What Crew Members Say About Lucia-B

On November 24, 2021, the Maritime Safety Investigation Office of the Maltese Islands alerted the Gabinete de Investigação de Acidentes Marítimos e da Autoridade para a Meteorologia Aeronáutica (GAMA) following a near miss reported by the sailing yacht 'Freebird'. The yacht experienced a critical moment of excessive proximity to the cargo ship 'Karin Schepers', which was making its way from Santa Cruz de Tenerife to Las Palmas, with an ETA set for November 30. In response to this incident, GAMA has requested comprehensive evidence from both the vessel and its owner company for further investigation. Additionally, the agency has informed the European Commission via the European Platform for Information on Maritime Accidents (EMCIP) to ensure proper oversight and analysis of the situation.

An official investigation has uncovered alarming details surrounding the grounding of the container ship 'Karin Schepers' near Pendeen, Cornwall, in August 2011. The Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) reported that the captain exhibited signs of significant intoxication before falling asleep on the bridge, just moments before the vessel ran aground on a narrow stretch of beach. At the time of the incident, the ship was traveling at nearly 17 knots and came to rest only 30 meters from the shoreline. According to the investigation, the captain—identified as a 39-year-old Ukrainian national—was reportedly aggressive towards his second officer, leading to a confrontation that forced the officer to leave the bridge. Voice recordings captured on the Voyage Data Recorder (VDR) reveal that the captain, after the grounding at 16.6 knots, hastily reversed the engines without assessing the vessel's condition or crew wellbeing. Remarkably, the 'Karin Schepers' grounded on unpopulated sand without sustaining any serious damage, a fortunate outcome considering it was carrying a cargo that included petroleum. John Chappell, lifeboat operations manager at Sennen Cove, recalled the urgency of the situation as emergency teams anticipated a significant disaster. He noted, "I told Phil Shannon, our acting coxswain, that he was launching to a big one and she was going to hit the shore." If not for the vessel's Automatic Identification System, the incident might have gone unnoticed, the team indicated. Further analysis of the VDR revealed a concerning timeline. Prior to the grounding, the captain made numerous visits to the bridge, where the second officer reportedly perceived him as intoxicated. As the ship approached Pendeen, it was recorded that the captain had fallen asleep, with his snoring audible on the VDR. Following the grounding, both the captain and the chief officer allegedly agreed to omit the grounding from their official logs and did not adhere to directives to preserve VDR data, which was later recovered by MAIB technicians. The MAIB report concluded with recommendations directed at the vessel's owners and the crew management company to prevent such incidents in the future.

In a dramatic incident off the coast of Cornwall, a cargo vessel recently experienced a fortunate escape thanks to the timing of a spring tide. The ship, which ran aground despite coastguard warnings, found itself in a precarious situation. A comprehensive report detailing the event, complete with photographs, can be found at This Is Cornwall. Additionally, a video capturing the moments surrounding this maritime misadventure is available on This Is The West Country. The incident highlights the unpredictable nature of maritime navigation and the importance of heeding safety advisories from coastguard authorities.