Check equipment meticulously when taking over a vessel from another operator. The Nautical Institute gives this warning in a new Mars Report, in which a lifeboat fell into the water as a result of poor handling by a previous crew.
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 new operator took delivery of a vessel from a previous operator, and the crew were changed over. The vessel was at anchor, and crew familiarisation and emergency drills were carried out before departure, including an abandon ship drill.
While a lifeboat was being lowered to sea level, the brake release wire became stuck. The brake band remained open and the lifeboat descended to the water in an uncontrolled manner. Luckily, there were no injuries and no damage.
Also read: Lifeboat self-launches causing two fatalities
Investigation findings
The company investigation found, among other things, that:
- The lifeboat wires were well maintained and greased at the time of the vessel’s delivery.
- The vessel’s records indicated the last abandon ship drill with lifeboat lowering had taken place about six weeks earlier with the previous crew.
- While the lifeboat wire was being paid out, the remote brake release wire got stuck on its drum and began to coil backwards, keeping it under tension, and thus keeping the brake in an open position. The remote wire eventually parted, and the port lifeboat dropped to sea level.
- It was found that the remote release wire had been improperly stored on its drum as a result of poor handling by the previous crew. The wire was stuck within the storage drum and coated entirely in grease, which obscured the view and prevented early detection of the issue. Furthermore, it was noted that the system had remained unused for a prolonged period, contributing to this condition.
Also read: CSSF: Lifeboats on cargo vessels need to be reinvented
Advice from The Nautical Institute
- Equipment and systems on newly acquired vessels under a company’s management must undergo comprehensive, close-up inspections and testing to identify potential defects or issues, ensuring safe and reliable operations.
Also read: Unstable lifeboat rolls over in calm water
Mars Reports
This accident was covered in the Mars Reports, originally published as Mars 202526. 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.
