Dragging anchor and grounding of general cargo vessel Thunder
Location: Mostyn Bank, Wales.
Accident Investigation Report 12/2007
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Summary
At 2100 BST on 9 August 2006, the Antigua and Barbuda registered general cargo vessel Thunder anchored in the Wild Road anchorage off the port of Mostyn. Three shackles of cable were veered in 24m of water. The wind was gusting to 29 knots and a tidal stream of 2.5 knots was running. Overnight the vessel dragged her anchor, and in the early morning of the following day, during the last of the ebb tide, she grounded.
Safety Issues
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the master was aware that an appropriate chart was not available on board. Although he had requested its supply from the Mostyn agent and the cargo operator, he did not notify the company marine superintendent, whose responsibility it was to ensure provision of nautical publications
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the Mostyn agent had taken it upon himself to send the waypoints for the approach channel, the position of a preferred anchorage and a pilot boarding area to the master. He had not consulted the harbourmaster about their accuracy or reliability
Recommendations
Recommendations have been made to The Port of Mostyn, Reederei Erwin Strahlmann, The Maritime and Coastguard Agency and the Secretary of State of Transport.
This report was published on 12 June 2007.