Contact made by general cargo vessel Prudence with railway bridge

Location: Goole Railway Bridge, River Ouse, England.

Completed PE Summary: Prudence

A short summary of the accident and action taken:

Merchant Vessel/Accident Details
Vessel Name Prudence
Registered Owner/Manager Amasus Support BV
Port of Registry Delfzijl
Flag Netherlands
Type General cargo
Built 1998
Classification Society Bureau Veritas
Construction Steel
Length Overall 81.99m
Gross Tonnage 1556
Date/Time 24 February 2007, 2350 (UTC)
Location of Incident Goole Railway Bridge, River Ouse
Persons Onboard 6 crew, 1 pilot
Injuries/Fatalities None
Damage/Pollution Extensive damage to vessel and bridge

Synopsis

The general cargo vessel Prudence was bound for the port of Howdendyke on the upper reaches of the River Ouse, carrying 1600 tonnes of fertiliser.  A river pilot was embarked at the entrance to the River Ouse for the last phase of the voyage.  He was familiar with the vessel and took the wheel for the passage up the river. 

It was a calm, clear night and although it was very dark, visibility was good.  As the vessel approached the Goole railway bridge, the pilot had difficulty establishing his position to pass through the bridge’s Eastern channel.  The vessel struck the central bridge piling on the port bow and veered off making further contact with the Eastern piling.  The pilot was able to manouevre the vessel clear and berth safely at Howdendyke.    

There was extensive damage to vessel’s shell plating and frames at the port bow, damage and penetration of the port wing tanks aft of midships position. The central and Eastern bridge pilings were displaced, hydraulic control systems severed and the bridge placed out of service to rail traffic for approximately 12 hours.

Action taken

The Chief Inspector of Marine Accidents has written to the Competent Harbour Authority highlighting its responsibilities under the Port Marine Safety Code and advising them to investigate additional navigational aids to improve the safety of vessels transiting through the bridge.


 

 

 

Updates to this page

Published 23 January 2015