Casualty News - Professional Mariner

Pilot’s cellphone use scrutinized in Ever Forward grounding

The pilot conning the containership Ever Forward was distracted by his cellphone before missing a crucial turn that caused the vessel to leave the channel and run aground in Chesapeake Bay, according to federal investigators. The pilot, a senior member of the Association of Maryland Pilots, drafted an email and sent two text messages on his phone in the minutes…

Bulker crew noticed platform lights but failed to avert strike

Poor bridge resource management was the leading cause of an incident in the Gulf of Mexico where a bulk carrier struck an uncrewed oil and gas platform, according to federal investigators. The 623-foot Ocean Princess struck SP-83A, located 24 miles south of Pilottown, La., on Jan. 7, 2021, at 0122. No one was injured but the ship sustained about $500,000…

Bank effects, ineffective communication cited in Welland Canal collision

The hydrodynamic forces known as bank cushion and bank suction were leading factors in the collision between Florence Spirit and Alanis in Welland Canal in 2020, Canadian authorities have determined. Inadequate communication between the master on the Canada-flagged Florence Spirit and the pilot conning the Antigua and Barbuda-flagged Alanis increased the complexity of the meeting and contributed to the collision,…

Engine room fire disables Staten Island Ferry during rush hour

Five people suffered minor injuries when the Staten Island Ferry vessel Sandy Ground caught fire while underway from Manhattan to the St. George Terminal on Staten Island. The fire started at about 1700 on Dec. 22 as the ferry transited the Upper Bay of New York Harbor. There were 866 passengers and crew on board at the time of the…

Hurricane-force winds blamed in fatal liftboat capsizing

The liftboat SEACOR Power cleared the jetties near Port Fourchon, La., on a stormy spring afternoon and entered the Gulf of Mexico. Seemingly out of nowhere, a series of squalls passed over the region that reduced visibility to zero. Bryan Mires, the first mate helming the vessel, suggested dropping the spuds to ride out the weather. Capt. David Ledet agreed.…

Improper engine repair cited in fire that disabled US containership

An engine room fire that caused a containership to lose propulsion and drift for several hours before being towed to the Port of Los Angeles was likely caused by an improper engine repair, according to federal investigators. Specifically, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) determined the crewmember insufficiently swaged a compression fitting ferrule during the installation of fuel oil return…

Misunderstanding of dashed line on ECS put barge in train’s path

Facing strong winds, the 120-foot Baxter Southern pushed its four empty barges against the Upper Mississippi River’s right descending bank near Galland, Iowa. Almost immediately, the towboat’s crew saw the light from a train bearing down on them. The three mariners on the barges moved to one of the aft vessels and braced for impact while the pilot tried to…

State ferry captain resigns after ‘hard landing’ in Washington

Federal authorities are investigating a “hard landing” involving a Washington State Ferries (WSF) vessel that caused extensive damage to the ferry and a Seattle terminal. The captain of the vessel, the 328-foot Cathlamet, resigned from the ferry service within days of the incident. He has not been publicly identified. The incident happened on July 28 at about 0815 as…

Owner believes mooring lines tampered with before ferry capsized

A historic ferry that carried passengers and vehicles in the Pacific Northwest for generations capsized and sank at its moorings along the Columbia River — possibly after someone tampered with the lines. The vessel, Tourist No. 2, was discovered partially submerged near the Sixth Street Pier in Astoria, Ore., early on July 28. The boat rolled over sometime during the overnight hours,…

Bulker loses propulsion, goes adrift near Southeast Alaska

A bulk carrier lost propulsion and went adrift off Southeast Alaska before a Canadian Coast Guard emergency tugboat brought the vessel under tow roughly seven miles from land. Crew aboard the 739-foot Darya Shanti told authorities on July 8 that it had partially lost propulsion while underway in Canadian waters. The ship was roughly 50 miles west-southwest of Dall Island,…