Contact with pier by paddle steamer Waverley
Location: Brodick pier, Isle of Arran, Scotland.
Accident Investigation Report 3/2025
Read our marine accident investigation report, which includes what happened and subsequent actions taken:
Summary
On 3 September 2020, the paddle steamer Waverley made heavy contact with the eastern pier at Brodick, Isle of Arran, Scotland while attempting to berth following a 2-hour afternoon excursion along the Isle of Arran coast. Twenty-one of the 186 passengers and three of the 27 crew on board sustained injuries because of the impact and Waverley suffered damage to its bow above the waterline.
The investigation identified that Waverley made heavy contact with Brodick Pier because the engine was slow to provide astern propulsion due to the engine becoming ‘locked’ at top dead centre, and the engineers controlling the engine could not rectify the matter quickly enough to prevent the collision.
Safety issues
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The specific skills and techniques needed to recognise and avoid the potential for a top dead centre event were neither formally documented within Waverley’s safety management system nor included in the training of the engineers.
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The rectification of worn or incorrectly adjusted components was dependent on engineering knowledge and experience. The loss of Waverley Excursion Limited’s engineering expertise in the years preceding the accident led to maintenance being undertaken with insufficient knowledge.
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Waverley’s operational risk assessments did not effectively cover the hazards posed by manual control of the engine and the engine stopping dead centre during berthing manoeuvres.
Recommendations
In light of the actions taken no recommendations have been made.