Parting of mooring lines from general cargo vessel Lomur resulting in contact with berthed general cargo vessel Freepsum

Location: River Trent, England.

Completed PE Summary: Lomur/Freepsum

A short summary of the accident and action taken:

Merchant Vessel 1/Accident Details
Vessel Name Lomur
Registered Owner/Manager Nes hf
Port of Registry Larvik
Flag Norway
Type General cargo vessel
Built 1983
Classification Society Bureau Veritas
Construction Steel
Length Overall 72.45m
Gross Tonnage 1516
Date/Time 15/06/2006, 1300
Location of Incident River Trent
Incident Type Equipment failure and collision
Injuries/Fatalities None
Damage/Pollution Minor damage
Berthed Merchant Vessel 2/Accident Details
Vessel Name Freepsum
Port of Registry St John’s
Flag Antigua & Barbuda
Type General cargo vessel
Built 1994
Classification Society Germanischer Lloyd
Construction Steel
Length Overall 88.3m
Gross Tonnage 1990
Date/Time 15/06/2006, 1300
Location of Incident River Trent
Incident Type Equipment failure and collision
Persons Onboard 9 crew
Injuries/Fatalities None
Damage/Pollution Material damage

Synopsis

Lomur arrived at an inland wharf to discharge her bulk cargo, shortly after high water on the morning of 15 June 2006. The usual mooring arrangements at the berth were for two ropes to be supplied from the shore forward and two more aft, and additionally use ships lines as springs. On this occasion the usual arrangements were used forward but it was decided to use the ships own lines aft. During the lunch period, the stern and after breast lines parted, allowing the stern of the ship to move off the quay. This was followed shortly afterwards by both spring lines parting, allowing the stern to swing further into the river. Held only by the head rope and forward breast rope the Lomur came to rest when her port shoulder landed on the port side of the transom of Freepsum berthed on the next jetty. Lomur’s forward crane struck the ladders at the after end of Freepsum’s accommodation, and the two ships remained together until the next high water when, with tug assistance, they were parted and the Lomur safely re-berthed.

Action taken

The Chief Inspector of Marine Accidents wrote to the harbour master and the wharf operators, endorsing the actions taken by the harbour master in carrying out a review of the mooring arrangements available at the wharf. He also wrote to the vessel owners advising them of the poor condition of the ship’s ropes used.


Updates to this page

Published 23 January 2015