Classification
- Incident Type: Collision
- Severity: Medium
- Primary Source: MAIB GOV.UK page and PDF
Vessel Details
| Field | Value |
|---|
| Vessel Name | Huayang Endeavour |
| Vessel Type | Bulk Carrier |
| Flag State | Hong Kong [HK] |
| IMO Number | 9591492 |
| Gross Tonnage | 41605 |
| LOA (m) | 224.9 |
| Breadth (m) | 32.25 |
| TEU | |
| Year Built | 2013 |
| Crew Size | 22 |
Incident Details
| Field | Value |
|---|
| Date | 2017-07-01 |
| Time | 03:04 |
| Location | Dover Strait, approximately 5nm west of Sandettie Bank, England |
| Coordinates | |
| Region | English Channel |
| Fatalities | 0 |
| Injuries | 0 |
| Missing | 0 |
| Cargo Loss | |
| Outcome | Both vessels were damaged but proceeded to nearby ports for assessment; no injuries or pollution were reported. |
| Direct Damage | |
| Estimated Economic Damage | |
| Insured Loss | |
| Salvage/Cleanup Cost | |
Key facts
- The collision occurred at 03:04:40 local time on 1 July 2017, about 5 nautical miles west of Sandettie Bank in the Dover Strait.
- Both vessels were damaged but proceeded to nearby ports for assessment. No injuries or pollution were reported.
- Huayang Endeavour's starboard bow was holed and dented, with penetrations into the forecastle store and forward void space.
- Seafrontier's port accommodation was damaged over five decks; its port rescue boat and davit were extensively damaged and one set of external stairs was removed.
- MAIB found that an unclear VHF exchange produced conflicting passing plans. Seafrontier's bridge team then altered to port without checking sea room astern.
- MAIB considered it very likely that fatigue and high mental loading affected Seafrontier's master's decision-making and reaction times.
Narrative
According to MAIB, the Hong Kong-registered bulk carrier Huayang Endeavour was overtaking the Hong Kong-registered oil tanker Seafrontier in the Dover Strait at about 03:04 on 1 July 2017. A VHF exchange between the two ships did not produce a shared understanding of the passing arrangement. Huayang Endeavour's bridge team believed it would pass on Seafrontier's starboard side, while Seafrontier's bridge team focused on another vessel ahead and later altered course to port without checking the sea room astern.
MAIB states that Huayang Endeavour's starboard bow then struck Seafrontier's port accommodation and hull. Huayang Endeavour sustained hull-plating damage with penetrations into the forecastle store and forward void space, while Seafrontier suffered major damage over five decks on the port side, with the port rescue boat and davit extensively damaged and one set of external stairs removed. Both vessels were able to proceed to nearby ports for survey and inspection. No injuries or pollution were reported. MAIB also concluded that Seafrontier's master had probably been affected by fatigue after more than 14 hours on the bridge.
Sequence of events
| Date/time | Event |
|---|
| 2017-07-01 02:53 local | The bridge teams exchanged VHF messages about Huayang Endeavour overtaking Seafrontier. |
| 2017-07-01 02:56-02:59 local | Huayang Endeavour altered to port while Seafrontier's master prepared a turn to port. |
| 2017-07-01 02:59 local | Seafrontier commenced a hard alteration to port without checking sea room astern. |
| 2017-07-01 03:04:40 local | Seafrontier's port side struck Huayang Endeavour's starboard bow. |
| 2017-07-01 after the collision | Both vessels separated and proceeded to Dunkerque and Antwerp for assessment. |
Contributing factors
| Factor | Evidence status | Description |
|---|
| Conflicting VHF understandings | Confirmed finding | The two bridge teams developed different plans while believing that they understood the other vessel's intentions. |
| Failure to check sea room astern | Confirmed finding | Seafrontier's bridge team altered to port without first assessing the available sea room astern. |
| Fatigue and high mental loading | Confirmed finding | MAIB considered it very likely that these affected Seafrontier's master's decision-making and reaction times. |
| Inadequate collision-warning signals | Confirmed finding | Neither vessel made sound signals during the developing close-quarters situation. |
Investigation
The Marine Accident Investigation Branch investigated the serious marine casualty and published Report No. 7/2018. MAIB attributed the collision to the conflicting plans formed after the VHF exchange, Seafrontier's failure to check sea room astern before altering, and probable fatigue affecting its master's decisions. The reviewed report provides no normalized economic-damage estimate.
References
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