Hamburg grounding in the Sound of Mull

Classification

Incident Type: Grounded
Severity: High

Vessel Details

Field	Value
Vessel Name	Hamburg
Vessel Type	Passenger
Flag State	Bahamas [BS]
IMO Number	9138329
Gross Tonnage	15067
LOA (m)	144.13
Year Built	1997
Crew Size	164
Passenger Count	297

Incident Details

Field	Value
Date	2015-05-11
Location	Sound of Mull, near the New Rocks buoy, Scotland
Region	United Kingdom
Coordinates	56.5683, -5.5317
Fatalities	0
Injuries	0
Missing
Outcome	Hamburg grounded on charted rocks, sustained substantial hull and propulsion damage, and was diverted to Belfast for survey and repairs; no injuries or environmental impact were reported.
Direct Damage
Estimated Economic Damage

Key facts

Hamburg grounded on charted rocks near the New Rocks buoy at 13:28:21 on 11 May 2015.
The intended entry into Tobermory Bay could not proceed as planned because of weather and anchorage availability, but the passage plan was not formally re-evaluated or amended.
The cadet's plotted position differed from the position used by the officer of the watch; the discrepancy was not discussed before the cadet erased his plot.
The grounding caused substantial hull damage and damaged the port propeller, shaft, and rudder.
No passengers or crew were injured and the report records no environmental impact. Hamburg was diverted to Belfast for a dive survey and repairs.

Narrative

On 11 May 2015, the Bahamas-flagged passenger vessel Hamburg was approaching Tobermory after sailing from Dublin with 297 passengers and 164 crew aboard. The planned entry into Tobermory Bay could not proceed as intended because of the weather and anchorage availability, so the master waited in the Sound of Mull. This change created a new navigational situation, but the original passage plan was not formally re-evaluated or amended to establish an agreed track, clear margins from surrounding hazards, and a shared briefing for the revised manoeuvre.

After Sea Explorer 1 cleared the bay, Hamburg turned toward Tobermory. The bridge team did not maintain a reliable shared picture of the vessel's position and movement. The cadet plotted a position that differed from the officer of the watch's position and erased his own plot without consulting the officer. The discrepancy was therefore not challenged, and the bridge team lost an opportunity to identify the developing approach to the charted rocks near the New Rocks buoy. The available navigational information was not used effectively to verify the ship's progress as the turn developed.

The loss of monitoring occurred in confined coastal waters. At 13:28:21, Hamburg grounded on the rocks. The vessel suffered substantial raking damage to its hull and damage to the port propeller, shaft, and rudder. An attempt to anchor after the grounding was unsuccessful. The ship was later diverted to Belfast, where a dive survey and repair work could be undertaken. No passengers or crew were injured, and the report records no environmental impact.

The Marine Accident Investigation Branch attributed the casualty to connected failures in passage-plan management, bridge-team coordination, and navigational monitoring. The report emphasizes that the grounding was not simply a track-keeping error: once the intended approach changed, the bridge team did not establish and communicate a revised plan or effectively challenge conflicting position information.

Sequence of events

Date/time	Event
2015-05-11	Hamburg approached Tobermory after sailing from Dublin.
2015-05-11	The intended entry into Tobermory Bay could not proceed as planned, and the master waited in the Sound of Mull.
2015-05-11	Sea Explorer 1 cleared the bay and Hamburg turned toward Tobermory.
2015-05-11 13:28:21	Hamburg grounded on charted rocks near the New Rocks buoy.
2015-05-11	An anchoring attempt failed and the vessel was diverted to Belfast for survey and repairs.

Contributing factors

Factor	Evidence status	Description
Passage plan not re-evaluated	Confirmed finding	The original plan was not formally amended after the intended Tobermory approach became impracticable.
Conflicting position plots	Confirmed finding	The cadet's plotted position differed from the OOW's position and was erased without discussion.
Ineffective bridge-team coordination	Confirmed finding	The bridge team did not maintain a shared mental model or use effective challenge and response.
Inadequate navigational monitoring	Confirmed finding	Available position and chart information was not used effectively to verify Hamburg's progress toward the shoal.

Investigation

The Marine Accident Investigation Branch published investigation report 12/2016 in June 2016. It found that the passage plan was not re-evaluated after the failed Tobermory approach and that bridge-team monitoring and coordination were ineffective. The report also documents the substantial hull and propulsion damage, the failed anchoring attempt, and the diversion to Belfast for survey and repairs.

References

MAIB source note
Investigation report: Hamburg grounding