MAIB Safety Digest 2007 — Fishing edition

7077-DfT-MAIB Fishing Safety Digest 11/5/07 08:56 Page fcovi

Fishing 2007 Safety Digest

7077-DfT-MAIB Fishing Safety Digest 11/5/07 08:56 Page ifcii

The Marine Accident Investigation Branch is an independent part of the Department for Transport, (DfT) and is completely separate from the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA). The Chief Inspector of Marine Accidents is responsible to the Secretary of State for Transport. The offices of the Branch are located at Carlton House, Carlton Place, Southampton, SO15 2DZ. This Safety Digest draws the attention of the marine community to some of the lessons arising from investigations into recent accidents. This information is published to inform the fishing industry and the public of the general circumstances of marine accidents and to draw out the lessons to be learned. The sole purpose of the Safety Digest is to prevent similar accidents happening again. The content must necessarily be regarded as tentative and subject to alteration or correction if additional evidence becomes available. The articles do not assign fault or blame nor do they determine liability. The lessons often extend beyond the events of the incidents themselves to ensure the maximum value can be achieved. Extracts can be published without specific permission providing the source is duly acknowledged. The Safety Digest is only available from the Department for Transport, and can be obtained by applying to the MAIB. Other publications are available from the MAIB.

If you wish to report an accident please call our 24 hour reporting line 023 8023 2527

The telephone number for general use is 023 8039 5500

The Branch fax number is 023 8023 2459

The e-mail address is maib@dft.gsi.gov.uk

Safety Digests are available on the Internet: www.maib.gov.uk

The role of the MAIB is to contribute to safety at sea by determining the causes and circumstances of accidents, and working with others to reduce the likelihood of such causes and circumstances recurring in the future.

Extract from:

The Merchant Shipping (Accident Reporting and Investigation)

Regulations 2005 The fundamental purpose of investigating an accident under these regulations is to determine its circumstances and the cause with the aim of improving the safety of life at sea and the avoidance of accidents in the future. It is not the purpose to apportion liability, nor, except so far as is necessary to achieve the fundamental purpose, to apportion blame.

Contents Chief Inspector's Foreword

1 Poor Stability and Hull Defects Lead to Fatal Accident 6

2 The One That Got Away 8

3 A Fire Detection System Can Help Save Your Vessel 10

4 Didn’t Feel a Thing 12

5 With the Best of Intentions... 14

6 A Continuous Navigational Watch Must Be Kept 15

7 Capsize – a Question of Stability 16

8 Collision and Sinking While Pair Trawling 18

9 Water in the Bilges – So What? 20

10 Rapid Capsize Causes Loss of Life 22

11 Delay Structural Repairs at Your Peril 24

12 Mobile Phone Causes Grounding 26

13 Loss of “Rulebeater” With Poor Freeboard 28

14 Aggregate Bags Sink Mussel Dredger 30

15 Are Lifejackets Really Too Much Trouble? 32

Fishing Vessel Accident Statistics 34

Major Accident Locations Chart 36

MAIB Published Reports 37

Glossary 38

MAIB Report Request Form 39

Chief Inspector’s F Fishing is, by a large margin, the

2006 brought a mixture of good news and bad news for fishing. On the positive side, only 19 UK fishing vessels were lost, one of the lowest numbers for years; however, tragically, 16 fishermen lost their lives in accidents, the largest number for some years.

Ensuring that your boat is in good condition and well fitted out is not just about safety – it also saves you money. The last thing any fisherman wants is a breakdown, broken gear or an accident – all lose you fishing time and cost you.

Please read these articles and think if any of the incidents reported here could have happened to you. Just by thinking about the issues identified in the cases, you could save money, endless hassle and perhaps a life.

In last year's Fishing Digest I drew your attention to a few common sense measures that could dramatically reduce the likelihood of you having an accident. I make no apology for repeating the advice I gave you then.

s Foreword gin, the most dangerous profession in the UK.

MAINTENANCE CHECKS NETS I Test your bilge alarm before every trip. I Think through how you shoot and recover your nets, and how you deal with problems such as I Turn off your seacocks in harbour – it will coming fast. Look at the possible dangers, and prevent your vessel sinking in harbour, and how you can reduce them. ensure that they are working if you need them in an emergency at sea. LIFESAVING EQUIPMENT I Wear inflatable lifejackets on deck. Talk to I Check your bilge pumps work. Seafish or the RNLI to identify a suitable lifejacket that can be worn without getting in the I Regularly check your hull and hatches. way.

I Check your fire-fighting equipment. I Keep other lifejackets accessible for emergencies – lifejackets stowed in a container DOORS AND HATCHES near the wheelhouse have saved lives, and I Close doors, hatches and windows as a matter could save yours. of routine – it’s much easier to keep water out than trying to pump it out. I Ensure you have an in-date liferaft, that it has a good hydrostatic release, and that it is well I Use all the dogs on doors and hatches; this will positioned to float free. help prevent them from seizing. I Fit an EPIRB. It can alert rescue services in the I Fit suitable ventilators rather than using doors event of your vessel sinking if you don’t have and windows for ventilation. time to put out a distress call or GMDSS alert.

