# Giant bulker Wakashio aground on reef off Mauritius **URL:** \ **Category:** Marine Incidents\ **Created:** [July 27, 2020, 3:40pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/giant-bulker-wakashio-aground-on-reef-off-mauritius/56171 "2020-07-27T15:40:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![ombugge](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.gcaptain.com/ombugge/32/11217_2.png) [@ombugge](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/ombugge)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2020, 12:28pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/giant-bulker-wakashio-aground-on-reef-off-mauritius/56171/41 "2020-08-13T12:28:29Z")
Splash 24/7 also have an article speculating on why the course change?: > **[Countdown to disaster: why did the Wakashio deviate from its intended course?...](https://splash247.com/countdown-to-disaster-why-did-the-wakashio-deviate-from-its-intended-course/)** > > Salvors have done a brilliant job removing the rest of the bunker fuel onboard the stricken bulk carrier, which has been lying precariously on a reef off the south coast of Mauritius since July 25. Attention is now turning to how to remove the ship,... ---
**Author:** ![KPChief](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.gcaptain.com/kpchief/32/26_2.png) [@KPChief](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/KPChief)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2020, 1:38pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/giant-bulker-wakashio-aground-on-reef-off-mauritius/56171/42 "2020-08-13T13:38:12Z")
> **[Why the Mauritius oil spill is so serious](https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-53754751)** > > The location of the Mauritian oil spill means the environmental consequences could be long-lasting. ---
**Author:** ![ombugge](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.gcaptain.com/ombugge/32/11217_2.png) [@ombugge](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/ombugge)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2020, 9:55am UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/giant-bulker-wakashio-aground-on-reef-off-mauritius/56171/43 "2020-08-14T09:55:50Z")
![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/uploads/gcaptain_maritime_forum/original/3X/a/5/a55ce00aa2d07dfbdd5b4389ed7e4c67fc3a8243.jpeg) In this picture she appears to be about to break in two. Latest from Splash 24/7. > **[Birthday party and quest for wifi revealed in lead up to Wakashio grounding...](https://splash247.com/birthday-party-and-quest-for-wifi-revealed-in-lead-up-to-wakashio-grounding-off-mauritius/)** > > The 58-year-old captain of the ill-fated newcastlemax could face negligence charges after it emerged the crew were celebrating a crewmember’s birthday and had headed nearer towards the Mauritius coastline to get a wifi signal just prior to the bulk... The Mauritius Government has made claim against the Owner/Insurers: > **[Afropages - MV Wakashio: le gouvernement fait une demande de compensation](https://www.afropages.fr/lexpress-mu/mv-wakashio-le-gouvernement-fait-une-demande-de-compensation)** > > Nagashiki Shipping Co. Ltd, le propriétaire du MV Wakashio, a confirmé que le gouvernement leur a fait parvenir une demande de compensation dans un communiqué émis hier, jeudi 13 août.  > > «Nous confirmons que le gouvernement mauricien a formulé... ---
**Author:** ![spork](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@spork](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/spork)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2020, 10:23am UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/giant-bulker-wakashio-aground-on-reef-off-mauritius/56171/44 "2020-08-14T10:23:56Z")
I think they probably mean they tried to get close to the island to get mobile signal not wifi. Satellite internet for ships is regularly becoming cheaper, installing it would probably save companies money in the long run as it stops Captains from trying to get dangerously close to land to try and get a mobile signal. L’express made a video detailing the AIS data, it looks like they changed course about 2 hours before going aground, initially they were heading straight for Mahebourg. [![](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/uploads/gcaptain_maritime_forum/original/3X/0/8/08d7e2cb6047a648cd3adc54f45cca594f07f7da.jpeg "Le trajet du MV Wakashio retracé par un informaticien") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gV5BeL7mIU0) ---
**Author:** ![Kennebec\_Captain](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.gcaptain.com/kennebec_captain/32/13_2.png) [@Kennebec\_Captain](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/Kennebec_Captain)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2020, 10:36am UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/giant-bulker-wakashio-aground-on-reef-off-mauritius/56171/45 "2020-08-14T10:36:05Z")
Good find. The other item was that captain and chief engineer were on the bridge at the time even though it was in the evening. That’s a bit unusual. When the ship was called with the warning the captain answered that the ship was in safe water. Likely the reason he thought he was in deep water was from looking at the ECDIS. ---
**Author:** ![spork](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@spork](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/spork)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2020, 10:51am UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/giant-bulker-wakashio-aground-on-reef-off-mauritius/56171/46 "2020-08-14T10:51:53Z")
It looks like they might have made a 10 degree alteration right before they went aground, too little to late. From the chart it looks like they only just went aground, they almost missed the reef… ---
