This guide is designed to bring to the attention of masters and officers the key factors which, based on North’s many years of extensive experience in dealing with such incidents, are the key contributory factors in groundings and FFO incidents. It includes suggestions on avoiding the contributory factors and aims to promote an understanding of how the risks can be minimised through following good practice.

Real-life case studies are included at the end of most chapters to provide examples of poor practice. The case studies and the questions they ask are designed to be the starting point for wide-ranging discussions on all aspects of avoiding groundings and FFO incidents.

CONTENTS

IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY

Groundings

Fixed and floating objects

Summary

VOYAGE PLANNING

IMO guidelines

Preparing the voyage plan

Summary

MONITORING OF THE VOYAGE PLAN

Position monitoring

Looking ahead and real-time monitoring

Passing ‘the con’

Summary

DEPARTURE FROM THE VOYAGE PLAN

Summary

AIDS TO NAVIGATION

Testing each other’s knowledge

Are you a virtual watchkeeper?

Summary

NAVIGATING WITH A PILOT ON BOARD

IMO recommendations

Pre-arrival information

Berth-to-berth plan

Master−pilot exchange (MPX)

Monitoring a vessel during pilotage

Monitoring the pilot

Maintaining the master’s authority

On-board training and procedures

Summary

THE BRIDGE TEAM

Teamwork and communication Understanding cultural issues Summary

SITUATIONAL AWARENESS Information overload

Complacency

Fatigue

Poor communication

Summary

FATIGUE

Summary

SPEED AND ANGLE OF APPROACH Speed

Angle of approach

Summary

TUGS

Planning tug operations

Summary

WEATHER CONDITIONS

Wind

Restricted visibility

Sea state

Summary

MACHINERY PROBLEMS

INDEX

Vessel groundings and fixed and floating object (FFO) damage – the term used when a vessel damages property other than another vessel – are among the most high profile and costly of all maritime accidents. The cost in both personal and financial terms has increased in recent years, but human error remains the most common factor. Groundings and FFO incidents are rarely caused by a single factor. They are usually due to a combination of several factors that, together, cause an incident.

A vessel’s navigational systems and procedures for voyage planning, bridge team management and watchkeeping are designed to reduce the risk of incidents. All are interdependent, and it is when these systems and procedures start to break down that incidents occur.

Every voyage and the plans made in support of the voyage is part of one complex, sometimes confusing, and always changing system. Each and every component of the voyage is reliant on all of the other components to ensure that a vessel, the crew, its cargo and the environment are kept safe.

Systems do not break down by themselves and procedures do not bypass themselves, it is the incorrect actions or omissions of the people using the system and/or procedures that cause them to break down. If you are part of the bridge team it is your responsibility to ensure that the systems are properly used and implemented. Remember, as a member of the bridge team it is your responsibility to ensure that your vessel is kept safe during a voyage.

This guide is not intended as a textbook on voyage planning and the avoidance of groundings or FFO incidents. It is designed to bring to the attention of ships’ officers the key factors that we at North, based on many years of extensive experience in dealing with such incidents, believe are the key contributory factors in groundings and FFO incidents.

The guide includes suggestions on avoiding these contributory factors and aims to promote understanding of how the risks can be minimised through following good practice.

In addition, one or more case studies are included at the end of most chapters to provide examples of poor practice. Based on real groundings and FFO incidents, each case study describes a developing situation and asks a number of questions − but the answers are not provided. The intention is to encourage thought by, and discussion between, members of the bridge team so that you may consider the factors that contributed to the incidents and how they could have been avoided.

It is much less costly to learn from the mistakes of others than to learn from your own mistakes.

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