Classification
- Incident type: Collision
- Severity: Medium
- Investigation body: Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB)
Vessel Details
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Vessel Name | Rickmers Dubai |
| Vessel Type | General Cargo |
| Flag State | Liberia [LR] |
| IMO Number | 9467134 |
| Gross Tonnage | 15377 |
| LOA (m) | 166.15 |
| Year Built | 2011 |
| Persons on board | 17 |
Kingston was a UK-flagged tug of 113 GT and 27.2 m length. Walcon Wizard was a UK-flagged, unmanned crane barge of 105.6 GT and 23.99 m length.
Incident Details
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Date | 2014-01-11 |
| Time | About 01:54 |
| Location | South-west traffic lane of Dover Strait Traffic Separation Scheme, off the south east coast of England |
| Region | English Channel |
| Fatalities | 0 |
| Injuries | 0 |
| Missing | 0 |
Key facts
- The collision occurred while Rickmers Dubai was overtaking Kingston and its tow, Walcon Wizard.
- Walcon Wizard sustained substantial damage to its wheelhouse and crane. Rickmers Dubai suffered hull punctures and minor indentations above the waterline. Kingston's tow-winch hydraulics and brake were damaged.
- The MAIB report records no fatalities, injuries, or pollution.
Narrative
Rickmers Dubai was proceeding in the south-west traffic lane of the Dover Strait Traffic Separation Scheme when it overtook Kingston, which was towing the unmanned crane barge Walcon Wizard. At about 01:54 on 11 January 2014, Rickmers Dubai struck the barge. The officer of the watch was alone on the bridge and did not arrange a visual lookout. He did not monitor radar and relied on AIS information displayed on ECDIS for collision avoidance. MAIB noted that neither Kingston nor Walcon Wizard was transmitting AIS, so the equipment on Rickmers Dubai did not present the tow as an effective AIS target.
After the collision, the towline caught on Rickmers Dubai. Kingston was pulled stern-first through the water until the towline ran free from the tug's winch. Walcon Wizard sustained substantial damage to its wheelhouse and crane. Rickmers Dubai's hull was punctured and indented above the waterline, while Kingston's tow-winch hydraulics and brake were damaged. The report records no injuries, fatalities, or pollution.
The MAIB analysis also identified safety issues in the tow arrangement. Kingston's towing and stern lights were partly obscured from the overtaking vessel, and the towline could not be released quickly from the wheelhouse. These conditions reduced the opportunity for the vessels to detect the tow clearly and limit the consequences once the towline became involved.
Sequence of events
| Time | Event |
|---|---|
| About 01:54 | Rickmers Dubai collided with Walcon Wizard while overtaking Kingston and the tow. |
| After the collision | The towline caught on Rickmers Dubai and pulled Kingston stern-first. |
| Later | The towline ran free from Kingston's winch. |
Contributing factors
| Factor | Evidence status | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Inadequate lookout | Confirmed finding | The MAIB found that the officer of the watch did not keep a proper visual lookout and did not monitor radar. |
| Reliance on AIS/ECDIS | Confirmed finding | Rickmers Dubai's officer of the watch relied on AIS information displayed on ECDIS even though Kingston and Walcon Wizard were not transmitting AIS. |
| Tow visibility and release arrangements | Confirmed finding | Kingston's towing and stern lights were obscured, and the towline could not be released quickly from the wheelhouse. |
Investigation
The MAIB report is the primary source for the event, consequences, and findings. It attributes the collision primarily to the failure to keep a proper lookout and the reliance on incomplete AIS information. The report does not provide a normalized economic-damage figure, and it does not surface a breadth value for Rickmers Dubai.
References
- MAIB report page
- SRC-MSIG-087: MAIB report source note