Classification
| Field | Value |
|---|
| Incident Type | Grounded |
| Severity | Medium |
| Region | Spain |
Vessel Details
| Field | Value |
|---|
| Vessel Name | Beaumont |
| Vessel Type | General Cargo |
| Flag State | United Kingdom [GB] |
| IMO Number | 9319416 |
| Gross Tonnage | 2545 |
| LOA (m) | 88.6 |
Incident Details
| Field | Value |
|---|
| Date | 2012-12-12 |
| Location | Cabo Negro, north Spanish coast, Spain |
| Coordinates | 42.9329, -4.8024 |
| Time | 03:08 UTC |
| Voyage | La Coruña to Avilés |
| Fatalities | 0 |
| Injuries | 0 |
| Direct Damage | Plate and frame damage; damage to double-bottom tanks and bow thruster compartment; no hull breach |
| Environmental Impact | No pollution |
Key facts
- At 03:08 UTC on 12 December 2012, Beaumont grounded on Cabo Negro while proceeding at 11.5 knots from La Coruña to Avilés.
- The officer of the watch had fallen asleep after the lookout left the bridge, leaving no one effectively monitoring the passage for more than an hour.
- The grounding caused plate and frame damage and damage to the double-bottom tanks and bow thruster compartment, but did not breach the hull or cause pollution.
- Beaumont was refloated with the assistance of the tug Maria de Maeztu and continued to Avilés under her own power.
Narrative
Beaumont departed La Coruña in ballast at 15:17 on 11 December 2012 for Avilés. During the handover around midnight, the master reminded the chief officer to call the Avilés pilot two hours before arrival. The chief officer took over the navigational watch, but the lookout was not continuously maintained on the bridge. At about 01:30, the lookout was sent below to rest. The chief officer also failed to make the required pilot call at about 00:55 and did not correct the vessel’s course after it crossed the electronic chart system’s cross-track boundary.
The chief officer fell asleep within two hours of taking over the watch. Beaumont continued on autopilot and grounded on Cabo Negro at 03:08 UTC at a speed of 11.5 knots. The master was alerted by the grounding, found the chief officer asleep, placed the engine control to neutral, sounded the general alarm, and mustered the crew. He transmitted a Pan Pan urgency call, which was received by the Gijón coastguard. The vessel was held fast forward with her stern in deeper water and was not considered in immediate danger of breaking up as the tide fell.
Internal inspections found damage to the double-bottom tanks and bow thruster compartment, but no hull breach. The MAIB report records plate and frame damage and no pollution. The tug Maria de Maeztu arrived during the morning and passed a tow line. As the tide rose, Beaumont came free using her own engines with tug assistance. After inspection by the Avilés harbour authorities, the vessel was permitted to enter the port and later departed for a repair yard. The report records no injuries or fatalities.
Sequence of events
| Date/time | Event |
|---|
| 2012-12-11 | Beaumont departed La Coruña in ballast for Avilés. |
| 2012-12-12 | The lookout left the bridge during the night watch and the chief officer later fell asleep. |
| 2012-12-12 03:08 UTC | Beaumont grounded on Cabo Negro at 11.5 knots. |
| 2012-12-12 | The master raised a Pan Pan, Gijón coastguard deployed search-and-rescue assets, and inspections found damage but no hull breach. |
| 2012-12-12 | Tug Maria de Maeztu assisted Beaumont to refloat; the vessel entered Avilés after harbour inspection. |
Contributing factors
| Factor | Evidence status | Description |
|---|
| Work and rest pattern | Confirmed finding | MAIB concluded that insufficient stimulation and probable fatigue following a change in the chief officer’s work and rest pattern contributed to him falling asleep on watch. |
| No lookout during darkness | Confirmed finding | The chief officer sent the lookout below, contrary to the requirement for a lookout during hours of darkness, allowing him to fall asleep unnoticed. |
| Bridge safeguards not used effectively | Confirmed finding | Radar guard zones were not set, the echo sounder and BNWAS were switched off, and the ECS cross-track alarm was barely audible. |
| Inadequately rested watchkeepers | Confirmed finding | MAIB found that the master did not exercise his overriding authority to delay sailing until the watchkeepers and lookouts were adequately rested. |
Investigation
The Marine Accident Investigation Branch investigated the grounding with the cooperation and assistance of Spain’s Comisión de Investigación de Accidentes e Incidentes Marítimos. MAIB Accident Report 14/2013, published in June 2013, concluded that the chief officer fell asleep because of insufficient stimulation and probable fatigue, while the absence of a lookout and ineffective use of available navigation safeguards allowed Beaumont to continue toward the coast. Faversham Ships Ltd subsequently revised its safety management procedures to require dark-hours lookouts, use of radar and echo-sounder alarms, and operation of the BNWAS while vessels were underway. MAIB made no recommendations because corrective action had already been taken.
References
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