There was chaos in the control room of an Irish Sea ferry when it ran aground after a power failure, an official report said today.
The MV Moondancegrounded in Warrenpoint Harbour in Co Down in June last year, six months after a sister ship, the MV Riverdance, ran aground near Blackpool and had to be scrapped.
Both roll-on, roll-off vessels were owned by Seatruck Ferries Shipholding Ltd, a UK based freight-only carrier which is part of the Bahamas-based Clipper Group. Both operated between Heysham and Warrenpoint.
A report from the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) into the Moondance incident said the vessel grounded in Carlingford Lough after an electrical blackout resulted in the propellers defaulting into the full astern position while the vessel was being moved from lay-by berth to the ferry linkspan within the harbour.
It said: “The situation in the engine control room was chaotic. The chief engineer had difficulty establishing his authority because the Polish engineers discussed the fault-finding options, in Polish, without consulting him.”
The problems were exacerbated because there was no lighting as the emergency generator had failed to start automatically due to a long-term defect the chief engineer was unaware of, it said.
Communication between the bridge and the engine room was poor, resulting in the main engines being started without approval from the bridge, said the report.
It added: "Many of the routines on board were lax. The move from the lay-by berth to the linkspan was considered by senior staff on board Moondanceto be a routine operation.
“Complacency led to insufficient manning levels on the bridge and in the engine room, which contributed to the accident.”
Recommendations have been made by the MAIB to the Bahamian Flag State and the management company including:
:: Conducting an urgent review of the company’s safety management system.
:: Providing guidance to suitably-trained internal auditors on assessing crew knowledge, departmental management and inter-departmental communications.
:: Undertaking a review of risk assessment procedures on board the company’s vessels.
The MAIB said as a result of the accident and the loss of the MV Riverdancein January 2008, the chief inspector had written to Seatruck Ferries issuing a series of urgent safety recommendations which the company had complied with.
PA