Dole America (1999) | Novatug Maritime Wiki

Classification

Incident Type: Allision
Severity: High
Tug involvement: no

Vessel Details

Field	Value
Vessel Name	Dole America
Vessel Type	General Cargo
Flag State	Liberia [LR]
IMO Number	9046502
Gross Tonnage	10584
LOA (m)	150.30
Breadth (m)	22.60
Year Built	1994
Owner/Operator	DFF Funding IV Inc / Reefership Marine Services (Dole Fresh Fruit International Ltd)
Crew Size	22

Incident Details

Field	Value
Date	1999-11-07
Location	Nab Tower, eastern approaches to The Solent
Region	English Channel
Coordinates	50.7500, -0.9500
Fatalities	0
Injuries	0
Missing	0
Investigation Body	MAIB
Direct Damage	Holed in three places above and below waterline
Pollution	5,200 litres of lubricating oil lost

Key facts

Dole America left Portsmouth at 0250 UTC under pilotage and struck the Nab Tower foundation at 0402 UTC on 7 November 1999.
After the pilot disembarked near New Grounds buoy, the master altered the intended passage to pass east of the tower.
The vessel struck the tower twice, sustained three starboard-side hull breaches, and flooded Nos 2 and 3 holds and associated double-bottom spaces.
The casualty released 5,200 litres of lubricating oil; the MAIB report records no injuries.
The pilot re-boarded and the vessel was intentionally grounded on Horse Tail Bank at about 0500 to prevent foundering; tugs later assisted.

Narrative

On 7 November 1999, the Liberian-registered refrigerated cargo vessel Dole America departed Portsmouth at 0250 UTC with a pilot on board. The pilot disembarked near New Grounds buoy, about two miles north of the Nab Tower. The master then increased speed and changed the intended passage from the planned route west of the tower to a passage about two cables east of it.

As Dole America approached the tower, the master saw what he interpreted as a red light from a crossing vessel on the starboard bow. He ordered starboard helm and then hard to starboard. The second officer, who was the only other person on the bridge apart from the helmsman, joined the master at the forward window and confirmed seeing red lights. When no further lights were seen, the master ordered hard to port while the vessel was still swinging to starboard. From the forward window he could not readily monitor the vessel's heading or exact position relative to the tower.

At 0402 UTC, Dole America struck the Nab Tower foundation, bounced off, and made contact a second time while making about 9 knots. The vessel was holed in three places on the starboard side, including a large hole near the starboard quarter and two below-waterline holes near Nos 2 and 3 holds. Water entered the holds and associated double-bottom spaces, and a ruptured lubricating-oil tank released 5,200 litres into the sea. The tower sustained damage at its base, but its light remained operational.

The pilot re-boarded at about 0430. With the master's agreement, he ran Dole America aground on Horse Tail Bank at about 0500 to prevent foundering. The tug Bustler arrived at 0530 and made fast aft. A Lloyd's Open Form was later agreed with Anglian Duke, which made fast to the starboard bow. MAIB identified the master's inappropriate and unquestioned hard-to-port order as the immediate cause. It also identified the altered passage plan, inadequate bridge manning and teamwork, loss of situational awareness, and the probable effects of fatigue and stress on perception and decision-making as contributing factors.

Sequence of events

Date/time	Event
1999-11-07 02:50 UTC	Dole America left Portsmouth under pilotage.
1999-11-07	The pilot disembarked near New Grounds buoy, and the master altered the intended passage to pass east of Nab Tower.
1999-11-07 04:02 UTC	Dole America struck the Nab Tower foundation twice and sustained hull breaches.
1999-11-07 04:30 UTC	The pilot re-boarded the vessel.
1999-11-07 05:00 UTC	Dole America was intentionally grounded on Horse Tail Bank to prevent foundering.
1999-11-07 05:30 UTC	Tug Bustler arrived and made fast aft.

Contributing factors

Factor	Evidence status	Description
Inappropriate port helm order	Confirmed finding	MAIB identified the master's inappropriate and unquestioned hard-to-port order as the immediate cause of the allision.
Altered passage plan	Confirmed finding	The master changed the intended passage to pass east of Nab Tower after the pilot disembarked, without a predetermined pilotage passage plan for that part of the transit.
Inadequate bridge manning and teamwork	Confirmed finding	No dedicated lookout was posted, and the available officers did not provide an effective independent check on the master's decisions.
Loss of situational awareness	Confirmed finding	The master was at the forward window and was not monitoring the vessel's heading and position relative to the tower adequately.
Fatigue and stress	Suspected	MAIB considered it probable that fatigue and stress may have adversely affected the master's perception and decision-making.

Investigation

The Marine Accident Investigation Branch investigated the casualty in Report No. 32/2000. MAIB found that the immediate cause was the master's inappropriate and unquestioned hard-to-port helm order. Its recommendations addressed pilotage passage planning, bridge manning, bridge teamwork, and operator support for safe navigation.

References

MAIB Report No. 32/2000: Dole America and Nab Tower