The UK Maritime Accident Investigation Authority recently published its investigation report, which focused on a passenger ship that capsized severely due to rough seas and rough conditions. Specifically, the ferry’s cargo was skewed and damaged vehicles on board.
the incident
As reported by the UK Maritime Authority, it was 0633 on Tuesday 18 December 2018 when the European Causeway ferry encountered rough seas on its journey from Larne, Northern Ireland to Cairnryan, Scotland.
As the European Causeway departed Larne, the wind was close to the company’s boundary for the departing port and the captain had some difficulty in manoeuvring the ship’s bow through
However, the ship was away from the dock by 0546 hours.
While sailing in severe weather conditions, the ferry unexpectedly capsized, causing several cargo vehicles to move and nine vehicles to overturn. The violent movement caused damage to 22 vehicles, some of which were reported to have suffered serious damage.
The European Causeway experienced several significant changes. The wind was blowing at 40-50 knots with gusts to 60 knots from the southeast, and the waves generated by the wind were very large from the same direction. This was causing the ship to roll and yaw. At 0629 hours the officer on the watch changed course to starboard and brought the ship back onto a course of 060 degrees. About 4 minutes later, the European Causeway yawed 20 degrees to starboard, then yawed violently to starboard, making a turn rate of over 100 degrees per minute.
Six of the freight drivers had been in their cabins on the decks of the vehicles during the crossing, and four were found in the cabins of overturned vehicles. As a result, one driver ended up trapped and had to be freed by emergency services when the vessel reached Cairnryan.
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For the record, the “European crossing” was carrying 40 accompanied cargo vehicles, 2 unaccompanied cargo vehicles, 36 unaccompanied trailers, 3 cars, and 5 minibuses.
possible cause
As the night captain’s decision to sail in bad weather was influenced by the decision of the more experienced captain of the European Highlander, the UK Maritime Safety Authority highlights that the accident occurred because the ferry capsized violently in rough seas and its cargo was not adequately secured.
Moreover, severe weather conditions were expected and the accident could certainly have been avoided if the sailing of the European Bridge had been delayed until 9 a.m. when the wind speed had dropped significantly as expected.
Lessons learned
The route followed was not adequately modified to mitigate the effects of sea conditions and reduce the likelihood of severe capsizing. The cargo lashings applied were inadequate for the anticipated weather conditions and the ship’s approved cargo securing manual provided limited guidance to the ship’s personnel. Passengers who remained in their vehicles during the voyage put themselves at risk and the safety of other passengers and crew. This issue is not unique to P&O Ferries Ltd and requires industry-wide cooperation to eliminate it.
Find out more below.
