VIDEO: Salvors transfer Sewol ferry to land
APRIL 11, 2017 — South Korean media report that at around 4 p.m. local time today, salvors successfully completed the final stages of securing the wreck of the Sewol ferry on land.
APRIL 11, 2017 — South Korean media report that at around 4 p.m. local time today, salvors successfully completed the final stages of securing the wreck of the Sewol ferry on land.
JANUARY 9, 2017 — A video that first surfaced on the web last week shows the dramatic failure of an offshore service vessel launch at a shipyard somewhere in the world. From
APRIL 21, 2016 — The U.K. Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) recently issued a report on its investigation of the January 2015 capsize and sinking of the Cyprus-flagged cement carrier Cemfjord in
The 17 m, twin rig fishing vessel capsized and subsequently sank on November 2, 2014, when about 100 miles off the northeast coast of England on passage to its fishing grounds.
Two of the crew were rescued about three hours after the capsize, when the body of the skipper was also recovered; the other two crew have not been found.
Ocean Way had left North Shields the previous evening and was heading north-easterly towards the Gut fishing grounds, about 120 miles offshore. The wind was south-south-west Force 6 with a heavy southerly swell and very rough sea.
At about 10.56 a.m. the skipper, who was in the wheelhouse, shouted down to the four crewmen in the cabin to get out, as the vessel was going down. Two of the crew, wearing tee shirts and shorts, managed to climb up and out of the accommodation and over the rails as the vessel capsized. The men then managed to climb onto the upturned hull from where they saw the skipper and another crewman, unresponsive, in the water.
At 10.58 a signal from the vessel’s EPIRB was received at the U.K.’s search and rescue satellite receiving centre and this information was passed to the Marine & Coastguard Agenct at 11.01. The EPIRB was not fitted with integral Global Navigation Satellite System and so the signal identified the vessel, but not its position. A number of satellite passes were necessary before the EPIRB’s position could be confirmed, which took about 50 minutes.
The two crewmen remained on the upturned hull for about 30 minutes until the vessel sank under them. Two lifebuoys floated to the surface and the men used these to keep themselves afloat.
The coastguard issued a “Mayday Relay” broadcast for the vessel and, once they had an accurate position about an hour after the accident, tasked a rescue helicopter. This helicopter arrived at the scene about three hours after the capsize.
Wreck survey
An underwater ROV survey of the wreck found the vessel upright and intact with no visible signs of damage. The rudder was hard to port. Some of the freeing ports were found jammed, and others had been reduced in size. The shelter deck behind the wheelhouse opened on to the aft deck and was not weathertight.
Ocean Way’s two liferafts had not floated to the surface after the accident.
The ROV survey found that the hydrostatic releases on both liferaft canisters had activated correctly, but their painters led into the accommodation. It was concluded that once out of their cradles the liferaft canisters had floated into the inverted vessel’s shelter deck area, where they had become trapped.
Analysis
It is probable that Ocean Way broached and capsized in high following seas. The vessel’s stability, which would have been reduced while surf riding, was probably further reduced due to entrapped water on deck as, unlike its sister vessels, its shelter deck area was not weathertight. It was calculated that with around 6 tonnes of water on deck (about a foot of water), the vessel would have become unstable.
Ocean Way was 40 years old and was well regarded for its seakeeping qualities, yet its survey records showed a history of marginal stability compliance. No inclining test had been carried out since 2004.
Safety Lessons
Download the full MAIB report HERE
Five lives were lost in the incident in which the vessel, the Leviathan II, operated by Jamie’s Whaling Station, capsized. One person is still missing.
Prelimary information released yesterday by the Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) said that most of the passengers and crew were on the top deck on the port side of the vessel when the incident occurred. This would have raised the center of gravity, affecting the vessel stability.
The sea conditions were such that a wave approached the vessel from the starboard quarter. The vessel broached (tilted up and rolled) and then capsized.
One life raft deployed and was activated. At least two hand flares and one parachute rocket were fired.
Since arriving on scene, the TSB team has met with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police to review the information collected during, and immediately after, the rescue operation. It has also conducted interviews with the crew and some of the survivors to confirm certain facts during the time of the capsizing; and coordinated efforts to salvage the vessel so that the team can access it and start the physical examination.
Today, the team planned to examine the vessel, and determine how to recover any electronics onboard that may help identify the exact position of the vessel at the time of the occurrence. They also planned to examine the vessel to understand its condition at the time of the accident and review stability information at the time of its construction, examining any modifications made since that may have affected its stability.
The team will examine the various weights and their position onboard at the time of the accident to allow TSB naval architects to assess the vessel’s stability at the time of the occurrence. The team will also look at the maintenance and inspection records of the vessel, including life-saving appliances.
VESSEL OPERATOR STATEMENT
The vessel operator posted a statement on its web site October 26 saying it would be working closely with the Transportation Safety Board to determine exactly what has happened and to assist with the investigation in any way it could.
“To the best of our knowledge there was no distress call,” wrote the company’s Director of Operations, Corene Inouye. “From what we know at this stage it appears that the incident happened so quickly, the crew didn’t have an opportunity to send out a mayday.
“We have learnt that the crew was able to access emergency flares that are a part of the safety equipment on board the boat, and deployed them from the water. Local Ahousaht First Nations fishermen were the first to see this, and rushed to the scene to come to the assistance of our passengers and crew.
“As soon as the radio reports of an incident came in we immediately sent out all available vessels to assist in search and rescue efforts and liaised with RCMP, the Coast Guard as well as our local hospital and rescue volunteers.
“We can tell you that the skipper of the MV Leviathan II has over 20 years whale watching experience in these waters – 18 years with our company. The other two crew have five years and three years of experience. All are licensed by Transport Canada and go through rigorous training as well as bi-weekly safety drills and exercises.”
JUNE 2, 2015 — Fifteen people have been rescued and five were confirmed dead after a passenger vessel carrying over 450 people capsized in China’s Yangtze River, reports China’s Xinhua news agency.
FEBRUARY 11, 2015 — South Korea’s Gwangju District Court has sentenced a former Coast Guard official to four years in prison for neglecting his duty to safely evacuate passengers in the sinking
JANUARY 22, 2015 — The U.K. Marine & Coastguard Agency reported that the list of the car carrier Höegh Osaka had been reduced to 5 degrees. Plans were for the vessel to
JANUARY 12, 2015 — Weather continues to hamper the salvage of the car carrier Höegh Osaka. The vessel remains held in position near Southampton at anchor on the Alpha Anchorage, between East
OCTOBER 27, 2014 — South Korean prosecutors today asked Gwangju District Court to impose the death penalty on Lee Joon-seok, the captain of the ferry Sewol that capsized in April with the