Classification
- Incident Type: Collision
- Severity: High
- Tug involvement: Yes, before the collision
- Tug mechanism: Three harbour tugs assisted Ever Smart's departure; no tug involvement in the collision was reported.
Vessel Details
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Vessel Name | Ever Smart |
| Vessel Type | Container |
| Flag State | United Kingdom [GB] |
| IMO Number | 9300403 |
| Gross Tonnage | 75246 |
| LOA (m) | 299.99 |
| Breadth (m) | 43 |
| TEU | |
| Year Built | 2005 |
| Owner/Operator | Evergreen Marine (UK) Limited |
| Persons on Board | 21 |
Other vessel
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Vessel Name | Alexandra 1 |
| Vessel Type | Crude oil tanker |
| Flag State | Marshall Islands [MH] |
| IMO Number | 9127148 |
| Gross Tonnage | 79779 |
| LOA (m) | 269.19 |
| Year Built | 1997 |
| Persons on Board | 28 |
| Damage | Major structural bow damage. |
Incident Details
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Date | 2015-02-11 |
| Location | Jebel Ali, United Arab Emirates |
| Coordinates | 24.9776, 55.0911 |
| Region | Persian Gulf |
| Fatalities | 0 |
| Injuries | 0 |
| Missing | |
| Cargo Loss | |
| Direct Damage | Both vessels suffered major structural bow damage; Ever Smart's bow was severely indented and holed, and Alexandra 1's bow and forecastle were severely damaged. |
| Economic Damage | |
| Investigation Body | Marine Accident Investigation Branch |
Key facts
- Ever Smart was outbound at about 12 knots after its pilot disembarked; Alexandra 1 was inbound at very slow speed while waiting for a pilot.
- The vessels collided bow-to-bow at 23:42:19 local time, four cables from the No. 1 buoys.
- Both vessels sustained major structural bow damage, with no injuries or pollution reported.
- MAIB found that no passing arrangement had been agreed or promulgated and that both masters acted on assumptions.
- MAIB also found failures in lookout, VHF clarification, pilotage, and vessel traffic coordination.
Narrative
On 11 February 2015, Ever Smart was outbound from Jebel Ali, United Arab Emirates, after cargo operations. The UK-registered container ship had a pilot on board for departure and was assisted off the berth by three harbour tugs. Alexandra 1, a Marshall Islands-registered crude oil tanker, was inbound and waiting near the entrance to the buoyed approach channel for a pilot.
Alexandra 1’s master received instructions from port control to proceed toward the No. 1 buoys and keep watch. The tanker moved closer to the channel entrance while waiting. The master later acted on part of a VHF exchange and assumed that Ever Smart would alter course. Ever Smart’s master understood that Alexandra 1 would wait and expected the tanker to pass down the container ship’s port side. No passing arrangement between the vessels was agreed or promulgated.
At 23:37, Ever Smart’s pilot disembarked near the channel entrance. Ever Smart continued at about 11 to 12 knots, while Alexandra 1 was moving at about 2 knots. Alexandra 1’s master recognised that Ever Smart had not altered course and warned port control. Port control and the pilot warned Ever Smart, and Alexandra 1 ordered full astern. Ever Smart’s master saw the tanker close ahead only seconds before impact and ordered hard to starboard. The vessels collided bow-to-bow at 23:42:19, four cables from the No. 1 buoys.
The vessels separated at 23:48. Alexandra 1’s bow was split from the main deck to below the waterline, with water ingress into the forepeak tank, while its collision bulkhead was not penetrated. Ever Smart’s bow plating was severely indented and holed forward of its collision bulkhead. There were no reported injuries or pollution.
Sequence of events
| Date/time | Event |
|---|---|
| 2015-02-11 22:00 (UTC+4) | Alexandra 1 weighed anchor and proceeded toward the No. 1 buoys while waiting for a pilot. |
| 2015-02-11 22:30 (UTC+4) | Ever Smart was pulled from its berth by three harbour tugs. |
| 2015-02-11 23:37 (UTC+4) | Ever Smart’s pilot disembarked near the channel entrance. |
| 2015-02-11 23:40 (UTC+4) | Ever Smart passed the No. 1 buoys at about 11 knots while Alexandra 1 was making about 2 knots. |
| 2015-02-11 23:42:19 (UTC+4) | Ever Smart and Alexandra 1 collided bow-to-bow. |
| 2015-02-11 23:48 (UTC+4) | The vessels separated and their crews assessed the damage. |
Contributing factors
| Factor | Evidence status | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Differing passing assumptions | Confirmed finding | No passing arrangement was agreed or promulgated; the masters expected the vessels to pass on opposite sides. |
| Incomplete VHF information | Confirmed finding | Alexandra 1’s master acted on a partial radio exchange without clarifying which vessel the instruction concerned. |
| Lookout and monitoring failure | Confirmed finding | Ever Smart’s bridge team did not maintain effective lookout and monitoring of Alexandra 1 before the collision. |
| Ineffective traffic coordination | Confirmed finding | MAIB found that pilotage and vessel traffic service precautions failed to manage and de-conflict the movements. |
| Premature pilot disembarkation | Confirmed finding | MAIB concluded that the pilot left Ever Smart prematurely without coordinating the vessels’ passing arrangement. |
Investigation
The Marine Accident Investigation Branch published Serious Marine Casualty Report No. 28/2015. It found that the masters’ differing assumptions, incomplete VHF information, inadequate lookout and monitoring, ineffective pilotage, and weak vessel traffic coordination contributed to the collision. MAIB also identified Alexandra 1’s unnecessary proximity to the channel entrance and recommended improvements to Jebel Ali’s vessel traffic and pilotage services.