Anchor gear is subject to brutal forces and good practice would include a close inspection of the chain and anchor on each recovery, states The Nautical Institute in its latest Mars Report. In the report, a fractured crown shackle was spotted in time.
The Nautical Institute gathers reports of maritime accidents and near-misses. It then publishes these so-called Mars Reports (anonymously) to prevent other accidents from happening. A summary of this incident:
The crew were heaving anchor on a tanker in ballast. As the starboard anchor came into sight above the water the officer noticed something was not right.
He stopped the operation and informed the bridge team. Upon closer viewing it could seen the anchor crown shackle was fractured. The port anchor was released and arrangements were made to have the starboard anchor disconnected and a new crown shackle installed.
The investigation could not establish a cause for the fracture. The crown shackle had been installed only five years earlier and was duly certified by a recognised classification society.
Also read: Shifting anchorage position ends in disaster
Advice from The Nautical Institute
In addition the advice already mentioned above, The Nautical Institute advises:
- Proper certification for ship’s equipment is a first layer of safety. In this case, the certification was authentic. But wear and tear will obviously decrease initial specifications and any hidden defects, if present, can become critical.
Also read: When two anchors are not enough
Mars Reports
This accident was covered in the Mars Reports, originally published as Mars 202323, that are part of Report Number 367. A selection of this Mars Report was also published in SWZ|Maritime’s June 2023 issue. The Nautical Institute compiles these reports to help prevent maritime accidents. That is why they are also published (in full) on SWZ|Maritime’s website.
More reports are needed to keep the scheme interesting and informative. All reports are read only by the Mars coordinator and are treated in the strictest confidence. To submit a report, please use the Mars report form.
