Classification
- Incident type: Grounded
- Severity: Low
- Region: Indonesia
- Investigation body: Transport Malta Marine Safety Investigation Unit
Vessel Details
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Vessel Name | Universal Durban |
| Vessel Type | Bulk Carrier |
| Flag State | Malta [MT] |
| IMO Number | 9644251 |
| Gross Tonnage | 15732 |
| LOA (m) | 160 |
| Breadth (m) | 24 |
| Year Built | 2012 |
Incident Details
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Date | 2017-05-13 |
| Time | 11:56 |
| Location | Alur Pelayaran Serasan, south of Pulau Serasan |
| Coordinates | 2.244167, 109.086167 |
| Region | Indonesia |
| Fatalities | 0 |
| Injuries | 0 |
Key facts
- Universal Durban was on passage from Bell Bay, Tasmania, to Bintulu, Malaysia, carrying manganese sinter.
- The vessel sustained slight bow and bottom shell damage. The report found no internal structural damage, no watertight breach, and no pollution.
- The vessel was refloated and surveyed after the grounding. The report does not provide a separate missing-person count or a monetary damage estimate.
Narrative
Universal Durban was transiting Alur Pelayaran Serasan on a voyage from Bell Bay, Tasmania, to Bintulu, Malaysia. The passage was planned and monitored on ECDIS, but the bridge team was using a small-scale chart for the area. During preparation of an order file in Chartplanner, ENC ID300428 had been inadvertently deleted. The deletion did not trigger a warning, and the resulting chart configuration was not recognized before the vessel entered the area.
The planned route also deviated from the designated archipelagic sea lane. The master saw breakers and questioned the accuracy of the charted objects, then altered course outside the port cross-track limit to give an isolated danger more room. He subsequently left the bridge. The officer of the watch did not recognize the approaching hazard effectively by visual or radar observation, and the vessel grounded at 11:56 at 2.244167, 109.086167, south of Pulau Serasan.
Transport Malta's report states that the ECDIS auto-scan route check did not warn of the problem, the visual route check was cursory, and there was no evidence that Admiralty Sailing Directions had been consulted before the courses were laid. The report also identified anomalies in the displayed chart data and concluded that the chart quality attributes created a misleading impression of accuracy in an area that had not been comprehensively surveyed. The grounding caused slight bow and bottom shell damage but did not breach watertight integrity. There was no pollution or injury, and the vessel was later refloated and surveyed.
Sequence of events
| Time or stage | Event |
|---|---|
| Before the passage | The route was prepared on ECDIS; ENC ID300428 was inadvertently deleted during chart-order preparation. |
| During the transit | Universal Durban used a small-scale chart and followed a route that deviated from the designated archipelagic sea lane. |
| Before the grounding | The master saw breakers, altered outside the port XTD limit, and left the bridge. |
| 11:56 | Universal Durban grounded south of Pulau Serasan. |
| After the grounding | The vessel was refloated and surveyed; no pollution or watertight breach was reported. |
Contributing factors
| Factor | Evidence status | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Deleted ENC without warning | Confirmed finding | ENC ID300428 was inadvertently deleted during chart-order preparation and the system did not issue a warning. |
| Chart scale and data quality | Confirmed finding | The small-scale display and misleading chart quality attributes did not provide an adequate representation of the hazards and survey limitations. |
| Passage planning and bridge-team cross-checking | Confirmed finding | The route deviated from the designated sea lane, the visual check was cursory, the master did not cross-check the passage on ECDIS, and the officer of the watch did not maintain effective hazard recognition. |
Investigation
Transport Malta's safety investigation report is the primary source and provides completed findings on the route-planning, ECDIS, chart-quality, and bridge-team issues. It recommends that the East Asia Hydrographic Commission review ENC production so that CATZOCs reflect survey quality meaningfully. The report confirms physical damage and operational consequences but does not provide a monetary damage estimate.