Classification
- Incident Type: Collision
- Severity: Medium
Vessel Details
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Vessel Name | Furness Melbourne |
| Vessel Names | Furness Melbourne / Riga II |
| Vessel Type | Bulk Carrier |
| Flag State | Panama [PA] |
| IMO Number | 9403061 |
| Gross Tonnage | 32387 |
| LOA (m) | 190.0 |
| Breadth (m) | 32.2 |
| Year Built | 2008 |
| Owner/Operator | Drake Line, Panama / Fukujin Kisen, Japan |
| Power (kW) | 8400 |
| Crew Size | 21 |
Riga II was a 13.6 m Swiss-flagged yacht with three people aboard. The ATSB report does not provide an IMO number for the yacht.
Incident Details
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Date | 2012-05-26 |
| Location | 15 miles north of Bowen, Queensland, Australia |
| Coordinates | -20.0100, 148.2400 |
| Region | Australia |
| Fatalities | 0 |
| Injuries | |
| Missing | 0 |
| Direct Damage | Riga II was dismasted and sustained hull, handrail, paintwork, mast support, cabinetwork, and internal lighting damage; Furness Melbourne was not damaged. |
| Economic Damage |
Key facts
- At 2156 local time on 26 May 2012, Furness Melbourne collided with Riga II about 15 miles north of Bowen, Queensland.
- Furness Melbourne's lookout reported Riga II's green sidelight, but the officer of the watch treated it as a distant light buoy instead of confirming the contact.
- Riga II's watchkeeper did not identify the ship's navigation lights in time and used the yacht's AIS receiver on a range setting that did not provide adequate warning.
- Riga II was dismasted and damaged; Furness Melbourne was not damaged and later assisted the yacht.
- Rescue Bowen towed Riga II into Bowen, where it was secured in the marina at 0647 on 27 May; no serious injuries were reported.
Narrative
Furness Melbourne departed Townsville at 1410 on 26 May 2012 bound for Portland, Victoria. Riga II, a Swiss-flagged yacht with a skipper, his wife and a friend aboard, was sailing toward Townsville from the Whitsunday Islands. Both vessels were using the preferred route north of Bowen in clear visibility.
At about 2142, Furness Melbourne's lookout reported a green light fine on the port bow. The third mate, who was officer of the watch, assumed it was a distant light buoy near Nares Rock rather than confirming its identity by radar, chart or other systematic checks. The light was Riga II's starboard sidelight. The third mate altered the ship's heading but did not recognize that the light remained a collision risk.
At about 2149, Riga II's AIS receiver alarmed. The yacht's skipper and his wife interpreted the displayed information as showing the approaching ship farther away than it was. The skipper altered Riga II to port, believing this would increase the passing distance, but the yacht crossed ahead of Furness Melbourne. The ATSB found that Riga II's watchkeeper had not maintained an effective visual lookout and that the AIS receiver was not set to provide adequate warning. Riga II was also not fitted with a radar reflector or AIS transceiver, reducing its detectability to the ship's bridge team.
At 2156, Furness Melbourne's bow or starboard anchor area contacted Riga II's mast, and the yacht scraped along the ship's starboard side. Riga II was dismasted and sustained hull and interior damage. No serious injuries were reported. Furness Melbourne was not damaged and returned to assist, providing a lee while the volunteer marine rescue vessel Rescue Bowen approached. Rescue Bowen connected a tow at about 0206 on 27 May and brought Riga II to Bowen, where the yacht was secured in the marina at 0647.
The ATSB concluded that neither vessel was keeping a proper lookout in the period before the collision. It highlighted the ship's misidentification of the yacht's sidelight, the yacht's inadequate AIS range setting and interpretation, and the reduced detectability caused by the absence of a radar reflector and AIS transceiver. The report gives two close but different collision positions, so no coordinate is promoted here.
Sequence of events
| Date/time | Event |
|---|---|
| 2012-05-26 14:10 local | Furness Melbourne departed Townsville for Portland, Victoria. |
| 2012-05-26 21:42 local | Furness Melbourne's lookout reported a green light on the port bow. |
| 2012-05-26 21:49 local | Riga II's AIS receiver alarmed as the vessels approached. |
| 2012-05-26 21:56 local | Furness Melbourne collided with Riga II north of Bowen. |
| 2012-05-27 02:06 local | Rescue Bowen connected a tow to Riga II. |
| 2012-05-27 06:47 local | Riga II was secured in the Bowen marina. |
Contributing factors
| Factor | Evidence status | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Failure to keep a proper lookout | Confirmed finding | The ATSB found that neither vessel maintained a proper lookout before the collision. |
| Misidentification of Riga II's light | Confirmed finding | Furness Melbourne's officer of the watch treated the yacht's green sidelight as a distant light buoy and did not confirm the contact. |
| Inadequate AIS warning on Riga II | Confirmed finding | Riga II's AIS receiver was not set to a range that provided adequate warning, and the approaching ship's information was misinterpreted. |
| Reduced yacht detectability | Confirmed finding | Riga II had no radar reflector or AIS transceiver, reducing its detectability to Furness Melbourne's bridge team. |
Investigation
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau investigated the casualty in Transport Safety Report MO-2012-006. It found that both vessels failed to keep a proper lookout and that there was no early and appropriate action to avoid the collision. The report confirms Riga II's dismasting and tow to Bowen, but it does not provide an exact all-injury count or a monetary damage estimate. It also gives two close but non-identical collision positions; the page leaves coordinates blank rather than selecting between them.