Parting of mooring lines from general cargo vessel Lomur resulting in contact with berthed general cargo vessel Freepsum
Location: River Trent, England.
Completed PE Summary: Lomur/Freepsum
A short summary of the accident and action taken:
| Merchant Vessel 1/Accident Details | |
|---|---|
| Vessel Name | Lomur |
| Registered Owner/Manager | Nes hf |
| Port of Registry | Larvik |
| Flag | Norway |
| Type | General cargo vessel |
| Built | 1983 |
| Classification Society | Bureau Veritas |
| Construction | Steel |
| Length Overall | 72.45m |
| Gross Tonnage | 1516 |
| Date/Time | 15/06/2006, 1300 |
| Location of Incident | River Trent |
| Incident Type | Equipment failure and collision |
| Injuries/Fatalities | None |
| Damage/Pollution | Minor damage |
| Berthed Merchant Vessel 2/Accident Details | |
|---|---|
| Vessel Name | Freepsum |
| Port of Registry | St John’s |
| Flag | Antigua & Barbuda |
| Type | General cargo vessel |
| Built | 1994 |
| Classification Society | Germanischer Lloyd |
| Construction | Steel |
| Length Overall | 88.3m |
| Gross Tonnage | 1990 |
| Date/Time | 15/06/2006, 1300 |
| Location of Incident | River Trent |
| Incident Type | Equipment failure and collision |
| Persons Onboard | 9 crew |
| Injuries/Fatalities | None |
| Damage/Pollution | Material damage |
Synopsis
Lomur arrived at an inland wharf to discharge her bulk cargo, shortly after high water on the morning of 15 June 2006. The usual mooring arrangements at the berth were for two ropes to be supplied from the shore forward and two more aft, and additionally use ships lines as springs. On this occasion the usual arrangements were used forward but it was decided to use the ships own lines aft. During the lunch period, the stern and after breast lines parted, allowing the stern of the ship to move off the quay. This was followed shortly afterwards by both spring lines parting, allowing the stern to swing further into the river. Held only by the head rope and forward breast rope the Lomur came to rest when her port shoulder landed on the port side of the transom of Freepsum berthed on the next jetty. Lomur’s forward crane struck the ladders at the after end of Freepsum’s accommodation, and the two ships remained together until the next high water when, with tug assistance, they were parted and the Lomur safely re-berthed.
Action taken
The Chief Inspector of Marine Accidents wrote to the harbour master and the wharf operators, endorsing the actions taken by the harbour master in carrying out a review of the mooring arrangements available at the wharf. He also wrote to the vessel owners advising them of the poor condition of the ship’s ropes used.