M2302 - Collision at anchor

Initial Report

A wind shift caused the swinging circles of two superyachts anchored overnight in close proximity to overlap. One vessel noticed this and started its engines to manoeuvre away from the other, but it could not do so before they inevitably collided. The other vessel did not respond to verbal and radio calls from the first vessel until after the collision because its bridge was unmanned. Luckily, the damage was minimal.

CHIRP Comment

Although at anchor, a vessel is still at sea and should ideally remain on sea watches, including with a manned bridge. However, many smaller vessels do not have sufficient personnel to stay on sea watches and simultaneously meet guests’ needs.

In our first edition of Superyacht FEEDBACK (Report M2088), we noted that one of the more difficult tasks for a captain is to moderate the owner’s or guests’ expectations. This includes the uncomfortable conversation that their vessel might not be crewed to safely operate at sea overnight—even at anchor—while simultaneously running tenders ashore and supervising the use of water toys, etc.

This is one instance where a comprehensive risk assessment, which refers to scenarios like the one above, can help. And as we noted in that first edition:

“Shrewd owners will accept that the captain is looking after their interests… [and if they don’t]… this should be a ‘red flag’ to the captain that safety on board at some point will be compromised. Better to seek alternative employment.”

Situational Awareness—The bridge should remain operational to identify and control reasonably foreseeable hazardous scenarios even when at anchor. This includes timely observation of changing weather conditions and the risk of collision.

Culture- Safety is always paramount, even if that means disappointing owner/guest expectations.

Local Practices: Review existing risk assessments regularly. Refer to incident reports published by CHIRP and others to identify potential safety risks.