Discover the Sol-Hongkong: Ratings & Maritime News

In the early hours of January 13, 2016, at approximately 3:26 a.m., the cargo vessel 'BF Caloosa' encountered a significant setback due to main engine failure while navigating in the traffic separation scheme of the Caskets, located northwest of Barfleur. The ship, which was returning empty from Ceuta, found itself in a critical situation as its crew was unable to rectify the mechanical issues using their onboard resources. To ensure the safety of all involved, the CROSS Jobourg took prompt action and dispatched the emergency tug 'Abeille Liberté' at 8:50 a.m. from Cherbourg. At the time, the tug was already at sea participating in an exercise. Upon arrival at the scene by 2:00 p.m., the 'Abeille Liberté' swiftly established a towing connection by 3:20 p.m., facilitating the movement of the 'BF Caloosa' toward Cherbourg. Throughout this operation, weather conditions included a west-northwest wind reaching up to 25 knots and sea waves measuring approximately 2.5 meters. By the early morning of January 14, at around 3:30 a.m., the vessel was safely berthed at the Quay Normandie in Cherbourg, marking the successful conclusion of the emergency operation. For more information, you can visit the detailed report accompanied by photographs at Le Marin: http://www.lemarin.fr/secteurs-activites/shipping/24094-l-abeille-liberte-remorque-un-navire-de-commerce.

In a detailed assessment of the October 29, 2014, grounding of the cargo vessel Bosphorus in Australia’s Brisbane River, the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) has pointed to the helmsman’s inattentiveness as a crucial factor. The report revealed that during the crucial maneuvering of the 8,407 GT cargo ship in Lytton Rocks Reach, the helmsman became disengaged and failed to adhere to navigational commands. While the individual was noted to be 'zoned out,' the ATSB concluded that the broader issues stemmed from inadequate crew and pilotage safety management systems rather than solely from the actions of the helmsman. The incident occurred when a crew changeover took place at a particularly sensitive moment of pilotage under escort. Following the transition at the helm, the Bosphorus began to drift to starboard, prompting the ATSB to highlight the lack of guidance in both the ship's safety management protocols and the Brisbane Pilot’s navigation plan regarding handover procedures in high-risk navigation scenarios. Furthermore, the report criticized the absence of intervention by crew members, even after it was apparent that the helmsman's focus was wavering. Emphasizing safety, the ATSB recommended that the bridge team, pilot, master, and officer of the watch verify the rudder angle indicator before and after executing helm commands. Since the incident, Brisbane Pilots have taken steps to enhance their safety management procedures. Remarkably, the grounding did not result in any injuries, damage, or environmental pollution.