Grounding of general cargo vessel Fri Ocean

Location: 2½ miles south of Tobermory, Isle of Mull, Scotland.

Accident Investigation Report 26/2013

Investigation report into marine accident including what happened, safety lessons and recommendations made:

FriOcean-Report.pdf (2,439.56 kb)

Summary

On 14 June 2013, the general cargo vessel Fri Ocean ran aground 2½ miles south of Tobermory, Isle of Mull. The vessel’s bow shell plating and frames were damaged resulting in flooding to the bow thruster room. The crew carried out a temporary repair, and the vessel was re-floated.

Safety lessons

  • the second officer who was alone on watch, fell asleep, largely through lack of stimulation possibly exacerbated by fatigue, shortly after making a course alteration at 0256
  • none of the alarms fitted to the GPS and ECS were loud enough to wake the sleeping officer
  • a bridge navigational watch alarm system that could have alerted the crew to the second officer sleeping was probably not in use

Recommendations

Recommendations (2013/247 & 248) have been made to the vessel’s manager, Kopervik Ship Management AS, designed to enhance its safety management system with regard to: the use of lookouts and the BNWAS; fatigue management and navigational requirements; and improving the auditing and verification of its navigational policy.

Published: 6 December 2013

Published 23 January 2015