INVESTIGATION

CASE 3
Isolated Working Leads to Girting
Narrative
A 2,500gt chemical tanker was berthed port
side alongside and had completed discharging
its cargo. It was dark, near high water, with
good visibility and a force 4 to 5 wind blowing
onto the berth.
A pilot boarded the tanker in preparation
for departure. He advised the master of his
intention to use a mooring launch to assist,
if necessary, in lifting the tanker’s stern off
the berth. The mooring launch, which had
a bollard pull of 13t, arrived alongside. Its
towline was then passed and secured through
the tanker’s starboard quarter fairlead (see
figure).
Using port rudder, ahead propulsion and
starboard bow thrust, the pilot manoeuvred
the tanker bodily off the berth with only
the forward spring still secured ashore. The
forward spring was then let go and the tanker
was manoeuvred ahead. The pilot ordered
the launch coxswain to run with the tanker
and then to approach the tanker and let go.
Both orders were acknowledged by the launch
coxswain, who was attempting unsuccessfully
to turn the launch to port.
Load had come onto the towline, causing the
launch to list heavily to port. The coxswain
then attempted to operate the towing hook
emergency release by pulling on the handle
suspended from the wheelhouse deckhead.
Meanwhile, on being notified by one of his
crew that the mooring launch was in difficulty,
the tanker’s master brought the propeller
pitch to zero. The launch then capsized with
the towline remaining attached to the tanker.
Although the launch deckhand was able to
swim clear, the coxswain remained trapped
in the wheelhouse until he was sighted and
rescued over an hour later.
1
2
3
Tug before chemical tanker came ahead
Tug as chemical tanker came ahead
Tug as girting and capsize occurred
N
3
2
Line of berth
1
Wind direction (WSW)
Figure: Indicative relative movement of the mooring launch
8
MAIB Safety Digest 1/2017