HomeMarine InsuranceHealth and SafetyMAIB Report: Contact made by the paddle steamer Waverley with Brodick pier, Isle of Arran, Scotland on 3 September 2020
MAIB Report: Contact made by the paddle steamer Waverley with Brodick pier, Isle of Arran, Scotland on 3 September 2020
Report on the investigation of the contact made by the paddle steamer Waverley with Brodick pier, Isle of Arran, Scotland on 3 September 2020.
Summary:
On 3 September 2020, the paddle steamer Waverley made heavy contact with the eastern pier at Brodick, Isle of Arran, Scotland while attempting to berth following a 2-hour afternoon excursion along the Isle of Arran coast. Twenty-one of the 186 passengers and three of the 27 crew on board sustained injuries because of the impact and Waverley suffered damage to its bow above the waterline.
The MAIB investigation identified that Waverley made heavy contact with Brodick Pier because the engine was slow to provide astern propulsion due to the engine becoming ‘locked’ at top dead centre, and the engineers controlling the engine could not rectify the matter quickly enough to prevent the collision.
The key safety issues identified were: The specific skills and techniques needed to recognise and avoid the potential for a top dead centre event were neither formally documented within Waverley’s safety management system nor included in the training of the engineers.
The rectification of worn or incorrectly adjusted components was dependent on engineering knowledge and experience. The loss of Waverley Excursion Limited’s engineering expertise in the years preceding the accident led to maintenance being undertaken with insufficient knowledge.
Waverley’s operational risk assessments did not effectively cover the hazards posed by manual control of the engine and the engine stopping dead centre during berthing manoeuvres.
Safety recommendations: No safety recommendations have been made.
