Vessel hit and destroyed fender

What happened?

A vessel collided with the quay, destroying the fenders.  The vessel picked up the pilot and proceeded towards the harbour.  The wind was SSW 4-5 with good visibility.  As the vessel passed the breakwater with a speed of 5.5 knots, the pilot advised to change over to the bridge wing control.  During the change over to the bridge wing control, the vessel began to turn to starboard.

The pilot ordered that the vessel turn hard to port, engine half ahead and bow thruster full to port.  After a few seconds, the Master realized that this manoeuvre would not prevent the vessel from impacting the quay, therefore he left the bow thruster full to port and give the main engine full astern to reduce the impact.  The vessel hit the fenders of the quay on starboard bow.  The fenders were destroyed.

What went wrong?

• The combination of wind and current coming past the breakwater forced the vessel to starboard;
• Insufficient attention was given to the movement and motion of the vessel;
• The crew were distracted by the change to bridge wing control.

What actions were taken?

• Crew to make an overview of all items which influence this kind of incident and identify lessons learned.

Members may wish to refer to:

• Vessel made contact with rig legs
• Have a regime when the current’s abeam – ensure adequate manoeuvring space!