PINAR DEL RIO

scrapped

General information

Course/Position

Latest news

Human error contributed to grounding accident

An investigation report into the grounding of the 'Pinar del Río' on Aug 16, 2021, attributed the accident to a double human error and the lack of controls at the port of Dénia. The reportof an agency of the Ministry of Transport explained that the ship left the line that marks the entrance to the dock when the captain believed that the ship would collide with a recreational catamaran carrying 60 passengers. The ship bumped against a concrete block located on the north breakwater. There were no injuries among the 393 passengers and the crew, but the severity of the grounding and a storm during the following days made the ship a total loss. The report established that there were no technical causes. The 25-meter-long catamaran which was sailing out of the canal, forced the 'Pinar del Río' to get out of the line that marks the port entrance. There were two contributing factors of the accident. The first was human error: The bridge officers were not focused on the port entry maneuver, as they were attending to the training and familiarization of the bridge and engine officers who were going to take over. The second contributing factor refers to another more general reason for the Dénia dock - the absence of management, coordination and control of maritime traffic in the port since no one controlled that the ship could enter it while a catamaran with 60 passengers on board was already leaving the canal. If there had been that control, the event could have been prevented. The Ministry technicians recommended to establish an effective system for the control of maritime traffic in the port of Dénia and that the shipping companies contemplate the obligation to wait before accessing the entry channel in the event that there are vessels of a certain exit size and establish radio communications with these vessels.

Dismantling getting ahead

Little remained visible of the 'Pinar del Río' in Dénia. The scrapping of the wreck has advanced significantly during the recent week. The accomodation was no longer there and there was hardly a small strip above the waterline left. At this time, the specialized companies Ardentia Marine and Varadero Vinaròs, SL were in charge of sectioning the vessel in the surface area and were removing the parts by means of a 250-ton crane. In a few days, no piece will left to be seen. Baléaria planned to start work under water next week, which will be the most difficult part. A team of specialized divers will handle the underwater work. The shipping company estimated that the removal could end in early November. The assembly of another larger 500 ton crane, as well as a barge, was planned shortly. Then the operators can section and remove the engines and other submerged elements of large weight. Spanish report with photo: https://www.lasprovincias.es/marina/ferry-encallado-denia-retirada-20191003155619-nt.html

Removal could be completed end of November

Baleària was progressing in the work of removing the remains of the 'Pinar del Río' at the pier of the port of Dénia, and hoped that at the beginning of next week all elements above the waterline will have been removed. Then it will be the turn of the submerged hull, a work that was estimated to end in early November. The two specialized companies Ardentia Marine and Varadero Vinaròs, SL were in charge of cutting up the vessel at the surface and removing the parts by means of a 250-ton crane. All these sections are transferred to the authorized recycling plant, which is managed by the company Varadero Vinaròs, SL. The underwater work, being of greater difficulty, will require a team of specialized divers. In the coming days, a larger crane than the current one with a capacity of about 500 tons will be installed along with a barge to be able to section and remove the submerged and heavier elements of the ferry, such as the engines. It was estimated that the work may be completed at the beginning of November.