M2013-04 MT Jurmo (FIN) collision with Holma edge mark off Oulu on 28 November 2013

A pilot received a call to go to the Oulu harbour to pilot the tanker JURMO out from Vihreäsaari to the sea. The vessel’s voyage plan was determined to follow the northern channel of Oulu to open seas through Oulu passage and then to further proceed to Vaasa, which was its destination. At some point before the voyage was started or during it, the pilot and the Master agreed on a change of the route. It was decided that the pilot was to disembark at the Holma edge mark, from where the vessel would continue directly to open seas. No correction on this change was entered into the vessel's electronic voyage plan.

According to the persons on the bridge, the visibility was good and there was hard wind. The intention was to slow down and turn the vessel to proceed westwards before the Holma edge mark, in which case the vessel would have provided the pilot cutter shelter from the northern sea. The pilot started to manoeuvre the vessel on the east side of the channel so that the vessel would proceed on the western course inside the channel area when the disembarkation took place. Moving on the east side of the channel area placed the vessel in such a position in the channel system that turning on the western course resulted in passing the edge mark. When the JURMO approached the Holma edge mark, those present on the bridge told that they had noticed that the pilot cutter was proceeding too slowly and remaining too close to the edge mark for the safe disembarkation of the pilot. The pilot contacted the pilot cutter on VHF radio and asked it to proceed towards the tanker in a northerly direction. At the same time the tanker started to turn on the western course.

In the hard wind the vessel drifted strongly to port and headed into a close-call situation with the edge mark. By using the VHF radio, the pilot informed the skipper of the pilot cutter that he would not disembark the vessel till after the Holma edge mark. At this point the pilot cutter, which had made it to the scene, moved further away from the side of the vessel. The Master tried to steer clear of the edge mark first from its north side. When the vessel's trajectory did not change enough, the Master tried to steer clear of the edge mark from its south side and then he finally stopped the vessel. Because the propeller was still running backwards, the vessel collided with the Holma edge mark. The longitudinal movement of the vessel had then in practice stopped. The edge mark hit the bow somewhat on the port side, and when the vessel drifted with the wind towards south, the contact continued for a couple of seconds.

After the incident damages were detected on the Holma edge mark, on the shaft and the part with the radar reflector. The underwater structure of the mark was not damaged. The damages suffered by the vessel's bow in the collision were minor, and after an inspection the vessel was granted permission to continue operations as normal. A maritime declaration was given at the District Court of Oulu on 10.1.2014. A member from the Investigation Commission was present.

The vessel was an IMO II class oil/chemical tanker. It had fourteen cargo tanks and a double hull. Because of the double hull the vessel can withstand small collisions and ground touchings without the cargo leaking.

In the investigation it came up that the vessel’s bridge personnel and the pilot did not have uni-form perception of the voyage plan and of the pilot's plan to disembark the vessel. The position of the pilot cutter played a part in the delay of the yaw of the JURMO. The skipper of the pilot cutter was not aware of the vessel's planned trajectory in connection with the intended disembarkation of the pilot.

On the basis of the investigation, the Safety Investigation Authority has issued a recommendation proposing more detailed determination of official pilot boarding places, which are to be divided, if possible, according to inbound and outbound traffic and according to the season. As a second recommendation it is suggested that necessary measures be added in the pilotage instruction in order to ensure information exchange between the skipper and the pilot thus creating good situational awareness between the parties. The third recommendation suggests that the regulatory provision on the voyage plan of the piloted track be specified in such a way that beforehand planning of manoeuvring measures taking place at the pilot boarding place is ensured.

Report M2013-04 (pdf, 0.89 Mt)