Contact made by offshore supply vessel Caledonian Victory with berth and 7 moored small craft with 3 sinking
Location: Moving berth in Port of Aberdeen, Scotland.
Completed PE Summary: Caledonian Victory
A short summary of the accident and action taken:
| Merchant Vessel/Accident Details | |
|---|---|
| Vessel Name | Caledonian Victory |
| Manager | Vector Offshore, Aberdeen |
| Ship Owner | Highlands Group Ltd, Isle of Man |
| Port of Registry | Georgetown |
| Flag | Cayman Islands |
| Classification Society | DNV |
| Type | Offshore Supply Vessel |
| Built | 2006 |
| Construction | Steel |
| Length Overall | 93.45m |
| Gross Tonnage | 5729 |
| Date/Time | 10/09/2008, 2220 |
| Location of incident | Aberdeen |
| Incident Type | Collision |
| Injuries/fatalities | None |
| Damage/pollution | Several recreational vessels and a ro-ro berth damaged/Minor pollution |
Synopsis
Caledonian Victory and her sister vessel Caledonian Vanguard were berthed stern to stern on south side of Albert Quay in Aberdeen. The vessels were instructed to shift berths by Aberdeen port control: Caledonian Victory from berth No 3 to berth No 5, which was ahead of Caledonian Vanguard, and Caledonian Vanguard from berth No 4 to berth No 3. Caledonian Vanguard slipped and proceeded astern. During this manoeuvre, Caledonian Victory let go all ropes and, as soon as Caledonian Vanguard was on her port beam, started to move astern towards her intended berth. However, the bow of Caledonian Victory was soon influenced by the south-easterly wind and the ensuing manoeuvres resulted in the vessel’s port quarter making contact with a number of recreational vessels moored alongside a ro-ro berth on the north side of the Quay. Although voyage data recorders (VDR) were carried by both vessels, neither was working and therefore a detailed examination of the manoeuvring undertaken was not possible.
Three small recreational vessels were sunk. A ro-ro berth and a further four recreational vessels were also damaged. Minor pollution from the sunken vessels was contained by booms.
Action taken:
The Deputy Chief Inspector of Marine Accidents has written to the vessel’s manager and strongly advised that it instructs its masters to ensure that all passage plans, including berth shifts, are properly considered and take into account the environmental conditions, the limitations of the propulsion, and the assistance available, and that such plans are effectively communicated to all involved parties.
The Cayman Islands administration has also written to the ship’s manager to remind it of its responsibility to ensure the correct operation of VDRs on board its vessels.
The vessel’s manager, Vector Offshore, has replaced the VDR on board Caledonia Victory and has undertaken to replace the VDRs on three sister vessels.
Published: October 2008