KERTU

scrapped

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Transport Agency and Coastguard critizised for handling of Kertu accident

Both the Transport Agency and the Swedish JRCC were critizised in a report of the Swedish Accident Investigation Commission on the grounding of the "Kertu" in 2014. The ship ran aground off the Landsort on Oct 29 enroute from Bålstad to Kokkola. It was blowing hard at the moment, about 15 meters per second. The pilot had just left the ship - because of the weather just inside pilotage line - when the accident occurred. The VTS center contacted the ship which did not require any assistance and also alerted the JRCC, the Transport Agency and the Coast Guard. After a few hours on the shoal the master contacted the Coast Guard and the JRCC because the ship was leaking diesel oil. The Coast Guard sent one of its ships to the scene and found that the ship was leaking. The Swedish Accident Investigation Board found it most remarkable that the ship was contacted by any authority only four hours after the grounding. The fact that the JRCC did not made contact with the ship was striking, given the weather. The Transport Agency started its Maritime Assistance Service only started ten hours after the grounding. It should have been done much earlier. No one knew what the MAS really is. The direct cause of grounding was, according to the report, a misunderstanding between the officers on the bridge regarding the ship's position. Some responsibility also rested on the pilot as he discontinued piloting and asked the VTS to guide the ship out of the pilot area. Normally, one can pilot on the west side of Landsort, but because the weather was so hard the ship did not go there. The pilot chose to get round the port to get shelter which he also has the right to do in severe weather. But then, he should still continue piloting perhaps in combination with the VTS to get the ship out of the area. After four hours, the ship managed to get off the shoal and headed to an anchorage offshore. Soon after, the ship reported that it took in water in the holds. The crew, except the captain and the chief engineer, were evacuated to a nearby Coastguard vessel. The "Kertu" was then close to capsizing. A major effort to prevent it from capsizing was carried out by the Coast Guard together with the Maritime Transport Agency inspectors remotely. The ship was then towed to the quay in Oxelösund. Had a pilot or a maritime inspector soon been sent to the scene, they had clearly seen how the skipper tried to maneuver from the shoal. He was shocked, exhausted and needed support. But no one was sent out. In contrast, the Coast Guard saw the ship was operated and also reported it. But they did not have the knowledge of what it might mean. Besides the criticism to the Coast Guard and Transport Agency, the Swedish Maritime Administration has also recommended that the Ministry of Industry should evaluate existing legislation on ship in distress regarding the powers to order a port to accommodate ships in distress. The Department of Justice recommended to evaluate legislation on the boundary between state and municipal emergency services responsible for ports and channels associated with shipping accidents. Full report: http://www.havkom.se/assets/reports/RS2016_10-KERTU.pdf

Hulk out of the water

The "Kertu" has now come completely out of the water at Fornaes Shipbreaking Ltd./Grenaa an will soon be completely gone. Photo: http://www.shipspotting.com/gallery/photo.php?lid=2180886

Damaged cargo ship scrapped

After the "Kertu" arrived at Fornaes Shipbreakers in Grenaa, on Dec 1 recycling has commenced. Report: http://www.fornaes.dk/english/news/kertu-en.php