Discover the Maersk-Garonne: Ratings & Maritime News

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) has released a preliminary report detailing the circumstances surrounding the grounding of the "Maersk Garonne" on February 28, 2023. The vessel, operating under Fremantle marine pilot guidance, ran aground at 04:48 a.m. while attempting to navigate into the Port of Fremantle. The investigation highlights that the ship's bridge crew was not actively involved in the pilotage and lacked awareness of the accompanying pilotage plan. During the critical turning maneuver ordered by the pilot, efforts to delay the ship’s arrival at the entrance beacons inadvertently resulted in the vessel passing south of the channel. Fortunately, the "Maersk Garonne" was successfully refloated at 08:24 a.m. and anchored for inspection, revealing no damage. The ATSB's initial findings indicate a significant disconnect between the bridge crew and the pilot, with procedures not appropriately implemented to leverage the full range of bridge resources. The ongoing investigation will focus on various aspects, including pilotage procedures, information exchange, and effective bridge resource management. For further details, the complete preliminary report is available at [ATSB Report](http://www.atsb.gov.au/media/5302244/MO-2015-002-PRELIMINARY.pdf).

The Maersk Garonne, a 62,000-tonne container ship registered in Denmark, found itself stranded on February 28, 2023, approximately 500 meters offshore from South Mole at Fremantle. The 292-meter-long vessel was successfully released from the soft sand around 8:30 am by an operation involving tugboats. Fortunately, there were no injuries reported, and the ship remained undamaged. The Australian Maritime Safety Authority is set to conduct a thorough assessment of the grounding incident. The Maersk Garonne was built in 2003 and continues to operate as an essential part of global shipping logistics.