Make sure you know what to do in an emergency. The Nautical Institute gives this advice in a new Mars Report in which a service boat sank just after the people on board had gotten into a liferaft.
The Nautical Institute gathers reports of maritime accidents and near-misses. It then publishes these so-called Mars (Mariners’ Alerting and Reporting Scheme) Reports (anonymously) to prevent other accidents from happening. This is one of these reports.
A vessel was at anchor near a port and a service boat had been ordered for the transport of six on-signers to board. In the morning, the six vessel crew boarded the service boat. The three crew of the service boat let go the lines and began the transport. The weather was good and the sea waves were at about one metre.
As the service boat was making way, water started flooding into the machinery space. The service boat crew tried to find the cause of the flooding in order to plug the leak, assisted by some vessel crew. Their efforts were unsuccessful, and the water level continued to rise. The service boat crew reported the incident by radio, and it was decided to abandon the service boat into a liferaft. The service boat sank a few minutes later.
Another service boat arrived about two hours after the sinking and the crew were transferred ashore. They had lost all their luggage and travel documents, but were otherwise unscathed.
Also read: Yacht sinks after fire in North Sea
Advice from The Nautical Institute
- Marine emergency duties are a useful skill; you never know when you may need them.
- Be aware of your surroundings and keep your cool.
Also read: Dynamic separation of soil cargo contributes to sinking
Mars Reports
This accident was covered in the Mars Reports, originally published as Mars 202462, that are part of Report Number 386. A selection of the Mars Reports are also published in the SWZ|Maritime magazine. 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.
Also read: Ship hits weir and sinks, salvage planned
