This concept page covers casualties where the vessel's departure condition was unsafe because the stability margin, ballast condition, or cargo distribution was inadequate before sailing.
Why it matters
The Hoegh Osaka case shows a grounding that was not primarily a route-monitoring problem. It was a departure-condition problem. The vessel left port with inadequate stability, and the subsequent severe list, flooding, and grounding followed from that unsafe starting condition. This makes it a useful comparison point for later car-carrier, ro-ro, and high-and-heavy cargo cases.