MODIFICATIONS A little preparation can ensure that you and I Seek professional advice on the effect any your crew return home safely, whatever the sea modifications will have on your vessel’s stability. throws at you – you owe it to your loved ones.

WATCHKEEPING I Make sure a good lookout is kept at all times – never leave the wheelhouse unattended.

Poor Stability and Hull Defects Lead to Fatal Accident

Figure 1: Salvage

The Lessons

1 The purchase of a fishing vessel is a major undertaking, and sometimes a clean and shiny appearance can cloud good judgment. Skippers/owners are urged to seek expert advice Figure 2: ''A'' frame supporting frame to Figure 4: Steering compartment forward deck split bulkhead hole when considering purchasing a vessel, to ensure that it is fit for the purpose intended. This advice also extends to changes to structure, to ensure that stability, and therefore safety, is not compromised.

Figure 3: Vee split in hull

Narrative

An under 10 metre fishing vessel air and sea search conducted, It was also found that the vessel’s left her home port early in the assisted by 15 local fishing vessels. inherent stability was marginal, morning to fish the prawn grounds Unfortunately there was no sign of making her unsuitable for offshore off the north-east coast. The the trawler, or of her crew. fishing; this was a major factor in weather was pleasant with a light Subsequent events included a her loss. westerly breeze and a slight swell. search for the wreck. The wreck Understandably, the The vessel had been fishing was located, and an underwater skipper/owner purchased the vessel successfully and the skipper and survey was carried out, during believing it to be suitable to cope his brother, as the only crew, which the liferaft was found on the with the rigours of offshore fishing. looked forward to another good seabed and damage to the radar Proud of his vessel, he sought to day’s catch. dome noted. The trawler was improve her by adding a winch and During the morning, the salvaged (Figure 1) to enable a deck shelter. Unfortunately, in doing weather worsened. A westerly force more detailed structural survey, so, this additional top weight 6 –7 developed and the sea metallurgical examination of the hull decreased the vessel’s stability. became very confused. Unworried, plating and stability tests to be All the evidence indicates that the brothers hauled in their catch conducted. Neither of the brothers’ the trawler began to take water in and began steaming back to port. bodies was found on board. her steering compartment and her Just before midday, the skipper The investigation found the engine room, further reducing her spoke to his wife by mobile vessel to be in a poor structural limited stability. The flooding went telephone to tell her he was making condition. There were splits and undetected until the latter stages, his way home. Soon afterwards, the holes to her upper deck, hull shell when it is believed an attempt was trawler was sighted, for the last plating and steering gear made to pump out the bilges. time, by another local fishing compartment forward watertight During the process, the vessel was vessel. bulkhead (Figures 2, 3 and 4). swamped by seas, downflooding Late afternoon, the families of In addition, the rudder stock gland occurred through the open steering the two men, and local fishermen, was leaking, the engine room high gear compartment hatch and she became concerned that there was level bilge alarm float switch had sank rapidly by the stern. There no sign of the vessel. The been disconnected, and one of her was no time to transmit a “Mayday”. coastguard was informed and an bilge pumps was not operational.

2 Structural maintenance is an essential element in ensuring a vessel’s watertight 3 Bilge level automatic alarms, operational bilge pumps and effective discharge non- 4 This vessel carried a liferaft, despite not being required by regulations to do so. Sadly, in integrity. Although expensive, it is of return valves are part of the this case, it failed to fully deploy, comparatively little cost for a skipper’s armoury to deal with probably because it became potentially great return: preventing flooding. It is essential that they are trapped under the radar dome, the possible loss of a vessel. kept in good working order. causing the casing to flood and Hull repairs should be given the Unfortunately, far too many vessels thus it lost positive buoyancy. highest priority if downflooding and are lost because high-level bilge Skippers are strongly advised to internal flooding is to be prevented. warning alarms and pumping check stowage positions of liferafts systems are defective. to ensure that they are free from overhead obstructions such as radar domes, fishing gear and mast stays. Further comprehensive advice is provided in MGN 267(F).

The One That Got Away!

Narrative The skipper and crewman of a fairly new, under 10 metre trawler completed hauling their afternoon tow and were making ready to shoot away again. The weather conditions were good with a slight swell running. The skipper went into the wheelhouse to manoeuvre the boat for shooting, and spotted water washing about down below in the accommodation area. Dashing below, he found water overflowing from the toilet and welling up from drainage holes in the toilet floor. He opened the engine room door and found water almost covering the engine. The skipper immediately notified his crewman of the situation and sent out a distress

Similar sea water inlet before accident

The Lessons

1 The vessel had no bilge alarm fitted. Decked vessels should be fitted with effective bilge alarms to give earliest possible warning of water ingress. pipework. Had he received early warning, by a bilge alarm, the hole might have been plugged even earlier and prevented the distress situation. Owners may also wish to consider the benefits of an extension klaxon and/or a strobe light to give warning when the wheelhouse is unattended. 4 Fittings are greatly weakened by threading; sea inlets of the stub pipe and flange type have been found to be superior. They are best positioned where

2 Frequently, overboard discharge lines are fitted with non-return valves to reduce the risk of backflooding. Had this been the case in this instance, they are not convenient to be stood on, and the supporting of associated pipework reduces leverage and vibration. the speed of flooding would have been greatly reduced.

