Classification
- Incident Type: Grounded
- Severity: High
- Tug involvement: no
Vessel Details
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Vessel Name | Coastal Isle |
| Vessel Names | Coastal Isle |
| Vessel Type | Container |
| Flag State | Antigua and Barbuda [AG] |
| IMO Number | |
| Gross Tonnage | 3125 |
| LOA (m) | 89.37 |
| Year Built | 1991 |
| Crew Size | 10 |
Incident Details
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Date | 2012-07-02 |
| Location | Garroch Head, Island of Bute, Scotland |
| Coordinates | 55.726667, -5.016667 |
| Region | United Kingdom |
| Fatalities | 0 |
| Injuries | 0 |
| Missing | |
| Investigation Body | Marine Accident Investigation Branch |
| Direct Damage | |
| Estimated Economic Damage | |
| Vessels Lost | 0 |
| Outcome | No one was injured; Coastal Isle sustained extensive structural damage and breached tanks but was refloated and taken to Greenock without pollution. |
Key facts
- The chief officer dismissed the lookout at about 0240 and later left the bridge without calling the lookout back or arranging another watchkeeper.
- Coastal Isle remained unattended until it grounded at Garroch Head at 0443.
- Neither of the vessel's two independent bridge watch alarms was in use, although both could have alerted the crew to an absent or incapacitated watchkeeper.
- The grounding caused extensive structural damage and breached five tanks, requiring renewal of approximately 12 to 13 tonnes of steel.
- No one was injured, no pollution was found, and the vessel was refloated with tug assistance before proceeding to Greenock.
Narrative
The Antigua and Barbuda-flagged feeder container vessel Coastal Isle departed Belfast at 2100 on 1 July 2012 for Greenock. After the sea passage began, the master temporarily stopped the engine to avoid arriving too early. The chief officer took over the navigational watch at 2330, and an ordinary seaman joined him as lookout shortly after midnight. At 0220, east of Ailsa Craig, the chief officer altered course to approximately 006 degrees. The vessel was making about 12 knots, with no nearby traffic and its next planned alteration about 30 nautical miles ahead.
At approximately 0240, the chief officer dismissed the lookout. He later left the bridge without recalling the lookout, informing the master, or arranging relief from another officer. Coastal Isle then continued unattended. MAIB found that the easterly wind set the vessel off its intended heading and that no one was present to correct it. Neither of the two independent bridge watch alarms was in use, although both were capable of warning the crew when the bridge watchkeeper was absent or asleep.
The master awoke at about 0430 and was preparing to go to the bridge when he felt the vessel vibrating heavily. Coastal Isle grounded head-on at Garroch Head on the Island of Bute at 0443. The master stopped the engine, changed the steering to manual and sent crew to find the chief officer in his cabin. He informed the designated person ashore at 0510 and unsuccessfully attempted to refloat the ship. After establishing that there was no pollution, he notified the coastguard at 0600.
Clydeport's deputy harbourmaster boarded at 0805 and, with tug assistance, manoeuvred Coastal Isle clear before piloting it to Greenock, where it berthed at 1137. No injuries or fatalities occurred. The vessel sustained extensive structural damage along both sides of its forward hull. Three ballast tanks, the number 1 double-bottom tank and the forepeak tank were breached, and approximately 12 to 13 tonnes of steel required renewal.
MAIB considered the chief officer's account that he had been unconscious for about 1 hour 45 minutes highly unlikely and found it more probable that he had fallen asleep in his cabin. The investigation also established that the voyage data recorder had been switched off for more than two weeks and that the chief officer's Panamanian Chief Mate certificate had been obtained through a fraudulent certification scheme.
Sequence of events
| Date/time | Event |
|---|---|
| 2012-07-01 21:00 local | Coastal Isle departed Belfast for Greenock. |
| 2012-07-01 23:30 local | The chief officer took over the navigational watch. |
| 2012-07-02 02:20 local | The chief officer altered the vessel's heading to approximately 006 degrees east of Ailsa Craig. |
| 2012-07-02 about 02:40 local | The chief officer dismissed the lookout and later left the bridge without arranging relief. |
| 2012-07-02 04:43 local | Coastal Isle grounded at Garroch Head on the Island of Bute. |
| 2012-07-02 05:10 local | The master informed the designated person ashore and then unsuccessfully attempted to refloat the vessel. |
| 2012-07-02 06:00 local | The master informed the coastguard after establishing that there was no pollution. |
| 2012-07-02 08:05 local | Clydeport's deputy harbourmaster boarded and assisted the refloating operation with a tug. |
| 2012-07-02 11:37 local | Coastal Isle arrived alongside at Greenock. |
Contributing factors
| Factor | Evidence status | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Unmanned bridge | Confirmed finding | The chief officer dismissed the lookout and left the bridge without recalling him or arranging another watchkeeper. |
| Wind-induced deviation | Confirmed finding | The easterly wind set Coastal Isle off its heading while no one was on the bridge to correct the vessel's course. |
| Bridge watch alarms not used | Confirmed finding | Neither independent watch alarm was switched on; MAIB concluded that either system could have detected the absent watchkeepers and prevented the accident. |
Investigation
The Marine Accident Investigation Branch published report 9/2013 in May 2013. MAIB concluded that Coastal Isle grounded because the bridge was unmanned when the easterly wind set the vessel off course. It found that use of either bridge watch alarm could have detected the absence of a watchkeeper and prevented the casualty. The report considered the chief officer's claim of prolonged unconsciousness highly unlikely and found it more probable that he had fallen asleep. It also identified deficient voyage data recorder management and fraudulent certification, leading to recommendations on VDR functionality and preservation of accident data and on verification of seafarers' certificates.