**Author:** ![Klaveness](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.gcaptain.com/klaveness/32/7001_2.png) [@Klaveness](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/Klaveness)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2020, 11:01am UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/giant-bulker-wakashio-aground-on-reef-off-mauritius/56171/47 "2020-08-14T11:01:56Z")
> [@spork](#): > > Satellite internet for ships is regularly becoming cheaper, installing it would probably save companies money in the long run as it stops Captains from trying to get dangerously close to land to try and get a mobile signal. > [@Story of My Life](#): > > If you can’t bring us close enough for my daughter to check her instasnapbook, you’re useless to me. USELESS!!! 🙄 ---
**Author:** ![SeaEagle](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.gcaptain.com/seaeagle/32/17788_2.png) [@SeaEagle](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/SeaEagle)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2020, 11:24am UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/giant-bulker-wakashio-aground-on-reef-off-mauritius/56171/48 "2020-08-14T11:24:59Z")
Sounds like the officials put each crew member in the “Box” and are getting to the real story as to what or wasn’t going on. Wonder how many cell phones went over the side before they got off the ship? ---
**Author:** ![Kennebec\_Captain](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.gcaptain.com/kennebec_captain/32/13_2.png) [@Kennebec\_Captain](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/Kennebec_Captain)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2020, 12:02pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/giant-bulker-wakashio-aground-on-reef-off-mauritius/56171/49 "2020-08-14T12:02:36Z")
About 99.99% of the attention in this case is going to be on the party and cell phone etc. However: When we had the ECDIS installed it was labeled “For training only” at first. In theory the mates were still navigating based on paper charts. However I had an epiphany one day while monitoring the second mate from my office (using iNavX on an Ipad). while he was navigating through traffic in Malacca Strait When the workload gets high the navigation process gets simplified, steer for the areas in white on the chart and avoid the areas in blue. ![Track_MV_Wakashio_5](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/uploads/gcaptain_maritime_forum/original/3X/1/f/1f08a2770c9a20bcf965647e36e617abb03b732f.png) Busy with traffic or busy having a party, either way that’s why it’s important to have the depth contours set up properly on the ECDIS. ---
**Author:** ![SeaEagle](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.gcaptain.com/seaeagle/32/17788_2.png) [@SeaEagle](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/SeaEagle)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2020, 12:24pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/giant-bulker-wakashio-aground-on-reef-off-mauritius/56171/50 "2020-08-14T12:24:28Z")
And look out the window occasionally. All the electronics in the world didn’t prevent this accident. Basics still work as they have for centuries. ---
**Author:** ![Lee\_Shore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Lee\_Shore](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/Lee_Shore)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2020, 2:18pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/giant-bulker-wakashio-aground-on-reef-off-mauritius/56171/51 "2020-08-14T14:18:48Z")
That’s going to turn out to be very expensive cell phone service. ---
**Author:** ![SeaEagle](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.gcaptain.com/seaeagle/32/17788_2.png) [@SeaEagle](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/SeaEagle)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2020, 3:04pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/giant-bulker-wakashio-aground-on-reef-off-mauritius/56171/52 "2020-08-14T15:04:22Z")
I got you Lee, call me at BR549 hee haw. ---
**Author:** ![Kennebec\_Captain](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.gcaptain.com/kennebec_captain/32/13_2.png) [@Kennebec\_Captain](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/Kennebec_Captain)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2020, 4:22pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/giant-bulker-wakashio-aground-on-reef-off-mauritius/56171/53 "2020-08-14T16:22:07Z")
> [@SeaEagle](#): > > All the electronics in the world didn’t prevent this accident. Basics still work as they have for centuries. That’s true of the duties of a lookout which hasn’t changed in thousands of years. But with regards to navigation; in many cases the basic paper navigation chart is no longer available to the bridge watch The ECIDS allows the mate on watch to spend more time looking ahead with only a quick glance to check that the ship is in safe waters where in the past it required plotting a fix on the paper chart during which the mate could not watch ahead. If that quick glance conveys useful information it decreases the chances of a navigation mishap. That’s why having the depths contours correct is important. ---
