What Crew Members Say About Mt-Embla

A maritime incident took place on May 5, 2025, when the CO2 tanker 'Embla' collided with the center wall of the newly constructed southern lock in Brunsbüttel at approximately 1:25 p.m. Luckily, the allision only resulted in minor damage to both the vessel and the lock structure. The 'Embla', which was en route from Kiel to Hamburg, sustained superficial paint scratches, while the lock wall experienced slight abrasion but remained structurally sound. Fortunately, there were no injuries reported and no water ingress was detected. In response to the event, the Brunsbüttel water police have initiated an investigation to determine the factors contributing to the accident.

On April 6, 2014, a maritime incident occurred in the Kiel Canal involving the LPG tanker "Yara Embla" and the cargo vessel "Frank W". The collision took place at approximately 9:40 p.m. when the "Frank W" experienced a rudder failure shortly after departing from the locks in Brunsbüttel, heading eastbound. The forepart of the "Yara Embla" sustained damage from the impact. Following the incident, the tanker continued to its destination, docking at the Bominflot Pier in Kiel at 4 a.m. on April 7 for necessary inspections and repairs. Meanwhile, the "Frank W", which was traveling from Kunda to La Rochelle/Pallice, was permitted to proceed at reduced speed. To enhance safety measures, it was mandated to have a tug escort from Kudensee during its transit back to Brunsbüttel. The cargo vessel successfully moored at Brunsbüttel/Ostermoor shortly after midnight, ensuring that the situation was handled with caution. For a detailed look at this incident, including images, visit the German report here: http://forum-schiff.de/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=23#p102293.

On April 9, 2013, a vessel was detained in Tees after inspectors identified a total of sixteen deficiencies related to the International Safety Management (ISM) Code, which pointed to significant failures in its implementation. The violations noted included critical issues with firefighting equipment, such as a self-closing fire door that was improperly held open and an engine room door that failed to close and latch correctly. Additionally, discrepancies were found in the engine room CO2 release cabinet, which contained dual sets of instructions, while the fire control plan did not meet expectations. There was also a clear lack of training during fire drills. Further ISM-related shortcomings involved inadequate training for abandon ship drills, mismatched sizes for immersion suits meant for the crew, and improperly connected bilge pump suction and discharge hoses on the rescue boat. Emergency lighting in the forecastle was found to be inoperative, and key components, such as the lamp in the battery locker, were missing. The vessel's echo sounder indicated a low battery alongside an SRAM fault, and the gyro compass malfunctioned, with the steering gear repeater displaying a misaligned heading of 152 degrees compared to the bridge's 223 degrees. Compliance issues with various chapters of the IGC code were evident, as a copy of the code was absent on board. The Continuous Synopsis Record, the Document for Dangerous Goods, and the muster list also failed to meet regulatory expectations. Additional concerns included missing certificates for personnel operating on tankers and improper food storage practices. After addressing these issues, the vessel was released from detention on April 18, 2013.