Casualty Investigation

Report on Collision Death off Pt. Reyes

On Dec. 10, the U.S. Coast Guard released the results of two investigations. One report outlines the causes of the July 13, 2007 fatal collision between a cargo ship and a small fishing boat which occurred in heavy fog off Pt. Reyes, and the other is an internal review of the service's handling of the incident. The incident involved the 291 ft motor vessel Eva Danielsen, a Bahamian-flagged cargo ship, and a 28 ft wooden fishing vessel, the Buona Madre, home ported in Santa Cruz, California. A collision between the two vessels resulted in the destruction of the fishing boat and the death of Mr. Paul Wade. A Coast Guard Marine Casualty Investigation, which was conducted by San Francisco-based investigators and reviewed and released from Coast Guard headquarters in Washington D.C., found numerous factors contributing to the cause of the collision including: failure to ensure proper manning of the respective vessels in light of the prevailing weather conditions (heavy fog); and the freighter proceeding at an unsafe speed based upon the weather conditions, failing to follow applicable Navigational Rules of the Road (i.e., fog signals), and negligence with respect to the operation of the vessel. An internal administrative investigation was also conducted by the 11th Coast Guard District to evaluate how Coast Guard policies and procedures were followed. The internal investigation found that some internal briefing requirements and communications processes were not followed

IMO Offers Support After ferry Accident

On his return from a one-day trip to Cairo in the aftermath of the tragic loss of the ferry al-Salam Boccaccio 98, IMO Secretary General Efthimios E. Mitropoulos explained the purpose of his mission as follows: "first, to demonstrate the solidarity and compassion of the IMO membership to the people and Government of Egypt and those of other nations affected (in particular to the families, friends and colleagues of the victims of the tragic accident) and to provide moral support at the

To Report or Not to Report - That Should Never be the Question

In the realm of marine casualties and incidents, each case has its own set of facts, cast of mariners and vessels involved and, frequently, sharp differences of opinion regarding same.  The one common denominator of most marine casualties, however, is the requirement to report them to the U.S. Coast Guard (U.S.C.G.). While what defines a marine casualty is often in the eyes of the beholder/mariner, it is much more prudent to err on the side of caution and, when in doubt

Simple Failures Render CO2 System Inoperative

The following U.S. Coast Guard safety alert addresses concerns discovered during an ongoing marine casualty investigation and may be of interest to ship builders, classification societies, owner / operators and others involved with vessel operations. A machinery space fire onboard a relatively new vessel was effectively responded to and extinguished by the vessel’s quick response team firefighters using portable extinguishing equipment

Natural Gas Leak on Supply Vessel in Gulf

Houma Incident Command received a report of an incident that occurred at about 9:25 a.m. Friday, June 11, involving a supply vessel that was mooring to a natural gas riser platform and pipeline in waters near Cocodrie, resulting in a release of natural gas. Of the 41 people on board, 36 were transported to shore, treated by emergency medical services and taken to five local hospitals.  Symptoms ranged from scratchy throats to coughs and nausea

Keys to Controlling Consequences in the Wake of a Marine Casualty

In the June issue of Marine News, we outlined the advantages of adding MOPS License Insurance protection to your deck and engineering officers' employee benefit package to help not only recruit but retain your key personnel in this very competitive employee environment. We pointed out that MARAD studies starkly declare that there are not enough qualified license mariners to meet the industry's needs and that 88% of respondents to a recent MARAD survey reported that licensed officer retention

Surge Protective Devices Onboard Vessels

Surge protective devices (SPDs), more commonly known as surge protectors or power strips, help protect electronic devices from being damaged from excessive currents and allow the delivery of power to multiple devices simultaneously. This safety alert addresses the use of certain electrical protection devices onboard vessels and the inherent risks they may cause. Most commercially available SPDs are designed for use ashore and will interrupt only the hot conductor when a surge occurs

Brookes Bell Draws on Inner Strength

Brookes Bell Group - the marine, scientific and technical consultants and surveyors – has laid out a new strategy that will enhance its existing wide-ranging expertise with recent acquisitions and ventures that have significantly broadened its capabilities.   Within the last 12 months, the UK-based group has formed an important alliance with AMS Shanghai Ltd. establishing Brookes Bell Shanghai, set up Brookes Bell Hong Kong

The Center(s) of Expertise

U.S. Coast Guard's Safety Strategy Incorporates Tightly Focused Training at Carefully Chosen Venues.   The U.S. Coast Guard opened seven National Centers of Expertise in 2009, locating three alone on the busy Gulf Coast, The concept of national centers of expertise – or “centers of excellence” – dates back to the 1960s when technology became more advanced and required new skill sets. The U.S

Deepwater Horizon Joint Investigation Preliminary Report: USCG Jurisdiction

The Joint Investigation Team charged with examining the explosion on board the mobile offshore drilling unit Deepwater Horizon and resulting oil spill – comprised of representatives of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement (BOEMRE) and the U.S. Coast Guard – announced Friday that the Coast Guard members of the team have released their findings related to issues under Coast Guard jurisdiction.