Commodore Clipper - Marine Accident Investigation Branch

24
The master conned Commodore Clipper throughout the transit of Portsmouth
harbour. Discussion about which berth should be used continued between Solent
Coastguard, QHM and PIP. It was agreed that Berth 2 could be used, but QHM
was concerned that the vessel could be unstable and that the 180 o turn might lead
to a risk of capsize. Consequently, it was recommended that Commodore Clipper
berth bow onto the linkspan (ship’s head east). As the vessel only had a stern ramp
and would not have been able to disembark the passengers or cargo, the master,
supported by CMS managers and DPA, elected to turn her and berth stern to (ship’s
head west).
The master commenced the turn at 1037 and Commodore Clipper was secured
alongside at 1055. Units from HFRS had been told to expect the vessel to use either
Berths 4 or 5 and they hurried to relocate to Berth 2.
1.6 EMERGENCY RESPONSE ONCE Commodore Clipper wAS
ALONGSIDE
1.6.1 Pedestrian access
The design of Commodore Clipper meant that the only access route from the vessel
to shore was via the main vehicle deck (deck 3) and through the stern door. In
normal service this worked well; the majority of passengers drove their vehicles on
board, and any foot passengers were brought on by minibus. The relatively few foot
passengers that were carried, and the significant challenges presented by the large
tidal ranges in the Channel Island ports, meant that a separate pedestrian access
was not required and would have been difficult to arrange. There was no regulation
that required the vessel to have a protected route to a position on board where a
second access point or gangway could be rigged.
CMS and PIP staff had identified that it would not be possible to gain access to the
vessel over the stern ramp, and agreed to use a gangway that had been constructed
to serve visiting cruise ships. The gangway was lifted by crane and rested on
guardrails on the upper vehicle deck (deck 5). HFRS officers, CMS staff and the PIP
harbourmaster were able to board Commodore Clipper at about 1130.
The gangway arrangement was not considered satisfactory for further use and
permission was given for PIP staff to cut away the ship’s guardrail so that the upper
end of the gangway could be rested on the deck. The gangway and temporary
guardrails were secured at 1145. MAIB inspectors boarded the vessel at 1200 and
found that while the gangway itself was adequate, the high density of freight vehicles
on the upper vehicle deck made it difficult not only to get off the gangway, but also to
move across the deck in order to access the accommodation.
1.6.2 Passenger evacuation
The passengers had all been mustered again in preparation for entering Portsmouth
harbour. Some discomfort from smoke was reported, but all the domestic and
galley services remained available and passengers were provided with food and
refreshments.
CMS, PIP, HFRS and Solent Coastguard all recognised that it would be prudent to
disembark the passengers as soon as possible, particularly as the rising tide meant
that the gangway would soon become too steep to use. Members of the emergency
services and marine personnel who had boarded the vessel had done so without
sustaining any injuries, but found moving across the upper vehicle deck difficult.
The distances between freight vehicles were, in places, as little as 150mm, and at
best 450mm. In many cases it was not possible to walk between vehicles and the
only route was to crawl under trailers where they were supported by trestles. Freight
vehicles were lashed to the deck with chains, causing trip hazards. Obstructions
from ship’s fittings, cargo and trailers presented many additional hazards and a high
degree of awareness was required to avoid injury when moving across the deck.