Self-unloading bulker grounded twice, which proved expensive

John J Boland discharging cargo from its port side using its self-unloading boom in Lorain, Ohio, after the grounding. [Source: NTSB]

In its second recent report on a Great Lakes bulker grounding incident, the National Transportation Safety Board has released its findings on an April 2023 incident in which the 1973-built, 667-foot-long, self-unloading bulk carrier John J Boland grounded twice in Lake Huron, sustaining over $775,000 in damage.

The incident occurred on April 21, 2023, while the John J Boland, which, like the vessel in the earlier NTSB report, was owned by the American Steamship Company and chartered and operated by Grand River Navigation, was loading cargo in Port Dolomite, Mich. After getting underway, the crew discovered flooding and damage to the hull of the vessel.

Inadequate operating company guidance on underkeel clearance led to the grounding, the National Transportation Safety Board said Tuesday.

​The crew planned to load a total of 30,000 tons of three types of aggregate stone. The first mate created a load plan based on past load plans, the ship’s loading and stability software and the operating company’s draft guidance spreadsheet. The load plan required the drafts of the John J Boland be no greater than 26 feet 8 inches. The first mate believed the operating company’s draft guidance included a safety factor that would provide additional underkeel clearance between the vessel and the shoal, or shallow water, but, says the NTSB, the draft guidance did not include a safety factor. The operating company’s safety management system also did not provide guidance for creating load plans related to minimum underkeel clearances to be maintained during loading operations. The NTSB determined the operating company’s guidance was inadequate for creating a load plan with sufficient underkeel clearance.

In addition to the inadequate company guidance, the NTSB also found the master’s decision to use the main engine to free the vessel after it grounded a second time also caused the hull damage.

To free the self-unloader after it first grounded, the crew used mooring lines to move it ahead. After it was free, the crew continued to load the vessel, which likely placed the vessel harder onto the shoal. The master used the vessel’s main engine to free it and back off the dock after the second grounding because the vessel was ready to depart. The vessel’s hull would have scraped along the bottom as the master backed the vessel off the dock.

PROBABLE CAUSE

The full report says, “the National Transportation Safety Board determines that the probable cause of the grounding of, and resulting hull damage to, the self-unloading bulk carrier John J Boland was inadequate operating company guidance to create a load plan with sufficient underkeel clearance and the master’s decision to use the main engine to free the vessel after it was aground. Contributing was the master and first mate becoming desensitized to the risk of vessel damage associated with grounding during loading operations.”

LESSONS LEARNED

Developing load plans: To safely carry out cargo loading operations, it is important for vessel crews to understand the characteristics of the facilities where they will be operating, including the depth of water at the dock and potential hazards, such as nearby shoaling, that could impact the loading process. Effective company policies and guidance for cargo loading include pertinent information, such as clear expectations for required underkeel clearance, to assist personnel developing load plans with identifying and mitigating hazards. Additionally, crewmembers can consult nautical charts and surveys, tidal and/or water gage information, ship-specific stability and loading information, and information from the dock/facility when developing a load plan.

• As ever, the full NTSB report goes into much more detail. Download it HERE