Sleeping on the job?

[capnsensible]

The Marine Accident Investigation Branch - MAIB to their friends - publish a quarterly Digest of 'incidents' where they have been involved and where there's some lesson to be learned. They're determinedly NOT into attaching blame, but rather underscoring lessons which may fruitfully be hoisted in by the rest of us.

Regretably, many of those lessons recur - year after year. One of the 'perennials' is the well-qualified professional falling asleep at the wheel and the boat - more usually a commercial trader or fishing vessel - running up on the putty. We all KNOW that fatigue, deep fatigue, kills....

This time, it was only a little bit of reputation and pride that was hurt.

The lesson - for all of us - remains.

See link in #52. A dive into that will reveal the year by year successful prosecutions by the MCA Enforcement Unit.

Many tides ago I passed through the slipstream of one of their investigations.......I now know how they operate.

 

[14K478]

MCA Enforcement and the MAIB may now co-habit uneasily in the same building (very different salary scales!) but they are very different organisations with different objectives and different responsibilities and reporting requirements.

I’ve had good friends in the MAIB, even when they were investigating one or other of our foul ups, but I couldn’t imagine being on speaking terms with MCA Enforcement and I’m quite sure that’s mutual.

 

[14K478]

I once almost did something far worse.

Moored up after coming round from the Solent, left #1 son to put the boat away, showered, fed crew lunch in club and set out to drive back to the South Coast via London to get the crew to their homes.

I felt absolutely on top of the world.

… and almost fell asleep at the wheel on the A12 within an hour.

 

[SaltyC]

But, who does the best pasties in Fowey?

Awaiting the definitive answer with interest.

 

[ylop]

, but I couldn’t imagine being on speaking terms with MCA Enforcement and I’m quite sure that’s mutual.

I’m puzzled by that - like HSE inspectors (I’m very good friends with one) they are there to take action against those who play fast and loose with other’s safety not to unnecessarily punish those trying to do things right.

 

[Wansworth]

I’m puzzled by that - like HSE inspectors (I’m very good friends with one) they are there to take action against those who play fast and loose with other’s safety not to unnecessarily punish those trying to do things right.

Are they also advisory not just applying laws?

 

[capnsensible]

MCA Enforcement Policy Statement

 

[Sandy]

What I don’t understand is where was Pip’s support team when she needed them most?

She said on the Instagram statement that they are not a big organisation flowing with cash and she took the decision to deliver the boat back to Poole to save costs.

 

[ylop]

Are they also advisory not just applying laws?

I think their role is similar to MCA enforcement, a word of advice for simple oversight, an enforcement notice for dangerous shit they spot before it goes wrong and prosecute when they balls up and it should have been obvious it was wrong. The organisations are supposed to have their own processes, advisors etc in place before HSE or MCA come to check up, not wait till they get caught.

 

[14K478]

I’m puzzled by that - like HSE inspectors (I’m very good friends with one) they are there to take action against those who play fast and loose with other’s safety not to unnecessarily punish those trying to do things right.

Let me give you an example.

1.Once upon a time, about twenty years ago, a British shuttle tanker was waiting on weather in a Scottish loch. The weather went on for a while. The Master thought it might be as well to improve the shining hour by putting the MOB boat in the water and having a practice.

2. This was done. The Master, the Chief Engineer, the Bosun and an AB got in the boat and took it for a spin.

3. The Chief Officer, with a Master’s Certificate, and the First Engineer, with a Chief Engineer’s Certificate, remained on board. The number of crew remaining on board exceeded her Safe Manning Certificate.

4. On the shore of the loch there was a pier, and adjacent to the pier there was a pub. The ship was subject to the Exxon Drug and Alcohol Clause, meaning that she was a “dry” ship.

5. The four men in the crash boat saw the pub and with one accord they headed for the pier and belayed the painter…

6. The beer was good. Wonderfully good, in fact, and a single pint each was not enough.

7. Eventually the four men poured themselves out of the pub and into the boat, but being somewhat happy and relaxed / tired and emotional / pxxxxxd as newts they cast off, but failed to start the engine. The local RNLI sorted them out.

8. And MCA Enforcement descended on their heads and suspended their Certificates.

9. See 3. above.

The ship was at all times properly manned by qualified personnel all of whom were entirely sober and she could have got her anchor and proceeded to sea at a moment’s notice.

Whilst the men in the crash boat endangered themselves and caused a shout, they did not endanger their ship. I don’t think Enforcement should have acted as they did. Four yachtsmen in a RIB or a launch could have been in precisely the same position and they would not have had their RYA Certificates suspended, if they had any.

 

[mm42]

She said on the Instagram statement that they are not a big organisation flowing with cash and she took the decision to deliver the boat back to Poole to save costs.

