Grounding of live fish carrier Ronja Skye
Location: Western shores of Morvern, Scotland.
Completed PE Summary: Ronja Skye
A short summary of the accident and action taken:
| Merchant Vessel/Accident Details | |
|---|---|
| Vessel Name | Ronja Skye |
| Manager | Sølvtrans Management AS |
| Ship Owner | Sølvtrans Rederi AS |
| Port of Registry | Ålesund |
| Flag | Norwegian |
| Classification Society | None |
| Type | Live fish carrier |
| Built | 2001 |
| Construction | Steel |
| Length Overall | 40.35m |
| Breadth Extreme | 10.0m |
| Draught | 4.7m aft, 5m forward |
| Gross Tonnage | 497 |
| Date/Time | 24/02/2010, 0407 |
| Location of Incident | 56º 37.4 N, 006º 00.2 W |
| Incident Type | Grounding |
| Persons Onboard | 4 |
| Injuries/Fatalities | None |
| Damage/Pollution | None |
Synopsis
At 0100 on 24 February 2010, Ronja Skye departed the Geesgil island fish farm for the Scottish Sea Farms’ fish processing factory in South Shian, carrying 80 tonnes of live salmon. At 0342, the chief officer altered course to 120º preparing to transit the Sound of Mull (Western Scotland); the speed at the time was 9.3 knots. At 0407:38, the vessel grounded on the western shores of Morvern; the course and speed at the time of the grounding had not been altered.
The master sought assistance from Ronja Pioneer, another Sølvtrans vessel, which arrived at the scene half an hour later, but he did not inform the coastguard of the accident. As the tide fell, Ronja Skye took on a port list. The crew pumped out 600 cubic metres of water from the fish tanks and the vessel rose approximately 1 metre, thus correcting her list. She was assisted into deeper water by Ronja Pioneer, after which she was able to proceed to port under her own power.
The investigation determined that at the time of the accident, the watch officer was probably suffering from fatigue and, as a result, fell asleep. Additionally, he was on watch alone without a dedicated lookout. Although the vessel’s bridge was fitted with a watch alarm, the evidence indicates that it was not functional at the time of the accident. Also, several other items of cargo equipment and navigational equipment were either defective or malfunctioning.
Action taken
The Deputy Chief Inspector of Marine Accidents has written to Sølvtrans Rederi AS strongly advising the company to review the manning levels on board Ronja Skye to ensure that the risks of crew fatigue are reduced, and that a dedicated lookout can be maintained during the hours of darkness
Published: May 2010