Grounding of general cargo vessel Priscilla on 18 July 2018

Summary

The incident of the general cargo vessel Priscilla took place on 18^th July 2018. The vessel got shipwrecked when it hit the ground instead of stopping in water. Investigation revealed that the officer on board was unaware that the ship was drifting away from its actual path two hours before the accident took place. When the mistake got realized, it was too late to change course without leading the vessel directly into danger.

Moreover,The accident took place because of the carelessness of the officer who was busy watching videos on his mobile phone. He was the only one looking over the vessel at the time of the night and yet did not monitor where the ship was headed. The electronic navigation system onboard the vessel was also not set up. He even responded to two radio calls from authorities but did not take them seriously enough. Hence, he wasn’t able to avoid danger.

Background and purpose:

Many such marine accidents have been taking place lately and getting reported by authorities. It raises questions as to why their frequency is increasing. It seems that despite fewer crew compliments, the vessels are being used to exhaustion levels. They are not getting the maintenance they require. Plus, the people on board are also stooping towards carelessness in their attitude while handling the vessels and hence, causing accidents.

Procedure:

This investigation was done by the UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB).

Lessons learned:

1. Monitoring the vessel at all times is crucial. Make sure it is on the right path.
2. More than one person should be employed at the task of looking out the vessel, especially at night.
3. Electronic navigation systems should readily be used.
4. Radio calls from the authorities should not be taken lightly and should be readily looked into to avoid danger.

Conclusion:

Coming to the conclusion, to prevent accidents in the future, the owner of the vessel Priscilla has been advised to take the necessary measures to upgrade his ship to the required standards. And also, make sure that appropriate watchkeeping and safety management is done on board.