Small mistakes causing huge problems is one of our favorite topics at IEN. There was the handheld flashlight that was mistakenly left in the engine of an F-35 that caused $4 million in damages. There was the failed solid-state relay on a barge that caused it to lose steering, resulting in $6 million in damages. And now there’s a boat hitting a rock that it probably could have avoided.
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A tugboat and barge, operating together as an articulated tug and barge (ATB), last year ran aground near Marmot Bay off the coast of Alaska. More specifically, the ATB hit a submerged rock while approaching the entrance to a cove, causing about $1.4 million in damages to the barge. The tugboat was fine, none of the six crewmembers aboard were hurt, and there was no pollution as a result of the accident. But there’s still a massive bill for repairing the barge.
The NTSB investigation into the accident determined it was caused by a misreading of the charts.
The ATB captain plotted a route into Shakmanof Cove using the vessel’s electronic chart system (ECS) that relies on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration electronic navigational chart, or ENC, for the area. As the ATB turned into the cove, it hit the submerged rock that the NTSB said was not detectable on radar or through a visual lookout.
However, the rock was charted on the ENC and the captain failed to notice the asterisk marking its location. The original report also said the captain was not using all available navigational resources, including the Coast Pilot and the grounding avoidance features of the ECS, when he planned the route.
“Owners and operators should ensure their crews are sufficiently trained in the use of their electronic chart system (ECS) and understand how to use the different functionalities of the ECS,” the report said. “An ECS offers advanced features that can help users increase their vessel’s safety and crew situational awareness of potential safety hazards. In some cases, incorrect, or non-use of these features may even reduce situational awareness to certain hazards, such as submerged rocks.”
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It was a tough day for everybody involved but next time, the captain will almost certainly use all the tools available to avoid hitting rocks.