**Author:** ![SeaEagle](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.gcaptain.com/seaeagle/32/17788_2.png) [@SeaEagle](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/SeaEagle)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2020, 4:34pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/giant-bulker-wakashio-aground-on-reef-off-mauritius/56171/54 "2020-08-14T16:34:35Z")
Agree.the contours should be entered correctly .Not so old saying “Bullshit in, bullshit out”…Apparently the quick glance was not exercised in this event, on either and other aids to navigate. Total fuck up, and you know it KBC. ---
**Author:** ![Lee\_Shore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Lee\_Shore](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/Lee_Shore)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2020, 4:43pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/giant-bulker-wakashio-aground-on-reef-off-mauritius/56171/55 "2020-08-14T16:43:17Z")
Complacency is an insidious bitch and anyone who’s been around awhile knows how quickly it can bite you in the ass. ---
**Author:** ![spork](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@spork](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/spork)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2020, 9:53pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/giant-bulker-wakashio-aground-on-reef-off-mauritius/56171/56 "2020-08-14T21:53:14Z")
One thing that I think should be made an international requirement are radar overlays on ECDIS. Having radar overlays available on ECDIS make it immediately apparent if there are discrepancies between the ships GPS position and radar position. It’s basically having real time range and bearings that you can see instantaneously instead of having to plot them on a chart. Often when you do a ship simulator course one of the things the course operators do to mess with you is to offset the GPS position on the ECDIS to make you think you are in different position to what you actually are, so one thing I learned was when you are doing a simulator course turn on radar overlays and you can see when they are messing with you. On some ships you can’t overlay the radar image on the ECDIS, there are sometimes compatibility issues between the radar and ECDIS manufacturer. Some radar and ECDIS combinations easily allow you to display radar targets, but not the actual outline of the coast that a radar overlay would show. Done properly it doesn’t really clutter the ECDIS screen, it is a fantastic navigational aid. ---
**Author:** ![spork](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@spork](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/spork)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2020, 11:43pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/giant-bulker-wakashio-aground-on-reef-off-mauritius/56171/57 "2020-08-14T23:43:37Z")
[![](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/uploads/gcaptain_maritime_forum/original/3X/7/a/7ac7530a2f955f84dc0ec9a5bcb6f1d9d86a976d.jpeg "De l’ombre à la lumière : zoom sur l’équipe du Mauritius Oceanography Institute") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BwA878-DeuA) ---
**Author:** ![Silvano](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.gcaptain.com/silvano/32/14597_2.png) [@Silvano](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/Silvano)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2020, 12:14am UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/giant-bulker-wakashio-aground-on-reef-off-mauritius/56171/58 "2020-08-15T00:14:26Z")
This is still true nowadays. I had a Captain who would mess around with my route plans just to have the ship make a close pass to land to get a phone signal. We do have VSAT onboard yet he was still trying to connect his own local sim via cell terrestrial towers coz they were cheaper. Needless to say these practices have to end where the safety of the ship is compromised just to get a freakin phone signal. ---
**Author:** ![spork](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@spork](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/spork)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2020, 1:05am UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/giant-bulker-wakashio-aground-on-reef-off-mauritius/56171/59 "2020-08-15T01:05:04Z")
Yeah very true. As we learned from the COVID crisis governments can easily tell from cell phone towers who is making phone calls or data connections from a small area, so the Mauritius authorities will probably be able to tell from digital records if the watch-keeper was on the phone to his wife when the accident happened. They will most likely keeping all the crew apart and looking for hole in their stories, fortunately for the crew Mauritius has a good human rights record so they shouldn’t expect too many problems if they are honest. ---
**Author:** ![SeaEagle](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.gcaptain.com/seaeagle/32/17788_2.png) [@SeaEagle](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/SeaEagle)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2020, 1:17am UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/giant-bulker-wakashio-aground-on-reef-off-mauritius/56171/60 "2020-08-15T01:17:40Z")
Get them in the “Box” and take the cellphones. I wouldn’t want to be the last few questioned, or worse… requestioned. The authorities already know the answers or questions. They got the story after the first few interviews. Just looking for fibbers now. [Previous page](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/giant-bulker-wakashio-aground-on-reef-off-mauritius/56171.md?page=2) [Next page](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/giant-bulker-wakashio-aground-on-reef-off-mauritius/56171.md?page=4)