3 The skipper’s action in plugging the water entry point with a simple broom handle shows the 5 Many vessels have foundered due to water being able to flow between compartments. During this incident, watertight integrity was compromised by effectiveness and benefit of carrying a selection of someone boring drain holes in the floor, again speeding different size plugs to drive into holes or sheared up the flooding process as water flowed back up through these holes.

call. On re-entering the engine the boat with a salvage pump. then pumped dry, and at high tide room, the skipper attempted to shut As much water as possible was she was refloated and towed to port off the sea inlets but, unfortunately, removed from her engine room, for inspection and repair. by that time they were too deeply and a search was carried out for The vessel sustained no submerged. the cause of ingress. Sea water damage to her hull when she The men donned their could be seen welling up through beached, but she did suffer serious lifejackets and made preparations the hull at one point and, upon water damage to machinery and to abandon the vessel. Another investigation, the skipper pulled on electrics. Subsequent inspection trawler fishing nearby came a sea inlet pipe to find that the showed various contributory factors immediately to their rescue and, sanitary supply line was adrift from to the flooding: the sheared sea after attaching a towline, took both the hull at a point below the shut off inlet was threaded into a pad on the men on board. Both were valve. The skipper probed in the boat’s side; the inlet fitting was unharmed. The rescuing vessel set water with a broom handle and unduly long and set at a convenient off towards the beach, which was could see that at times he was height for standing on; the vessel fairly close, with the sinking vessel reducing the surge. He shaped the did not have non-return valves in under tow. She was successfully end of the handle into a plug and, her overboard discharges; no bilge beached in shallow water just as after locating the ingress point, alarm was fitted; holes were bored she finally foundered. drove the broom handle into the in the watertight toilet deck into the At low tide, the skipper rowed sheared inlet hole, thus preventing engine room to assist drainage out in a dinghy and went aboard further ingress. The vessel was when cleaning.

Sheared fitting after accident

A Fire Detection System Can Help Save Your Vessel

Narrative

In darkness, while on passage from He went back to the In the meantime, following the one port to another, the deck lights wheelhouse and tried to call the initial call from the fishing vessel, of a potting fishing vessel suddenly coastguard again, but found that the coastguard had alerted other lit up. Taken by surprise, the the VHF radio would not transmit vessels in the vicinity of the skipper/owner turned the or receive. He looked in the casualty. The nearest, which was wheelhouse switch to the off compartment under the wheelhouse 4 miles away, was a large ferry, position, but the lights remained on. deck where the emergency which then diverted from her He then tried, unsuccessfully, to batteries were fitted, and saw passage towards the reported switch on the galley lights. smoke emanating from it. He then position of the casualty. Because the fuse boxes were tried to use the hand-held VHF set, Using searchlights, the ferry in the forward auxiliary generator but the battery was flat. found the fishing vessel, created a hold, the skipper went out on deck One of the deckhands went to lee for the casualty and illuminated and opened the access hatch to the the forward hatch and touched it the scene. Soon after arriving on space. He was met by thick black with the back of his hand. It was scene, the ferry’s staff could see acrid smoke. He quickly closed the hot. He took the continuously flames on the fishing vessel’s deck. hatch and returned to the running deck wash hose and The RNLI lifeboat soon arrived on wheelhouse, where he alerted cooled the hatch with seawater. scene, took the three crew the coastguard that he had a fire Once it was sufficiently cool, he members off the fishing vessel and on board. was able to open the hatch and returned to her station. The skipper switched on the direct the water into the hold. The fishing vessel remained cabin lights and called the two But this had little effect, so he afloat and on fire until later that deckhands, who were sleeping. closed the hatch and sealed it to afternoon, at which time the fuel But the lights would not illuminate. restrict the supply of oxygen to tanks exploded and the vessel He then returned to the forward the fire. foundered. hatch and, on opening it, saw flames in the hold.

The Lessons

1 The fishing vessel was not fitted with a fire detection system in either her forward auxiliary generator hold or her engine room. Had one been fitted, 3 The crew member who attempted to extinguish the fire used correct fire-fighting techniques, such as touching hot spots with the back of his hand and this would have alerted the crew at a much earlier stage sealing a space which is on fire to starve it of oxygen. and would have given them a chance to fight the fire He clearly demonstrated the value of having attended before it had time to take hold. a fire-fighting course.

2 The electrical fault, which was probably the cause of the fire, also affected the charging of the emergency batteries and, in turn, the