That’s my issue. Regardless of how good a yachtswoman she is, or an ambassador for the sport or whatever, she saw fit to prioritise minimising cost over safety of other seafarers.

Let’s be honest boat handling can be taught. What makes a good master is the decision making. In this case regardless of how good she is as a racer, she let herself down with her decision making.

I’m a lifeboat coxswain and sometimes have to ask my crew to do things which have a high level of risk. In rescues there are rarely good options, just least worst options, and part of my decision making has to be “how will this stand up in court if it goes wrong and someone gets killed”. In this case, had someone got killed or injured, I think she’d struggle in court with the line of saving costs by not manning the boat sufficiently safely.

 

[14K478]

I think their role is similar to MCA enforcement, a word of advice for simple oversight, an enforcement notice for dangerous shit they spot before it goes wrong and prosecute when they balls up and it should have been obvious it was wrong. The organisations are supposed to have their own processes, advisors etc in place before HSE or MCA come to check up, not wait till they get caught.

I see a difference.

The MAIB are like the AAIB and there’s no real equivalent “on shore”, although the HSE do have advisory powers.

The MCA have regular Surveyors who are not the same people as Enforcement Branch although they will advise Enforcement if they think it is necessary. My colleagues and I are on good terms, usually*, with the MCA office that oversees us. (Colchester). I have been known to disagree with the MCA and once in the last twenty years have had an actual row, but never with “our” office, only with Southampton who consist of far too many Naval Architects and nowhere near enough Deck or Engine officers.

Enforcement are all based in Southampton afaik.

* We might express an opinion on a bill.

 

[RupertW]

Saw this as a comment on her video:


Hello pip well done on your solo sail around the world can’t imagine how tough it was . With todays accident could have been a lot worse we are a 10m fishing vessel working out of mevagissey , the port where you run aground . You passed us very very dangerously close doing approx 25-27knots we had to take emergency action to avoid a collision with you and I think if you hit us it could of been a very very different scenario. Glad you got towed off and making your way home just for everyone’s sake this never happens again . Jack

- he gets taken to pieces in some of the comments for being angry and misogynistic but most appreciate the reply as a lot calmer than they might have been and his boat was first on scene (obviously) to help and withdrew when the lifeboat quickly arrived.

 

[Mark-1]

Saw this as a comment on her video:


Hello pip well done on your solo sail around the world can’t imagine how tough it was . With todays accident could have been a lot worse we are a 10m fishing vessel working out of mevagissey , the port where you run aground . You passed us very very dangerously close doing approx 25-27knots we had to take emergency action to avoid a collision with you and I think if you hit us it could of been a very very different scenario. Glad you got towed off and making your way home just for everyone’s sake this never happens again . Jack

- he gets taken to pieces in some of the comments for being angry and misogynistic but most appreciate the reply as a lot calmer than they might have been and his boat was first on scene (obviously) to help and withdrew when the lifeboat quickly arrived.

The foils on the boat look very fragile. I'm astonished it could hit the beach at 20+ knots and not be badly damaged. Yet it sailed on afterwards.

All the evidence is it went on at full chat. I wonder if it sailed into a calm and slowed before it hit. Or maybe it's all less vulnerable than it looks.

 

[Wansworth]

So. It was not just the wake-up alarm she missed did the boat have collision alarm,apparently passed close to fishing vessel.Its possible Mca may still be interested about her dangerous driving?

 

[dunedin]

She said on the Instagram statement that they are not a big organisation flowing with cash and she took the decision to deliver the boat back to Poole to save costs.

Cant believe can run an IMOCA without a support team of some sort, even if some unpaid.
Wouldn't cost much (anything) to get a couple of volunteers as delivery watchkeepers. Put a request out and get plenty ( with warning, watch, don't touch ANYTHING!).
Sadly could be a very expensive penny pinch.

 

[Mark-1]

So. It was not just the wake-up alarm she missed did the boat have collision alarm,apparently passed close to fishing vessel.Its possible Mca may still be interested about her dangerous driving?

I think we can take it for granted the radar proximity alarm went off in addition to any other alarms.

Assuming they were all correctly set.

 

[Snowgoose-1]

Surprised she didn't lose the rig at 20k. .Perhaps the boats are designed to survive ploughing into a wave in the open sea.

They must fall asleep all the time out in the ocean but are so highly attuned to the boat that their six sense wakes them up if anything needs doing. Did not happen this time but you can be sure it won't happen again.

 

[jamie N]

Cant believe can run an IMOCA without a support team of some sort, even if some unpaid.
Wouldn't cost much (anything) to get a couple of volunteers as delivery watchkeepers. Put a request out and get plenty ( with warning, watch, don't touch ANYTHING!).

 

[dunedin]

View attachment 169148

….. but give the pilot a prod if they fall asleep ?