Human or machine fault??
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Get out of my way:
RORO vessel ADMIRAL BAY III crashes into sailing yachts in the port of Bridgetown, Barbados, on January 20.
Investigation in the causation is ongoing.
ADMIRAL BAY 3 (IMO: 7013680) is a Vehicles Carrier that was built in 1970 (52 years ago) and is sailing under the flag of St Vincent Grenadines.
It’s carrying capacity is 125 t DWT and her current draught is reported to be 3.7 meters. Her length overall (LOA) is 44.51 meters and her width is 10.65 meters.
PS> Ex Norwegian ferry Førdefjord
That deck hand is going to need more than a fender!
A comment from the YouTube version, FWIW:
The captain here did an amazing job. That is super yacht “Go”, it’s over 250 feet long and the engine and rudder control is all fly by wire. The captain was lining up to exit the bay via the simpson bay bridge which is only 50 cm wider than the yacht. As he was doing so there was a malfunction of the fly by wire controls. He had very little manouvering control of the vessel and as unable to stop it. He had three options. Strike the bridge, making it inoperable and causing major upheval to the nearby airport and indeed much of the island, strike the rocky shoreline which most likely would have done far more damage to the yacht and risk spilling well over 100’000 litres of fuel into the bay or run in to the relatively soft marina. There were crew on the bow warning bystanders to stay clear. All in all, the decision he made caused the least amount of damage, cost and disruption as well as keeping people safe.
Another comment says there was a MAIB report claiming software error. Occurred in February 2021 / Simpson Bay, Sint Maarten
Cheers,
Earl
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Her successful exit:
PS> The jokers are in attendance.
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Over nearly forty years of operating boats in the close confines of the Lake Washington Ship Canal we’ve had several instances of boats losing throttle control for various reasons, and nearly drift down on yachts etc. moored ashore
What saved all but one of these situations was the anchor hanging from the brake, at the water’s edge, with a mate or trusted AB at the brake wheel with a radio, ready to let the anchor go.
About thirty years ago, a captain neglected these precaution and his vessel backed down on a number of yachts tied up to a dock. Not as spectacular as the video of the ferry boat, but still costly.
(Reason for malfunction: The throttle system used compressed air for part of its linkage. Someone in the ER closed a valve supplying compressed air to the system. Before departure from a dock in the canal, the captain tested the throttle in ahead and reverse, but not enough to deplete the standing air in the system. He had enough air for a few engine shifts to clear the dock, but then the supply ran out as he was backing down cross-channel. Should have had the anchor ready to go. )
A lot of yachtsman don’t think of their anchors in that situation.
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