Hoegh Osaka Stability

[Big Pete]

Sounds like incompetent Deck Officers at fault for the capsize, as we suspected.

Exclusive insights into Hoegh Osaka grounding

 Written by Ines Nastali



Exclusive insights into Hoegh Osaka grounding

Creative Commons/Mike Searle



The MAIB accident report in to the Hoegh Osaka incident attributes the listing and eventual grounding of the car carrier to improper stability assessments were done without adhering to the relevant IMO code. The report, which makes for troublesome reading and is available to readers in the next edition of The Marine Professional, also includes a report by investigator Kieran Dodworth, MD of Safety at Sea, which is a Brookes Bell subsidiary.

Speaking exclusively to our magazine, the naval architect identified a number of causes leading to the vessel’s stability loss which ultimately ended on the Bramble Bank. “First of all, it is not normal to leave port without any stability assessment,” he said, adding that in his opinion all the decisions that led to the accident were made while the vessel was in harbour.

“The ship’s loading could have complied to stability regulations, if ballast tanks were properly loaded, which they weren’t,” he pointed out. “Non-compliance to stability regulations is a general problem that needs to be worked on.

You are invited to read a much more detailed version of both the accident report and the exclusive interview with Kieran Dodworth in the May issue of The Marine Professional.

[JK]

Link to report:

https://www.gov.uk/maib-reports/listing ... oegh-osaka