The Australian Transport Safety Bureau have recently released their preliminary report into the February grounding of the Maersk Garonne in Fremantle harbour
In the early hours of the 28th February (0448hrs) the Maersk Garonne, on a clear morning with light winds, ran aground on a sand bank to the south of the channel beacons number 1 and 2.
The preliminary report shown here said that based on preliminary information provided during its investigation, it was apparent that the ship’s bridge crew had not been directly and actively engaged with the pilotage as it progressed, and were broadly unaware of the pilotage plan. (Pilotage is the use of fixed visual reference on the ground or sea by means of sight or radar to guide oneself to a destination, sometimes with the help of a map or nautical chart. People use pilotage for activities such as guiding vessels and aircraft, hiking and scuba diving).
The investigation is ongoing and will continue to focus on pilotage procedures, planning and practices, information exchange and contingency planning for Fremantle pilotage; the existence, relevance, understanding and implementation of procedures by the pilotage company, port and ship to reduce the risk of grounding; bridge team dynamics, resource management and personnel engagement during pilotage; the implementation and effectiveness of bridge resource management training – wow, they will be busy.
Image credit – Brendan Foster
