIB issues urgent safety notice
Mooring line failure on board LNG tanker, Zarga – MAIB issues urgent safety notice

The Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB), has issued a safety bulletin to highlight urgent safety lessons that have arisen in the early stages of its investigation into the mooring line failure on board LNG tanker, Zarga.

Zarga was working alongside South Hook LNG terminal, Milford Haven, when the mooring line failure resulted in serious injury to a deck officer on 2nd March 2015. The mooring line parted during a berthing operation and resulted in the deck officer being struck and obtaining severe head trauma.

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Cheeki Rafiki report published by the MAIB

The MAIB report into the loss of the Cheeki Rafiki and her crew has been published. Photograph courtesy of United States Coast Guard
The MAIB report into the loss of the Cheeki Rafiki and her crew has been published. Photograph courtesy of United States Coast Guard

Nearly a year on from the loss of the Cheeki Rafiki in the Atlantic with the loss of her four crew, the MAIB has published its report into this distressing matter. The incident, which received massive UK media coverage at the time, sent shockwaves through the marine and yachting world.

Despite an extensive search that found the upturned hull of the Cheeki Rafiki, the four crew remain missing. The hull was not recovered and is assumed to have sunk. In the absence of survivors and material evidence, the causes of the accident remain a matter of some speculation. However, it is concluded that the Cheeki Rafiki capsized and inverted following a detachment of its keel.

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