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Marine Accident Brief on investigation of allision issued

The National Transportation Safety Board has issued a Marine Accident Brief on its investigation of an incident on Sep. 23, 2019, in which a wharf incurred $1.47 million in damage. The accident occurred at about 6.57 a.m. when the 'G.M. McAllister' and the 'Nancy McAllister' were assisting the bulk carrier 'Ijssel Confidence' on the Southern Branch of the Elizabeth River, in Chesapeake, Virigina. While engaged in turning the bulk carrier, the 'G.M. McAllister' allided with the NGL Energy Partners wharf. There were four crewmembers on board the tug. The vessel was not damaged and therefore continued the turning maneuver. No pollution or injuries were reported. The Marine Accident Brief notes that the bulk carrier had engaged two pilots for the undocking and transit to sea, which was normal practice in this port. The docking pilot would undock and conn the ship from the berth to a place about five miles downriver, and the state pilot would conn the ship from that point until it reached the pilot boarding area off of Cape Henry, at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay. The docking pilot was a member of the Association of Virginia Docking Pilots and had U.S. Coast Guard mariner’s credentials with a federal pilotage endorsement for the area of the river where the accident occurred. The state pilot, a member of the Virginia Pilot Association, held U.S. Coast Guard mariner’s credentials with federal endorsements and a state pilotage endorsement from the Commonwealth of Virginia for the accident area. A state pilot was compulsory for the vessel under Coast Guard regulations. The bulker’s undocking and transit to sea was conducted with the two tugs. After the bulk carrier left the berth, it proceeded downriver astern in a general westerly direction toward the turning basin, with the engine dead slow astern and the rudder midship. As the 'Ijssel Confidence ' approached the turning basin where the river started to bend northwest, the vessel’s astern speed continued to increase and its course over ground remained in a westerly direction. As the docking pilot attempted to slow the ship, the vessel moved towards to the south side of the river, away from Money Point, and the 'G.M. McAllister' struck the NGL Energy Partners berth. During the NTSB’s investigation, the captains of both tugs stated the bulk carrier was moving too fast for them to work effectively. The docking pilot was an experienced former tug captain and mate. He had docked and undocked hundreds of ships in the accident area of the river, mostly using tractor tugboats. Conventional tugboats, like those involved in this accident, are less maneuverable than tractor tugboats. In this accident, said the NTSB, the docking pilot neglected to take into account the conventional tugboats’ reduced effectiveness and the additive effect to the ship’s speed. The NTSB determined the probable cause of the contact of the G.M McAllister with the NGL Energy Partners berth was the docking pilot backing down the river toward the turning basin at a speed at which the assist tugboats could not be effectively used. Full report: https://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/AccidentReports/Reports/MAB2037.pdf